[Holy Spirit, while we gather]

Composer: Victor H. Benke

Victor H. Benke was born on Ju­ly 1872, Ra­ti­bor, Ger­ma­ny (now Ra­ci­bórz, Po­land). He em­i­grat­ed to Amer­i­ca at the of age 21. He served as the re­gu­lar or­gan­ist at the Bowery Mission in New York City for a num­ber of years. He settled in Brook­lyn where he gave pi­a­no and or­gan les­sons and com­posed mu­sic. He worked with Fanny Crosby, who wrote words to a number of his pieces, and Ira Sankey. He also played the organ for Dwight Moody in his evangelistic work. Benke died on July 15, 1904 in New York. [Sources: Crosby, pp. 535, 562] NN, Hymnary. Source: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/b/e/n/benke_vh.htm  Go to person page >