Biography.guide
Home › People › Composer › Lewis Redner
Portrait of Lewis Redner

Lewis Redner

1831 – 1908

American musician, composer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Lewis Redner

Lived 1831 – 1908 (aged 76). Lewis Redner was an American composer and songwriter.

Lewis Henry Redner (December 15, 1831, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – August 29, 1908, Hotel Marlborough, Atlantic City, New Jersey) was an American musician, best known as the composer of the popular Christmas carol "St. Louis", better known as "O Little Town of Bethlehem".

Redner worked in the real-estate business in Philadelphia, and played the organ at four different churches during his life. He held the title of Organist/Choirmaster at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia 1861-1864 and 1869-1871 While there, he set Pastor Phillips Brooks's poem of his recollection of a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to music on Christmas Eve, 1868, and the carol was first sung the next day.

Redner was very involved with local charities. He served on the first board of Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter and soup kitchen, in 1878.

Redner never married. He was buried at The Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Also known as
Lewis H. Redner

People in Lewis Redner's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Lewis Redner's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Lewis Redner?

American musician, composer (1831–1908)

When was Lewis Redner born?

Lewis Redner was born on 15 December 1831 in Philadelphia.

When did Lewis Redner die?

Lewis Redner died on 29 August 1908 in Atlantic City.

What was Lewis Redner's occupation?

Lewis Redner was a composer and songwriter.

What nationality was Lewis Redner?

Lewis Redner was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Lewis Redner

· Wikidata: Q4392214

· DBpedia: Lewis Redner

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lewis Redner. https://biography.guide/lewis-redner/

MLA: "Lewis Redner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lewis-redner/.

Chicago: "Lewis Redner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lewis-redner/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:01 UTC