A. L. P.

In The People's Hymnal, published in 1867, the signature "A. L. P." was employed as a pseudonym by the prominent Anglo-Catholic priest, theologian, and translator Dr. Richard Frederick Littledale. The initials stood for "A London Priest," reflecting his clerical status and active ministry in the metropolis.

Born in Dublin, Littledale was highly educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he earned his doctorate in civil law. He was ordained in 1856, but severe chronic ill-health forced him to retire from full-time parochial ministry in 1861. He spent the remainder of his life in London, dedicating his formidable intellectual energies to literature, liturgy, and hymnology.

Littledale was incredibly prolific, translating hymns from seven different languages into English and publishing numerous original compositions. To avoid personal notoriety and focus attention on the devotional purpose of his writings, he employed at least nine different pseudonyms and sets of initials. For The People's Hymnal, which he co-edited alongside the Reverend James Edward Vaux, the signature "A. L. P." became one of his most recognized markers, representing original works such as his metrical translation "O God the Lord, to Thee we raise".