Cora S. Briggs

Cora Skillings Briggs^{[n 1]} (13 May 1859, South Paris, Maine – 12 December 1935^[1][2]) was an American composer and organist. She studied harmony with Stephen A. Emery and piano and organ with Hermann Kotzschmar and E. W. Hanscom; performed as the organist for the First Congregational Church of her birthplace for forty-eight years.^[3][4][5] She wrote around eighty sacred Christian songs, the most famous one being Hold Thou My Hand.^[2][3][6] Her husband, George A. Briggs was a vocalist.^[7][8]

List of compositions

Some of the compositions are stored in Christopher A. Reynolds Collection of Women’s Song.

• Hold Thou My hand
• Song of Confidence
• What Would You Say, Dear?

Notes

1. Her first surname can be rendered as Skilling without the letter s.

Further reading

• Edwards, George Thornton (1928). Music and Musicians of Maine. AMS Press: New York City.