Robert Lowry

Robert Lowry (March 12, 1826 – 25 November 1899) was an American preacher who became a popular writer of gospel music in the mid- to late-19th century. His best-known hymns include "Shall We Gather at the River", "Christ Arose!", "How Can I Keep from Singing?" and "Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus". Born in Philadelphia, Lowry studied at the University at Lewisburg and entered the Baptist ministry in 1854. During the following 45 years he held a number of pastorates in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Between 1869 and 1875 he combined his pastoral work with a professorship in rhetoric at his alma mater, and later served as the University's chancellor. From 1868 he acted as hymnals editor to Biglow and Main, the country's leading publisher of gospel and Sunday School music; under his supervision more than 20 hymnals were produced by the firm, many of wide and enduring popularity. Despite his protestations that preaching was his main vocation and that music was merely a sideline, it is as a hymnwriter that Lowry is chiefly remembered, ranking with such as W. H. Doane and Ira D. Sankey as one of the originators of a musical tradition that has lasted until the modern era of revival.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 12, 1826 (Philadelphia), Died November 25, 1899 (Plainfield)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1896 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Berliner	918	7-in.	5/4/1896	Where is my boy to night	Artists vary	Male vocal solo	composer, lyricist
Berliner	0357	7-in.	c. 1899	I need thee every hour	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet	composer
Berliner	0382	7-in.	July 1899- Aug. 1899	Where is my wandering boy tonight	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet	composer, lyricist
Berliner	0667	7-in.	10/24/1899	Where is my wandering boy tonight?	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo	composer, lyricist
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]605	7-in.	1/8/1901	Where is my wandering boy tonight?	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo, with organ	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]702	7-in.	2/23/1901	I need Thee every hour	Christopher H. H. Booth	Chimes solo	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix B-]1315	10-in.	3/12/1902	Where is my wandering boy to-night	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet	composer
Victor	[Pre-matrix A-]1315	7-in.	3/12/1902	Where is my wandering boy to-night	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet	composer
Victor	B-339	10-in.	8/24/1903	I need Thee every hour	Walter B. Rogers ; Sousa's Band	Cornet solo, with band	composer
Victor	A-339	7-in.	8/24/1903	I need Thee every hour	Walter B. Rogers ; Sousa's Band	Cornet solo, with band	composer
Victor	A-649	7-in.	11/6/1903	Where is my wandering boy tonight?	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo, with piano	composer
Victor	B-1241	10-in.	4/21/1904	Where is my boy tonight?	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet	composer
Victor	A-1241	7-in.	4/21/1904	Where is my boy tonight?	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet	composer
Victor	A-1386	7-in.	5/31/1904	I need Thee every hour	Christopher H. H. Booth	Chimes	composer
Victor	B-1730	10-in.	10/4/1904	Where is my boy to-night?	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with organ	composer
Victor	A-1730	7-in.	10/4/1904	Where is my boy to-night?	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with organ	composer
Victor	E-2452	8-in.	9/12/1906	Where is my boy to-night?	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-2452	10-in.	4/6/1905	Where is my boy to-night	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-2591	10-in.	6/1/1905	I need Thee ev'ry hour	John H. Bieling ; Harry Macdonough	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-2700	10-in.	8/7/1905	All the way my Saviour leads me	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo, with organ	composer
Victor	B-6003	10-in.	3/2/1908	Christ arose	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-6740	10-in.	1/21/1909	Shall we gather at the river	Haydn Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
Victor	B-6748	10-in.	1/25/1909	All the way my Saviour leads me	Harry Macdonough	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-14212	10-in.	12/18/1913	Where is my boy to-night	Evan Williams	Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
Victor	B-14695	10-in.	4/9/1914	I need Thee every hour	Lucy Isabelle Marsh ; John McCormack	Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-14848	10-in.	5/20/1914	I need Thee every hour	Alma Gluck ; Louise Homer	Vocal duet (soprano and contralto), with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-18043	10-in.	6/30/1916	Where is my boy to-night	Louise Homer	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Victor	C-18700	12-in.	11/6/1916	Gospel songs no. 4	Victor Light Opera Company	Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra	lyricist, composer
