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 The Verse
A monthly newsletter |
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The Hymn Society
in the United States and Canada | November 2012 |
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Greetings!
Can you believe another year is drawing to close? I've been reading Anna Quindlen's book, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake. She remarks that when we're young the days go by quickly and the years go slowly. When we're old, the days go slowly and the years go quickly. I wonder where that puts me--both my days and years fly by!! Guess I'm still middle-aged?? Counting on that, I suppose.
Well, regardless of whatever age we find ourselves, here we are, about to enter another Advent season--the start of a new Church year. May this new starting place give you hope, peace, joy and love--enough to last all year.
Meanwhile, keep singing!!
Deb
Deborah Loftis |
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2013 Conference, Richmond, VA July 14-18
"The Tree of Life and Love:
Blossoming of Congregational Song Since Vatican II"
Sweeping changes have occurred in hymnody over the past fifty years. Protestant and Catholic churches alike have embraced new music, new styles, and new genres of congregational song. We are heir to a tremendous burst of liturgical creativity that enriches our worship.
Join us next summer to explore how a rich cross-fertilization continues to inspire a new generation of writers.
 The Rev. John Baldovin, S.J. will present our opening plenary address on Monday morning. Using the metaphor of our theme, The Tree of Life and Love, Fr. Baldovin will furnish the roots for our later discussion of how the tree developed for both Roman Catholics and Protestants.
Fr. Baldovin, Professor of Historical and Liturgical Theology in the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College is especially well-qualified to help us understand the work of the Second Vatican Council and its effects on worship. In 2009 he received the First Place Award in Liturgy from the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada for his book, Reforming the Liturgy: A Response to Critics (Liturgical Press). He identifies and assesses, both sympathetically and critically, the objections to the changes in liturgy since the council, bringing into focus the assumptions behind the objections. In his conclusion, Baldovin assesses the critique of post-Vatican II liturgy as a whole, affirming what is meaningful, rejecting what is backward looking, and proposing a set of principles to guide future development. Watch for conference registration materials in the Winter 2013 issue of The Hymn and on the website in February. |
Please Remember the Hymn Society this Season!
As you're planning your Christmas gift list, I hope you'll remember to include The Hymn Society on your "nice" list! Your gifts to our Annual Fund help us keep the work of promoting, encouraging and enlivening congregational singing moving forward. Thank you for all the ways you support The Hymn Society all year long!!
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Calvin Symposium on Worship
There's still time to register!! This year's symposium will be January 24-26, 2013. For details about the schedule and to register, visit this website: http://worship.calvin.edu/symposium/
Marva Dawn and I-to Loh, FHS are among the speakers, many of whom are Hymn Society members. If you go, be sure to stop by and greet Deb and Kelly at The Hymn Society display!
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Church Music Faculty Opening at Baylor University
The School of Music at Baylor University announces a faculty vacancy for an assistant, associate, or full professor of church music, with salary and benefits commensurate with rank and qualifications. Applicants must have a record of or show potential for scholarship or creative activity and publication in church music. Review of applications will begin January 18, 2013, and will continue until the position is filled. For further information view this document. Baylor Vacancy
You may also contact Dr. Randall Bradley at Randall_Bradley@baylor.edu. |
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Upcoming Event
December 9, 2012 -- Sharon Beckstead will lead a service of Lessons and Carols at Leaside United Church in Toronto. For more information see this flier: Lessons and Carols |
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Recent Hymn Festival
October 28, 2012 - "Worship with the Psalms" was the theme for the 27th annual Reformation Day Festival of Hymns at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI. The service included hymns and anthems from many traditions and periods combined with readings from the Psalms. Musicians included Western Brass, the church's chancel and junior choirs, and Minister of Music and organist Larry Visser, who also planned the festival.
Be sure to let us know of hymn festivals in your area. Send copies of the program to the office if available so that we can pass them along to others for planning ideas. |
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Andrew Carnegie's Contribution to Worship??
I received this note from Brian Wren, FHS and thought it was worth passing along!
November 25, 2012, on the 177th birthday annivarsary of millionaire philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac contained an item about him. Note the last two sentences of this excerpt from that article.
Over the course of his life, Andrew Carnegie endowed 2,811 libraries and many charitable foundations as well as the internationally famous Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He also bought 7,689 organs for churches. The purpose of the latter gift was, in Carnegie's words, "To lessen the pain of the sermons."
Umm, "Thanks, Mr. Carnegie??" |
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Reviews of Hymn-Based Compositions
Here are new reviews of organ and handbell music from Sida Roberts. You may read online, download or print. Enjoy!!
