Smith, Alfred Barnerd (Barney)

Author

b Wortendyke, NJ, USA 1916. A boy prodigy on the violin, he appeared as a guest soloist with the New York Symphony Orchestra, and studied at the Juilliard Sch of Music, the Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton Coll (BA 1943). He became the first songleader for the youthful evangelist who was his room mate—Billy Graham. In 1941 he founded the music publishing house Singspiration, employing John Petersen as music editor in 1954 and 4 years later co-writing with him A pilgrim was I (Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me). He remained president of Singspiration until 1962, and went on to found ‘Encore Hymns’ in 1972. As well as editing and publishing many songbooks, he wrote some 500 compositions of his own. No.871.