Victor	B-21580	10-in.	3/15/1918	Yeg traenger dig hver etund	Eleonora Olson	Female vocal solo, with organ	composer
Victor	BVE-21697	10-in.	5/22/1925	I need Thee every hour	Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-21697	10-in.	5/2/1918	I need Thee every hour	Albert Campbell ; Harry McClaskey	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-27338	10-in.	7/1/1925	Christ arose!	Shannon Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-27338	10-in.	12/22/1922	Christ arose	Shannon Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-27554	10-in.	2/16/1923	Shall we gather at the river	Peerless Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-30749	10-in.	6/16/1926	Where is my boy to-night?	Peerless Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	B-30749	10-in.	9/4/1924	Where is my boy to-night	Peerless Quartet	Male vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Victor	BVE-37940	10-in.	2/21/1927	Christ arose	Sheffield Male Quartet	Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied	composer
Victor	BVE-38068	10-in.	6/1/1927	Where is my boy to-night?	Louise Homer	Contralto vocal solo, with male vocal quartet and pipe organ	composer
Victor	BVE-39776	10-in.	8/5/1927	At the river	Tennessee Mountaineers	Mixed vocal chorus	lyricist, composer
Victor	BVE-51892	10-in.	10/28/1929	Medley of Christian Science hymns	Claude E. Saunier	Organ solo	composer
Victor	BVE-62458	10-in.	5/28/1930	I need Thee every hour	Marion Talley	Female vocal solo, with organ	composer
Victor	BS-75811	10-in.	5/3/1933	Where is my boy tonight?	Smilin' Ed McConnell	Male vocal solo, with organ	lyricist, composer
Victor	BS-75825	10-in.	5/3/1933	Where is my boy to-night?	Smilin' Ed. McConnell	Male vocal solo, with organ	lyricist, composer
Victor	BVE-82888	10-in.	8/2/1934	Christ arose!	Buice Brothers	Male vocal quartet, with piano	composer, lyricist
Victor	BS-06187	10-in.	3/11/1937	Where is my boy tonight?	Wilf Carter	Male vocal solo, with guitar and yodeling	composer
Columbia	199	7-in.	ca. 1901	Where is my wandering boy tonight	Artists vary	Male vocal solo, with piano	lyricist, composer
Columbia	199	10-in.	approximately 1901	Where is my wandering boy tonight	Artists vary	Male vocal solo, with piano	lyricist, composer
Columbia	443	10-in.	ca. 1901	I need Thee every hour	S. C. Porter	Chimes solo	composer
Columbia	443	7-in.	ca. 1901-Sept. 1902	I need Thee every hour	S. C. Porter	Chimes solo	composer
Columbia	1780	10-in.	ca. Jan.-Apr. 1904	I need Thee every hour	Henry Burr	Male vocal solo, with organ	composer
Columbia	3149	10-in.	ca. Jan.-May 1905	One more day's work for Jesus	Henry Burr	Male vocal solo, with organ	composer
Columbia	4536	10-in.	approximately June 1910	I need Thee every hour	Archibald Brothers' Quartette	Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied	composer
Columbia	39177	10-in.	1/8/1914	Where is my wandering boy tonight?	Henry Burr	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
Columbia	46388	10-in.	2/8/1916	I need Thee every hour	Columbia Stellar Quartette	Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied	composer
Columbia	77216	10-in.	7/17/1917	Where is my wandering boy tonight?	Henry Burr	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
Columbia	79404	10-in.	9/7/1921	I need Thee every hour	Cyrena Van Gordon	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	composer
Columbia	79744	10-in.	3/1/1921	Shall we gather at the river	Cyrena Van Gordon	Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist, composer
Columbia	81835	10-in.	6/19/1924	Shall we gather at the river?	Mrs. William Asher ; Homer A. Rodeheaver	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	lyricist, composer
Columbia	140011	10-in.	9/10/1924	Where is my wandering boy tonight	Riley Puckett	Male vocal solo, with guitar	lyricist, composer
Columbia	140295	10-in.	1/29/1925	Shall we gather at the river	Alcoa Quartet	Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied	lyricist, composer
Columbia	30200	12-in.	ca. 1908-Feb. 1909	Nothing but the blood of Jesus	Metropolitan Trio	Mixed vocal trio, with organ	lyricist, composer
Columbia	W140588	10-in.	5/5/1925	I need Thee every hour	Oscar Seagle	Baritone vocal solo, with organ	composer
Columbia	W141639	10-in.	2/16/1926	Where is my wandering boy tonight	Vernon Dalhart	Male vocal solo, with violin and organ	composer, lyricist
Columbia	W144401	10-in.	6/23/1927	Where is my wandering boy to-night?	Ford and Glenn	Male vocal duet, with organ	composer, lyricist
Columbia	W144605	10-in.	9/6/1927	I need Thee every hour	American Singers	Male vocal quartet	composer
Columbia	90147	10-in.	between 1918 and 1925	Columbia, the gem of the ocean	Columbia Band	Band	composer
Columbia	C4402	10-in.	2/22/1945	Where is my boy tonight?	Old Hickory Singers ; Claude Sharpe	Male vocal quartet, with piano, bass, and guitar	composer, lyricist
Columbia	CO41615	10-in.	7/30/1949	Shall we gather at the river	Chuck Wagon Gang	Mixed vocal quartet, with guitar	composer, lyricist
