William James Kirkpatrick was born February 27, 1838, Duncannon, Pennsylvania and died September 20, 1921, Pelham Court Hotel, Germantown, Pennsylvania. He was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

William was the son of school teacher Thomas Kirkpatrick and Elizabeth Storey. He married Susana Doak in 1861, and had three children with her including hymnist May Kirkpatrick who wrote the hymn “He’s With Me All the Time”. After Susana‘s death, he married Sarah Lankford Kellogg Bourne in 1893. After Sara died in 1917, he married Lizzie Sweeney widow of John Sweeney who wrote music for over 1, 000 Gospel songs, and collaborated in many collections.

Kirkpatrick grew up in a musical atmosphere and in 1854, went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to study music and learn a trade. He spent over three years as a carpenter, but was more interested in music spending his leisure time in studying it. His ambition at the time was to become a violinist.

In 1855, Kirkpatrick joined the Horton St. Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, and from then on devoted himself mostly to sacred music, giving his services to the choir and Sunday school.

Because there were few church organs in that day, his violin and cello were in constant demand for choir rehearsals, singing societies, and church programs.

In 1861, at the beginning of the American Civil War, Kirkpatrick enlisted in the army as a Fife Major. He was discharged the next year apparently because of an act of Congress ending regimental bands.

Kirkpatrick studied vocal music under Professor T. Bishop, a leading oratorio and ballad singer. He became a member of the Harmonia and Handel and Haydn Sacred Music Societies were he heard the great singers of the day and became familiar with the principal choral works of the great composers.

In his early years, Kirkpatrick wrote a number of unpublished hymn-tunes and anthems. His first published composition was “When the Spark of Life is Waning”, which appeared around 1858 in the Musical Pioneer in New York. He went on to publish about 50 hymn collections.

This text was written by Fanny Crosby in 1855. William Kirkpatrick composed the tune which has made this a favorite hymn for more than century.

"We are going on to glory as the Lord has told

Where the King in all His beauty we shall soon behold"

Hallelujah! We'll see Him face to face.

This beautiful song to the glory of God Almighty.

Enjoying this song this morning but changed the last line to “we are living in this day in the presence of the King”. It is by our living in the presence of the Lord day by day that will cause our King to come and bring us into His Glory. Let the redeemed sing aloud their praises and put the enemy on the run. Hallelujah to our God for all He has done and doing for us and within us, making us His sons.

Glory to God Hallelujah!

Rev 14:3 And they sing a new song before the throne... and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who have been purchased from the earth. Footnote:because no one has their specific experiences of Christ. O Lord let us learn this song through all our situations.

Glory to God Hallelujah!

Amen!

Amen, Glory to God Hallelujah!!

There well praise our Glorious Saviour with the Blessed

throng, Glory to God Hallelujah!!

Glory to God Hallelujah