Winfield Scott Weeden

Winfield Scott Weeden was an American gospel singer, song leader, composer, and hymnal compiler born in Middleport, Ohio, in 1847. Early in his musical life he taught singing schools in Ohio, a common training ground for nineteenth-century American church musicians. He later became an evangelistic singer and worked closely with Judson W. Van DeVenter in revival campaigns, including meetings connected with East Palestine and Sebring, Ohio.

Weeden compiled and edited gospel-song collections including “The Peacemaker,” “Songs of the Peacemaker,” “Gospel Songs of Grace and Glory,” and “Songs of Sovereign Grace.” His musical partnership with Van DeVenter produced several songs, including the tune for “I Surrender All” and the later gospel song “Sunlight.” Contemporary and later accounts describe him as an effective soloist and congregational song leader as well as a composer.

Weeden composed SURRENDER specifically for Van DeVenter's text in 1896. Remarkably, he also participated in a very early sound recording of the song in 1897, only about a year after publication, placing the hymn among the gospel songs documented during the first decade of commercial sound recording.