[A lovely rose, in radiance now is blooming]

Composer: M. Lynwood Smith

Morris Lynwood Smith (1924-2007) was a preacher for Churches of Christ. He preached and held gospel meetings throughout Oklahoma, Alabama, and elsewhere. He helped initiate a special annual gathering of one-cup congregations on July 4 and New Year's Day that met in a different Oklahoma town each year. His interest in music led him to attend the Stamps Quartet School of Music in 1947. He sang with "The Zita Boys," a quartet composed of Johnny Elmore, Billy Smith, C. A. Smith, and himself. Smith wrote and published several songs, often writing a song for the annual meetings. In his lifetime, Smith published 16 songbooks of his and others' songs and hymns. He published over 700 songs and helped publish the songs of many other hymn and song wri… Go to person page >