Center For Church Music, Songs & Hymns

Browse Hymns:

Browse by:

We Invite You To Sing

To sing with us, 1) Click on the music thumbnail icon to view the sheet music (you don't have to read music!), and 2) Engage the audio file by clicking on the Real audio or Mp3 file.

Find Songs And Hymns

William Kirkpatrick

Birth: February 27, 1838, Duncannon, Pennsylvania
Death: September 20, 1921, Germantown, Pennsylvania

William James Kirkpatrick was born in 1838 to a musical family. In 1854 he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to study music and carpentry. During the Civil War, he served as a fife major with the 91^st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. Following the war he was connected with the furniture industry, but at the death of his first wife he left that occupation and devoted himself entirely to his music ministry.

He was affiliated with the Wharton Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. As there were few church organs at that time, his violin and cello were in demand for choir rehearsal, singing societies and church programs. He also conducted music at camp meetings and musical conventions.

He published his first collection, Devotional Melodies (1859), at the age of 21. He went on to compile about 100 books. He wrote the music to many gospel songs. After his death, his second wife assigned the rights to 1049 of his hymns to Hope Publishing Co, which was only part his total output. Other works he published were: The Wells of Salvation: Songs for the Sabbath School (1881), Winning Songs (1892), Songs of Love and Praise, No. 3 (1896), and Glorious Praise, (1904).

Page numbers in Trinity Hymnal (1990) and The Worshiping Church (1990)

Title	Trinity	Worshiping
A Wonderful Savior Is Jesus My Lord	175
Away In a Manger	205	149
Hallelujah Praise Jehovah	110
I Am Not Skilled to Understand	459	480
Jesus Saves (We Have Heard the Joyful Sound)	448	728
Lead Me to Calvary		211
My Faith Has Found a Resting Place	468	495
'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus	679	520