Reviews |
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New Competition
The Brehm Center for Worship, Theology, and the Arts, in collaboration with the Fred Bock Institute of Music and the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching, is excited to announce its first choral music and worship song search. The search for compositions is connected this year to an upcoming Ogilvie Institute of Preaching conference entitled, "Talk of God, Talk of Science." More about the conference can be found at The Brehm Center website www.brehmcenter.com, including its guest speakers and lecturers. Open to composers of all ages, styles, and training, this search requests the writing of an original, premiere-performance SATB choral work or congregational song based on the conference topic. The winner of this contest will receive a cash prize, as well as the possibility of having the piece published by The Brehm Center's Jubal House imprint, distributed by Hal Leonard. A performance of the winning pieces will be consideredas part of the worship service connected to the conference. Entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2013. For more information: Brehm Music Center Contest
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| Continuing Hymn Contests
The Twin Cities chapter of the American Guild of Organists announces a competition for an unpublished, newly-composed work for solo pipe organ in the form of a prelude or postlude suitable for worship that must quote or be based upon an existing hymn tune or a melody from the repertoire of Gregorian chant. A single prize of $1500 USD will be awarded to any composer of any age residing or studying in the United States, for a work that is a minimum of four (4) minutes in length. The use of existing melodies in the new composition that are under copyright must have documented permission to use. Melodies in the public domain must be so indicated on the Official Entry Form. (See below.) The name of the composer must not appear on the score, and the Official Entry Form must be submitted with the composition. The submission may have been previously performed, but must be unpublished and cannot have won a prize in any other composition. No member of the TCAGO Board or its officers may submit an entry. If, in the opinion of the judges, no entry is worthy of the prize, it shall not be awarded. The Official Entry Form at <www.tcago.org> must be submitted with the composition. Deadline for submission is 1 April, 2013. Winner will be announced 1 May, 2013. Submit to: AGO Composition Contest 239 Selby Av. St. Paul, MN 55102
The Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition is established to recognize a recent musical work which promotes and extends the practice of church music as it is informed and shaped by Lutheran theological insight and worship practices.
Preference will be given to those compositions which grow out of, but are not necessarily restricted to, the worshipping assembly of the baptized who gather around Word and Sacrament.
Compositions which feature the human voice will be preferred over compositions for instruments alone. Submissions must be postmarked by February 1, 2013. For full contest guidelines see the attached announcement. Raabe Prize
The Religious Institute: Faithful Voices on Sexuality and Religion, a non-profit advocacy group headquartered in Westport, CT (www.religiousinstitute.org), announces its first annual international contest for English language
hymn/song writers. The search for new texts is part of an effort to gather the finest possible online collection of hymns and songs for congregational use on the subject of God's good gift of sexuality.Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2012. For more details, see the attached pdf: Religious Institute contest
Macalester Plymouth United Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, announces the seventeenth annual international contest for English language hymn writers. It is our understanding that hymns can motivate the church to be more actively involved in social reform, a vital part of its ministry. It carries a prize of $500 for the winning entry. Our 2012 contest will be a search for hymns that address the scriptural call to speak out loudly and clearly against injustice, and to unite with others working for change. Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2012. Macalester Plymouth Hymn Contest details can be found at: www.macalester-plymouth.org or call (651) 698-8871.
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Worship Live Now Available Online
Worship Live was published in paper format for many years by Stainer & Bell Ltd. It is now being published independently in electronic format with the permission and goodwill of Stainer & Bell Ltd.
This publication shares new worship material and offers an opportunity for publication for new and established authors and composers.
Each edition usually contains hymns, songs, prayers, liturgies and much more.
It is edited by Rev Dr Janet Wootton and an ecumenical editorial committee.
Further copies will be available by subscription @ £12 / annum for three issues via the web-site at www.worshiplive.org.uk
A full issue is included here for your perusal. Worship Live |
Upcoming Events in England 2013
CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONAL MUSIC: LOCAL AND GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES, 1-3 August 2013 at Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford University. The program for their 2011 conference is attached here.
The Charles Wesley Society, 7-10 August 2013 at the Wesley Centre, Univ. Durham, England. |
| International Hymn Conference Scheduled for 2015
The next joint meeting of the Hymn Society in the US and Canada, the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland and the Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft
für Hymnologie will be held at RobinsonCollege, Cambridge. Robinson College is one of Cambridge's newer colleges which has been equipped particularly with conferences in mind, it has a beautiful chapel with a fine stained glass window by John Piper and an organ by the Danish organ builder Erik Frobenius. Registration will begin on Sunday, 26th July 2015; the conference program will be Monday through Friday, July 27-31. It is anticipated that there will be at least one optional outing day on Saturday, 1st August. The Conference theme will be: Hymns in Liturgy and Life. Revd Michael Garland is convening the group which will be organising the Conference.
If you think you might be interested in attending the conference (no firm commitment needed at this point) please contact Deb at the HSUSC office. it would be helpful to the HSGBI hosts to have an idea of what accommodations might be needed. |
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