Frank Wilson Asper (February 9, 1892 – November 8, 1973) was an American composer and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who served as

Mormon Tabernacle The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the U.S. state of Utah. The Tabernacle was built from 1863 to 1875 to house meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

organist from 1924 to 1965. Asper came from a musically inclined family. He studied under Ebenezer Beesley as a youth and then studied at Stern Conservatory in Berlin and the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on Hu ...

, Boston University, the University of Utah and

Chicago Musical College Chicago Musical College is a division of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. History Founding Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld Sr (1841–1923), founded the college in 1867 as the Chicago Academy of Music. The institution h ...

. Asper also held an honorary degree for music, issued in 1938, from Bates College. Besides being Mormon Tabernacle organist, Asper was the organist of the First United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1923 to 1937. He also toured as a concertizing organist. Asper was a fellow of the American Guild of Organists.

Works

Asper penned words and music for several LDS hymns. Seven of these are found in the 1985 hymnal '' Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints''. * 132: God Is in His Holy Temple – music * 176: 'Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love – music * 189: O Thou, Before the World Began – music * 222: Hear Thou Our Hymn, O Lord – words and music * 245: This House We Dedicate to Thee – music * 257: Rejoice! A Glorious Sound Is Heard – music * 323: Rise Up, O Men of God (Men's Choir) – music

References

* 1892 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American musicians 20th-century classical musicians American Latter Day Saint hymnwriters Boston University alumni Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Chicago Musical College alumni Latter Day Saints from Utah New England Conservatory alumni Tabernacle Choir organists University of Utah alumni {{LDS-bio-stub