One of my favorite Lenten hymns is “In the Cross of
Christ I Glory” with music by Ithamar Conkey and words by John Bowring. The following is from the book “Then Sings My Soul” by Rober Morgan.
The music was written by Mr. Conkey, organist at Central Baptist Church in Norwich, Connecticut in 1849.
In 1849, Central’s pastor was disappointed that only one choir member showed up. After the Prelude, he closed the organ and locked it and went home. He left without attracting the attention of the congregation.
That afternoon, he sat down at his piano for practice, but his mind was distracted and he began thinking of the words of the hymn “In the Cross of Christ I Glory”. So he composed the tune for the words and named the hymn tune “Rathbun”.
Why did he name it Rathbun? The one choir member who showed up on that rainy Sunday morning in 1849, that faithful soprano, was named Mrs.
Beriah S. Rathbun.
