eHymns.org

Born: Sep­tem­ber 24, 1793, near Jones­bo­ro, Ten­nes­see.

Died: Oc­to­ber 17, 1844, near Quin­cy, Il­li­nois.

Buried: Oak­land Cem­e­te­ry, near Quin­cy, Il­li­nois.

Nelson grad­u­at­ed from Wash­ing­ton Coll­ege, Vir­gin­ia, in 1819, and earned his med­ic­al de­gree in Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia, in 1812. Dur­ing the War of 1812 he served as a surgeon in a regiment from Kentucky, but in 1823, he gave up med­i­cine for the ministry. He was or­dained in 1825 at Rogersville, Tennessee. He pas­tored in Danville, Kentucky and Marion Coun­ty, Missouri, and held sev­er­al posts. He al­so found­ed two man­u­al la­bor col­leges, one at Green­fields, Marion Coun­ty, Mis­souri; and the other near Quin­cy, Il­li­nois (where he had moved due to op­po­si­tion to his anti-slav­ery views). He even­tu­al­ly be­came pres­i­dent of Pres­by­ter­i­an The­o­log­ic­al Sem­in­ary at Quincy.

Born: August 30, 1820, Sheffield, Massachusetts.

Died: August 6, 1895, Bailey Island, Maine.

Buried: North Reading, Massachusetts.

Pseudonyms

* Wurzel (German for “Root”)
* G. Friedrich Wurzel

Root’s musical talents were evident at an early age. By the time he was 13, he was proud that he could play a tune on as many instruments as his age. In 1838, Root moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he studied under George Webb. In 1845, he moved to New York City, playing the organ at the Church of the Strangers, and teaching music at the Abbott Institute for Young Ladies. In 1850, he toured Europe for a year. Afterward, he started working with Lowell Mason, at Boston’s Academy of Music. In 1851, Root began composing. One of his best known songs is “The Battle Cry of Freedom.” In 1859, Root began work at his brother’s company, Root and Cady, in Chicago, Illinois. In 1872, the University of Chicago awarded him an honorary Doctor of Music degree. Root’s works include:

* The Young Ladies Choir, 1846
* The Pilgrim Fathers, 1854
* Belshazzar’s Feast, 1860
* The Haymakers, 1857
* The Story of a Musical Life, 1891, an autobiography

Sources

* Hall, pp. 29-35
* Nutter, p. 464

Hymns

1. Behold the Bridegroom Cometh
2. Clear as Crystal
3. Come to the Savior
4. Inasmuch
5. O the Way Is Long and Weary
6. She Only Touched the Hem of His Garment
7. Thou Art My Rock
8. Why Do You Wait?

Music

1. Ellon
2. Jerusalem, Thou City Bright
3. Jewels
4. Knocking, Knocking, Who Is There?
5. Lowry
6. O Where Are the Reapers?
7. Rialto
8. Ring the Bells
9. Rosedale
10. Suffer Little Children
11. Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
12. Varina
13. We Are Watching
14. We Come in Childhood’s Joyfulness

Source: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/r/o/o/root_gf.html

Sorry, we have no information for this arranger