John Franklin Kinsey (1852-1908) was born and raised in Allen County, Indiana. He showed interest in music as a child and attended the Chicago Musical School under George F. Root. He was a very successful teacher and writer, conducting musical normal schools and regular classwork throughout the region. He then taught at the Methodist College in Fort Wayne and became Principal of the Music Department (The Methodist College later evolved into Taylor University). He later moved to Lafayette, Indiana, and started a music publishing business. One publication was the journal “The Echo” which he originally started as the “College Echo” while teaching. The publications were very successful and the company eventually moved to Chicago. He lived there until poor health forced him to leave the business and return to Fort Wayne. He wrote, compiled, or contributed to many volumes of music for church, school, and home use. He died in Fort Wayne after being paralyzed by two strokes.

All are mixed chorus unless noted; some contain divisi.