The Concord Hymn The "Concord Hymn" (originally "Hymn: Sung at the Completion of the Concord Monument, April 19, 1836") is a poem written by Ralph Waldo Emerson for the 1837 dedication of the Obelisk, a monument in Concord, Massachusetts, commemorating the Battle of Concord, the second in a series of battles and skirmishes on April 19, 1837. The poem was first published that year in Joseph Henry's journal, The American Museum. Emerson wrote several other poems for the occasion, including "O Captain! My Captain!" He also delivered an oration which has been called one of the greatest speeches in American history. In 1937, the New York Herald Tribune described the Concord Hymn as follows: "It is doubtful if any other short work of prose or poetry has been more frequently quoted than this little hymn. It is found in many Bibles, and its sentiment seems to fit every occasion for which it was written. We doubt if there is another piece that could be used with such good effect in a church service." The Concord Hymn has been recorded by numerous artists. One version was sung by John Philip Sousa's band during their concerts in 1936-37. Another version was recorded by Emerson himself for his album Poems and Songs from Many Lands (1938). The Concord Hymn has been translated into many languages.