The longtime music director and pastor of Trinity All Nations Church in Chicago talks about his music and his legacy, including his songs “I’ve got a feeling everything’s gonna be alright” and “Are You Ready,” recorded with Albertina Walker and James Cleveland.

In this episode, we explore the long recorded history of “Precious memories,” starting with the original version by John B.F. Wright, then the gospel choir adaptation by Roberta Martin and Georgia Jones. Includes performances by the McDonald Quartette (1932), the Roberta Martin Singers with Norsalus McKissick (1947), four evolving approaches to the song by Rosetta Tharpe (1947, 1956, 1964, 1968), culminating in the performance by Aretha Franklin and James Cleveland (1972).

Dan Kreider is music director at Grace Immanuel Bible Church and founder of HymnWorks, which produces hymnals. Together we discuss one of his favorite hymns (“Faith of our fathers, taught of old”), he explains how he got started in hymnal publishing, he discusses his work on the Getty Music Sing! Hymnal, and he describes his newest project called American Hymnody.

Filipino-Canadian pastor Brian Najapfour joins me to discuss the life and hymns of British pastor Joseph Hart.

Joseph Hart on Hymnology Archive:
https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/joseph-hart

Brian’s Najapfour’s Blog:
https://biblicalspiritualitypress.org/

Brian Najapfour’s book about Joseph Hart (Amazon):
https://amzn.to/4aX19n2

Chris Fenner discusses the life and musical works of early American composer William Billings with guest Dr. Leonard Raybon (Tulane University), including Dr. Raybon’s choral arrangements of hymns, and his work on the Sacred Nine Project.

Learn more:
https://www.sacrednine.com/
https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/william-billings

Chris Fenner talks with Sam Rose about their backgrounds in singing hymns, and they discuss a couple of their favorite hymns, “Be thou my vision” and “My shepherd will supply my name.”