Almighty God, Thy Word Is Cast
For Sunday services everywhere, hymns such as “To God Be The Glory” are considered a staple. Gatherings are worthy of such a masterpiece that brings people to their feet. It is simple, yet highly expressive of mankind’s gratitude and praise to God, stirring the emotion of everyone gathered beneath the domes of the assembly halls. Reading lyrics off the hymnals, few of the minstrels could have possibly known that its heartfelt lyrics attributing glory and fascination in God’s work was penned by Fanny Crosby. Fanny Crosby was blind since she was six and yet she succeeded in writing what many believers could not express on their own. The extremely positive piece was first published in the song collection “Brightest and Best” in the U.S A. The exalting tune of “To God Be The Glory” was the inspired work of William Doane, who was conferred with the honorary degree of doctor of music by the Denison University. While William Doane was given such a distinction for having created many hymns performed in a handful of the Sunday schools which utilized the few copies of hymnals that included “To God Be The Glory”, it really wasn’t sung frequently.
The charismatic American evangelist Billy Graham would be the key to giving the song traction. Billy Graham’s ministry became widely-known and popular in the U.S.A. especially when he took his sermons and broadcast them on radio. His written word and Christian songs were aired on the radio program “Songs In The Night”. Billy Graham drew more followers to his Christian teachings when he began his television ministry. Soon, Billy Graham became a world figure and was a visitor to England and welcomed by no less than Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth found a calming ally in Billy Graham and over the years, they have kept in touch as very good friends. It was on Billy Graham’s England visit that “To God Be The Glory” was included by Graham’s song leader, Cliff Barrows in their London Crusade songbook. The British became so enchanted by the song that it was instantly popularized in England, which prompted Barrows and Graham to include it in all their appearances as a standard. Billy Graham returned to the U.S.A., and in his Nashville Crusade, “To God Be The Glory” got its second wind. It became so popular in Nashville and all over the U.S.A. that it can certainly be found in almost all the modern hymnals printed. Many recordings of it have been made through the years.
