Songs by Laymen

For instance, almost everybody knows this great song, I Am Thine, O Lord, words by Fanny Crosby, but the music by William H. Doan.

Draw me nearer and nearer and nearer, precious Lord.

William H. Doan wrote the music for many of the Fanny Crosby songs.

But he wasn't a preacher, and he wasn't even a professional musician.

In fact, William H. Doan was an expert accountant.

He was also an inventor with 70 patents that were registered with the U.S. Patent Office.

He was president and general manager of a woodworking firm plant in Cincinnati, Ohio.

And yet he found time to write some beautiful hymn tunes.

What would I and thine, O Lord, be without the hymn tune by William H. Doan? What would Jesus keep me near the cross be without the beautiful music that he wrote for this Fanny Crosby favorite? ¶¶

Thank you.

All of you know this great hymn often used as the first hymn in a Sunday morning service.

Written in 1833, this metrical version of Psalm 104 was written by Robert Grant.

But Robert Grant was not a clergyman.

Instead, Robert Grant was the governor of Bombay, India.

And he was director of the famed East India Company.

He was also a writer about political subjects and literary subjects.

Very interesting.