OKeh	312	10-in.	ca. Aug. 1918	Where is my boy tonight?	Frederick J. Wheeler	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
OKeh	S-7480	10-in.	June 1920	I need Thee every hour	Charles Henry ; James Jordon	Male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
OKeh	S-7754	10-in.	Feb. 1921	Where is my boy tonight	Elliott Shaw	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
OKeh	8693	10-in.	Aug. 26, 1924	Shall we gather at the river	J. Douglas Swagerty ; Mrs. J. Douglas Swagerty	Female-male vocal duet, with piano	composer, lyricist
OKeh	W80952	10-in.	6/1/1927	Where is my wandering boy tonight?	Giddens Sisters	Female vocal trio, with mandolin and guitar	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	2017	10-in.	approximately July 1918	I need Thee every hour	Harry McClaskey ; Marie Morrisey	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	2086	10-in.	approximately July 1918	All the way my Saviour leads me	Harry McClaskey ; Marie Morrisey	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	[Br cat 5099-b]	10-in.	approximately mid-1917	Where is my wandering boy tonight	Inez Barbour ; Frank Croxton ; Harry McClaskey ; Marie Morrisey	Mixed vocal quartet, with organ	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	4694-4695	10-in.	approximately Nov. 1920	Christ arose	Collegiate Choir	Mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	11698-11700	10-in.	10/23/1923	Where is my boy tonight?	Marie Tiffany	Female vocal solo, with mixed vocal ensemble and orchestra	composer
Brunswick	11964-11967	10-in.	11/24/1923	I need Thee every hour	Theo Karle ; Marie Tiffany	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	13960-13962	10-in.	10/15/1924	Where is my boy tonight?	John Charles Thomas	Baritone vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E27575	10-in.	5/23/1928	I need Thee every hour	Marie Morrisey ; Frank Munn	Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra	composer
Brunswick	E30054	10-in.	June 1929	Shall we gather at the river	Kanawha Singers	Male vocal quartet, with organ	lyricist, composer
Brunswick	E30168	10-in.	6/20/1929	Nothing but the blood of Jesus	Old Southern Sacred Singers	Male vocal quartet, with organ	lyricist, composer
Brunswick	E4981-E4982	10-in.	5/10/1927	Shall we gather at the river?	Dixie Sacred Singers	Male vocal trio, with instrumental trio	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E15964-E15965	10-in.	6/15/1925	Shall we gather at the river	Homer A. Rodeheaver	Male vocal solo, with organ	lyricist, composer
Brunswick	E16023-E16024	10-in.	6/20/1925	Shall we gather at the river	Homer A. Rodeheaver	Male vocal solo, with organ	lyricist, composer
Brunswick	E24853-E24854	10-in.	10/21/1927	Where is my boy tonight?	John Charles Thomas	Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E25618-E25619	10-in.	12/15/1927	Where is my boy, tonight?	Robert A. Gardner ; Lester McFarland	Male vocal duet, with guitar and mandolin	composer, lyricist
Brunswick	E16023-E16024; E16019	10-in.	6/19/1925	Shall we gather at the river	Homer A. Rodeheaver	Male vocal solo, with brass quartet and organ	lyricist, composer
Brunswick	689W-690W	10-in.	4/14/1925	Where is my boy tonight	Sidney J. Harkreader	Male vocal solo, with guitar	composer, lyricist
Edison	816	Not documented	10/16/1911	Where is my wandering boy	Irving Gillette	Tenor vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with orchestra	composer, lyricist
Edison	1056	10-in.	6/5/1912	Where is my wandering boy tonight?	Charles Hackett	Tenor vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with chorus	composer, lyricist
Edison	4772	10-in.	6/6/1916	Where is my wandering boy to-night	Walter Van Brunt	Tenor vocal solo and mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra	lyricist, composer
Edison	5294	10-in.	1/16/1917	Shall we gather at the river	Metropolitan Quartet	Mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra	lyricist, composer
Edison	8049	10-in.	6/6/1921	I need Thee every hour	Metropolitan Quartet	Mixed vocal quartet, with orchestra	composer
Edison	10279	10-in.	3/26/1925	All the way my Saviour leads me	Amy Ellerman ; Olive Marshall	Vocal duet (soprano and contralto), with orchestra	composer
Edison	18213	10-in.	2/3/1928	Christ arose	Metropolitan Quartet	Mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra	composer
Edison	18958	10-in.	12/21/1928	Where is my wand'ring boy to-night	Vernon Dalhart	Male vocal solo, with organ	composer, lyricist
Edison	N-112	10-in.	2/3/1928	Christ arose	Metropolitan Quartet	Mixed vocal ensemble, with orchestra	composer
Edison	N-649	10-in.	12/21/1928	Where is my wand'ring boy to-night	Vernon Dalhart	Male vocal solo, with organ	composer, lyricist

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lowry, Robert," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103429.

Lowry, Robert. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103429.

"Lowry, Robert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.