God with Us (1953)

Ellen Jane Lorenz (1907–1996) — God with Us (1953) for organ

Ellen Jane Lorenz (1907–1996) was born in Dayton, Ohio, a member of the Lorenz family that had founded the church music publishing company of the same name. She was both an important figure in the history of the Lorenz Corporation and also in the general sphere of American church music. From 1932 through 1964, Ellen Jane served as Editor-in-Chief for the company, although as a composer she contributed works frequently to the catalog both before and after those years. Ellen Jane shaped the direction of Lorenz’s famed organ periodicals during their years of greatest growth, and the music she composed and edited was used every week in churches across the USA. Ellen Jane was a lifelong composer: she wrote her first piece at age eight, and her final two compositions were premiered at her memorial service. After education at Wellesley College and the University of Akron, Lorenz pursued additional studies in musical composition in Paris with the legendary teacher Nadia Boulanger during the early 1930s. Lorenz served as assistant organist of the American Church in Paris during this time. Over the course of the subsequent decades, she was a major figure in the popularization of handbells in American churches. Following retirement from her editorial position, she earned a Ph.D. in sacred music from Union Theological Seminary and focused her efforts primarily in hymnology—pursuing important research in that field for the rest of her life.

Published by Lorenz Publishing Co. in “A Voice of Praise”

https://www.lorenz.com/keyboard/organ/a-voice-of-praise