April 2026 - "He Lives" — Tull Glazener

In honor of the upcoming Easter celebrations, this month’s tab is an arrangement of the Resurrection hymn “He Lives.” It’s composer, Alfred H. Ackley (1887–1960), brought together two lifelong passions—ministry and music—in a way that shaped everything he wrote. Born in Pennsylvania to a musically gifted family, he studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London before returning to the United States to serve as a Presbyterian minister. His career blended preaching, teaching, and hymnwriting, and he eventually composed more than 1,500 hymns. “He Lives” remains his most well-known hymn by far.

Ackley wrote the hymn during an Easter season when he felt a renewed conviction about the importance of the resurrection. After hearing a radio message that seemed to downplay the significance of Christ’s resurrection, he felt moved to respond in a way that would strengthen and encourage believers. With his wife’s encouragement to “do what you do best”, he sat down at the piano and shaped the words and melody that would become “He Lives”. He sent a copy of the hymn to his older brother Bentley Ackley, who was working at the Rodheaver publishing company at the time. Bentley included it in a hymn book he was editing to be used in a series of Billy Sunday revival meetings. From there, it spread to many different denominational hymnals both in the United States and around the world.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video of an instrumental version of the hymn being played by pianist Tim Buege:

Wishing you all Easter Blessings!

In music and friendship,

—Tull

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