To God Be the Glory

The Story Behind To God Be the Glory “To God Be the Glory” is a hymn with lyrics by Fanny Crosby and music by William Howard Doane, first printed in 1875. It appears to have been created around 1872 but was published in 1875 in Robert Lowry and Doane’s hymn compilation, “Brightest and Best.“To God Be the Glory” is a hymn with lyrics by Fanny Crosby and music by William Howard Doane, first published in 1875. It seems to have been written around 1872 but was first published in 1875 in Lowry and Doane’s song collection, “Brightest and Best.” It was already popular in Great Britain before publication since Ira Sankey had introduced it there during Moody’s 1873-1874 evangelistic campaigns. Despite this, the song failed to achieve wide usage in the United States and was included in very few hymnals. In 1954 Cliff Barrows, song leader for Billy Graham was handed a copy with the suggestion that it be added to the songbook for the London Crusade. It was so popular that he included it again later that year in the Crusade in Nashville, Tennessee. The audience responded enthusiastically and from that time on, he used it regularly. With this exposure, the song rapidly became familiar to a Christians worldwide and is included in most modern hymnals.