Browse People

Francis B. Westbrook

1903 - 1975 Person Name: Francis Westbrook Composer of "BENIFOLD" in Rejoice in the Lord

J. C. Westbrook

Author of "How kind and good" in Laudes Domini

W. J. Westbrook

1831 - 1894 Arranger of "[In dulci jubilo!]" in Christmas Carols and Hymns

George H. Westbury

Composer of "ALBERTA" in Hymns for the Children of the Church

1838 - 1890 Author of "Brightly, O Father, when morning is breaking" Westbury, Joseph, born in 1838. Ordained in 1861, Vicar of Hartshill, Staffordshire, 1866-86, and Chaplain of the Newcastle (Staffordshire) Union Workhouse from 1876 to his death on Nov. 29, 1890, was the author of “Brightly, O Father, when morning is breaking" (Morning), in Thring's Collection, 1882. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Graham Westcott

b. 1947 Person Name: Graham Clifford Westcott (b. 1947) Composer of "GENESIS" in Church Hymnary (4th ed.)

William H. Westcott

Editor of "" in Progressive Songster

Omer Westendorf

1916 - 1997 Author of "Gift of Finest Wheat" in Psalter Hymnal (Gray) Omer Westendorf, one of the earliest lyricists for Roman Catholic liturgical music in English, died on October 22, 1997, at the age of eighty-one. Born on February 24, 1916, Omer got his start in music publishing after World War II, when he brought home for his parish choir in Cincinnati some of the Mass settings he had discovered in Holland. Interest in the new music being published in Europe led to his creation of the World Library of Sacred Music, initially a music-importing firm that brought much of this new European repertoire to U.S. parishes. Operating out of a garage in those early years, Omer often joked about the surprised expressions of visitors who stopped by and found a wide range of sheet music in various states of “storage” (read disarray). Later, as World Library Publications, the company began publishing some of its own music, including new works with English texts by some of those same Dutch composers, for example, Jan Vermulst. In 1955 World Library published the first edition of The Peoples Hymnal, which would become the People's Mass Book in 1964, one of the first hymnals to reflect the liturgical reforms proposed by Vatican II. Omer also introduced the music of Lucien Deiss to Catholic parishes through the two volumes of Biblical Hymns and Psalms. Using his own name and several pen names, Omer composed numerous compositions for liturgical use, though his best-known works may be the texts for the hymns “Where Charity and Love Prevail,” “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing,” and especially “Gift of Finest Wheat.” As he lay dying, his family and friends gathered around his bed to sing his text “Shepherd of Souls, in Love, Come, Feed Us.” NPM honored Omer as its Pastoral Musician of the Year in 1985. --liturgicalleaders.blogspot.com/2008 =========================== Pseudonyms: Paul Francis Mark Evans J. Clifford Evers --Letter from Tom Smith, Executive Director of The Hymn Society, to Leonard Ellinwood, 6 February 1980. DNAH Archives.