View source for Lewis Redner

{{short description|American composer (1831-1908)}}
'''Lewis Henry Redner''' (December 15, 1831, [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] – August 29, 1908, Hotel Marlborough, [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]]) was an American musician, best known as the composer of the popular Christmas carol "St. Louis", better known as "[[O Little Town of Bethlehem]]".

Redner worked in the real-estate business in Philadelphia, and played the organ at four different churches during his life. He held the title of Organist/Choirmaster at the [[Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia]] 1861-1864 and 1869-1871<ref>According to a plaque hanging in the church. Some sources say he was “organist there for 19 years.” He may have served as assistant at various points.</ref> While there, he set Pastor [[Phillips Brooks]]'s poem of his recollection of a pilgrimage to [[Bethlehem]] to music on [[Christmas Eve]], 1868, and the carol was first sung the next day.

Redner was very involved with local charities.  He served on the first board of [[Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission]], a [[homeless shelter]] and [[soup kitchen]], in 1878.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Pickersgill|first1=Harold E.|title=A Biographical Album of Prominent Pennsylvanians Volume 3|url=http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/harold-e-pickersgill/a-biographical-album-of-prominent-pennsylvanians-volume-3-lih/page-39-a-biographical-album-of-prominent-pennsylvanians-volume-3-lih.shtml|website=eBooks Read|accessdate=14 July 2015}}</ref>

Redner never married. He was buried at [[The Woodlands Cemetery]] in Philadelphia.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Lewis Redner}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=8144| name=Lewis Redner}}
* {{Find a Grave|10188681}}
* {{IMSLP|Redner, Lewis H.|Lewis H. Redner}}
* {{ChoralWiki|Lewis H. Redner}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:1831 births]]
[[Category:1908 deaths]]
[[Category:American male composers]]
[[Category:American composers]]
[[Category:American male organists]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Musicians from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Burials at The Woodlands Cemetery]]
[[Category:19th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:American male songwriters]]
[[Category:19th-century American organists]]