Hymns have stories. Often we sing hymns and they are familiar to us, but we don’t know anything about who created the lyrics or wrote the tune. Some tunes have been around a long time; others are new. An example of a traditional tune is “Kremser,” the tune name for the song “We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing”. In 1902 the Music Director of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City, J. A. Gibson, desired some new words for the “Kremser” tune with a more “modern” style. He didn’t have to turn far to find someone with the talent to write the new lyrics. Julia Cady Cory, the daughter of the amateur hymnologist J. Cleveland Cady, had been writing hymns from an early age. Mrs. Cory worked hard for two weeks and completed 3 new verses. The new hymn was titled “We Praise thee, O God, our Redeemer, Creator.” Later she added a verse with a Christmas theme. Each verse has roots in the Biblical books of John, Luke, and Romans. The first use of these new lyrics was at Thanksgiving, 1902.
The new hymn was later published in various hymnals including the Presbyterian Hymnal. The title was updated in some printings as “We Praise YOU, O God, our Redeemer, Creator.” This is the version we have used at the Oakton Church and will use again this year. We are particularly happy to use this hymn because Lincoln Cory, a member of our congregation, is a grandson of Julia Cady Cory.
Lincoln Cory
John Shafer