John Ylvisaker

YLVISAKER, John Carl. b. Fargo, North Dakota, 11 September 1937; d. Waverly, Iowa, 9 March 2017. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) composer of over 1,000 songs and hymns, church musician, and a performer, he was influenced by the music of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA, including the songs of Pete Seeger (1919-2014). The content of many of the texts and the folk musical style of his songs led Gracia Grindal* to call him the ‘Bob Dylan of Lutheranism’ (Ortárola, Star Tribune). Ylvisaker, the son of Carl and Marie (née Sletvold) had a thorough Lutheran heritage and was educated and served in a variety of Lutheran institutions. His mother was a librarian, and his father...