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John Ylvisaker

John Carl Ylvisaker was perhaps best known for his hymn, “I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry”. He was born in Moorhead, Minnesota and was a graduate of Concordia College located there. During the last 60 years, John’s words and music was a powerful influence on the development of new worship materials for the church, with his compositions appearing in hundreds of worship resources.

In addition to having been an artist and composer, John’s experience included teaching high school music, directing church choirs, and serving as the producer of SCAN, an award-winning weekly radio program sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). John also composed much of the original music for Lutheran Vespers radio broadcasts and ELCA videos, as well as theme songs for gatherings and events.

John inspired audiences with his live performances and worship leadership at the many assemblies, conferences, and gatherings where he appeared. Until he died in 2017, he was involved in producing recordings of his work. His copyrights cover more than 1,000 songs.