Story Behind the Song: Blest be the Tie that Binds

Aired: May 21, 1931

This episode of The Story Behind the Song tells the moving history of the beloved hymn “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds.” First broadcast in 1931 and syndicated by Transco, the program dramatizes the life of Reverend John Fawcett, the English pastor who wrote the hymn after facing a defining choice — whether to leave his small Yorkshire congregation for a prominent London pulpit.

The production, recorded more than a century and a half after the hymn’s creation, captures the spirit of devotion and fellowship that inspired its words. Blending dramatization with gentle narration, it shows how one act of faith and love became a lasting expression of community for generations of churchgoers.

Originally part of a series that explored the origins of America’s most cherished sacred and popular songs, this broadcast reminds listeners that behind every hymn lies a human story of conviction, compassion, and calling.

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