Besides his popular songs, he also composed gospel songs in the Ira Sankey vein, and collected and edited volumes of choral music for singing schools, Sunday schools, church choirs and musical institutes. Root assisted William Bradbury in compiling "The Shawm" in 1853, a collection of hymn tunes and choral anthems, featuring the cantata "Daniel: or the Captivity and Restoration". The cantata was a collaboration between Root and Bradbury musically, with text by Fanny Crosby and C.M. Cady. In 1860 he compiled "The Diapason: Collection of Church Music".