Born in Dublin in 1818, the poet and hymn writer Cecil Frances Humphreys is responsible for some of the most renowned hymns ever written. Author of Once in Royal David’s City and All Things Bright and Beautiful to name but two, Humphreys, in 1850, married William Alexander, an Anglican clergyman who would become Bishop of Derry~Londonderry.
Responsible for various charitable deeds in the county, the spirit of Humphreys’s talents lives on in the rousing, soul-shaking and inspiring 5-day City of Derry International Choral festival, held annually in the city.
Meanwhile, a plaque at 25 Bishop Street adorns the three-storey red-bricked building (once the Bishop's Palace and now a Freemason's Hall) where the poet and hymn-writer lived with her husband.