182. Sweet hour of prayer
William W. Walford
One of the most popular of all modern prayer meeting hymns, sometimes erroneously ascribed to Fanny Crosby. It was composed in 1842 by Rev. William W. Walford, a blind minister of England, of whom little is known except that he recited the words of this hymn to Rev. Thos. Salmon, Congregational minister at Coleshill, England, who wrote them down and later sent them to the New York Observer, in which publication they were printed September 13, 1845. The original has four stanzas, the last two being omitted here.
MUSIC. CONSOLATION, a tune well suited to the words, was composed by Wm. B. Bradbury in 1859. It is also known as “Sweet Hour” and “Walford.”
For comments on the composer, Wm. B. Bradbury, see [Hymn 103].