Shall We Gather at the River?

Robert Lowry

Robert Lowry wrote both the words and music of "Shall We Gather at the River". Born in Philadelphia in 1826, he attended the University of Lewisburg (now Bucknell University) where he excelled as a student of literature and theology, graduating in 1854 as valedictorian of his class. He was ordained a Baptist minister that same year, the beginning of a long and successful career as a pastor, preacher, author, editor, professor of literature, composer and hymn writer.

Lowry was pastor of a large church in Brooklyn when he wrote "Shall We Gather at the River". during an extremely hot July day in 1864. A typhoid epidemic was sweeping the city. He suffered from symptoms of heat exhaustion from the burden of ministering to the many victims.

Here is Lowry’s account of the event:

"One afternoon in July, 1864, when I was pastor at Hanson Place Baptist Church, Brooklyn, the weather was oppressively hot, and I was lying on a lounge in a state of physical exhaustion. I was almost incapable of bodily exertion, and my imagination began to take to itself wins. Visions of the future passed before me with startling vividness. The imagery of the Apocalypse took the form of a tableau. Brightest of all were the throne, the heavenly river, and the gathering of the saints. My soul seemed to take new life from the celestial outlook. I began to wonder why the hymn-writers had said so much about the ‘river of death’ and so little about ‘the pure water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." As I mused the words began to construct themselves. They came first as a question of Christian inquiry, ‘Shall we gather?’ Then they broke out in a chorus, as an answer of Christian faith, ‘Yes, we’ll gather.’ On this question and answer the hymn developed itself. The music came with the hymn."

"Shall We Gather at the River" has been arranged [for hymnals, choirs, and] for solo voice by 20th - century American Composers Charles Ives and Aaron Copland. Copland included it in his collection, "Early American Songs." Lowry is also the author of several other hymns such as "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus", "Only One Name" and "Low in the Grave He Lay". He is also the composer of an even larger number of hymn tunes, including "All the Way" (sung with Fanny Crosby's "All the Way My Savior Leads Me"). In "Marching to Zion" (sung with Isaac Watts' "Come Ye that Love the Lord") Lowry added the refrain that gave the tune its name. He also added a refrain in Need (sung with "I Need thee Every Hour", by Annie Sherwood Hawkes). Mrs. Hawkes was a member of Hason Place Baptist while Lowry was pastor. These hymns, sung with Lowry's tunes, remain popular today.

Blessings,
Dorene

Source: faithmusicconnection.com/shall-we-gather-at-the-river-hymn-of-the-week/#tab-con-7
hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/quotshall-we-gather-at-the-riverquot/