[Take my life and let it be] (Bradbury)

Composer: William B. Bradbury

William Batchelder Bradbury USA 1816-1868. Born at York, ME, he was raised on his father's farm, with rainy days spent in a shoe-shop, the custom in those days. He loved music and spent spare hours practicing any music he could find. In 1830 the family moved to Boston, where he first saw and heard an organ and piano, and other instruments. He became an organist at 15. He attended Dr. Lowell Mason's singing classes, and later sang in the Bowdoin Street church choir. Dr. Mason became a good friend. He made $100/yr playing the organ, and was still in Dr. Mason's choir. Dr. Mason gave him a chance to teach singing in Machias, ME, which he accepted. He returned to Boston the following year to marry Adra Esther Fessenden in 1838, then re… Go to person page >

According to the Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal (1992), Yarbrough "has been attributed to William B. Bradbury, but there is no evidence for this. Its earliest publication seems to have been in New Life (Nashville, 1880) with the arrangement credited to Rigdon M. McIntosh." (p.239), However, the tune, Yarbrough, is very similar to "Beautiful Zion built above" which was published in Bradbury's Oriola in 1860, so it is likely this is the tune McIntosh adapted for a 7.7.7.7 meter (Rock of ages,cleft for me)