Black start­ed his mu­sic­al ca­reer with John How­ard of New York and Dan­iel Town­er of the Moody Bi­ble In­sti­tute. He moved to Wil­liams­port, Penn­syl­van­ia, around 1881, and was an ac­tive mem­ber of the Pine Street Meth­od­ist Epis­co­pal Church from 1904 un­til his death, serving as a song lead­er and Sun­day school teach­er. Black al­so found time to ed­it a doz­en Gos­pel song books, write al­most 1,500 songs, and serve on the com­mis­sion for the 1905 Meth­od­ist hymn­al. His works in­clude:

• Songs of the Soul (with Jo­seph F. Ber­ry) (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Cran­ston & Cur­tis, 1894)
• Songs of the Soul No. 2 (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Curtis & Jennings, 1896)
• The Chorus of Praise (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1898)
• The Epworth Hymn­al No. 3 (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1900)
• Junior Prais­es (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Jennings & Pye, 1901)
• The Gospel Chorus (New York: Eaton & Mains, 1902)
• Songs of Faith and Hope (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Curtis & Jennings, 1905)
• Songs of Faith and Hope Number 2 (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Curtis & Jennings, 1909)
• Sac­red Praise (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: Jennings and Graham, 1912)
• New Junior Songs (New York: The Meth­od­ist Book Concern, 1914)
• Songs of Help (New York: The Abingdon Press, 1917)

Sources

Hymns

1. Be Ready When the Bridegroom Comes
2. Come, Oh, Come to Me
3. Day of All Days, The
4. In the Shadow of His Wings
5. Never Say Goodbye
6. Revive the Hearts of All
7. When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder
8. We Shall Reign with Him in Glory
9. Where Jesus Died for Me

Music

1. All the Day
2. Answering Time Will Come, The
3. Beautiful Eden Bells
4. Beautiful Way, The
5. Easter Bells
6. Home in My Heart for Jesus, A
7. I Remem­ber Calvary
8. Look to the Lamb of God
9. Sweet Voices
10. When the Saints Are Marching In
11. Where Jesus Is, ’Tis Heaven