Origin of the "Glory Song"
By Lora Clement
MR. CHARLES H. GABRIEL, the gifted author of this stirring hymn, was born in Iowa, and spent his early years on a farm in that State. At the age of seventeen he went out into the world, unaided, to make his own way. In the fullest sense of the term, he is a self-made man, and is probably the most popular gospel-song writer in America to-day. Early in the summer of 1900, while on a bicycle trip with a Chicago publisher for whom he was preparing manuscript, he said to his friend: "I've got a song that's going to live." Then he repeated part of "O, that will be glory!" This popular revival melody, which has so thrilled the hearts of men the world over, owes its fame largely to that magnetic gospel singer, Charles M. Alexander. We give in his own words the story of how the "Glory Song" became world-famous:— "I remember quite well the first time I saw it in looking over a new song-book. I just glanced at it, and then said to myself, 'That man has wasted a page, for I do not believe that song will be sung much.' "Some months later I stepped into a large Sunday-school convention, and heard an audience singing it. It took such hold of me that I could think of nothing else for days thereafter. I began to teach it to large audiences, and soon whole towns were ringing with the melody. "In the spring of 1902 I went to Australia at the urgent invitation of Dr. R. A. Torrey, to unite with him in revival services. When I started on this journey, I made up my mind that the 'Glory Song' should be the popular song of the campaign. I felt that it would stand any pressure that might be brought to bear upon it. I reached Australia a week ahead of Dr. Torrey. I did not13know a single person there, but I had several thousand copies of the 'Glory Song' printed, and began to prepare for the great welcome meeting in the Melbourne town hall. "I remember with what anxiety I approached that meeting. I felt that the success of the musical part of the mission depended upon some one song catching the brains and hearts of the people. After we had sung a few hymns, I announced that the next would be the 'Glory Song,' which was to be the revival song. They picked it up with the usual Australian enthusiasm, and it was an instant success. Within a month it was being sung all over Australia; and a popular writer declared that it had 'set Australia on fire.'" The "Glory Song" has been translated into at least fifteen different languages, and though written as recently as 1900, is known the world over. It has gained unprecedented popularity, and has been the means of leading many hearts to acknowledge allegiance to the King of kings.