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 The Verse
A monthly newsletter |
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The Hymn Society
in the United States and Canada
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August 2014
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Well, the summer surely flew past me! How about you? It's hard to believe that schools are starting back in session and new program years are beginning in our churches. The weather here in Richmond is still very fine, so I hope you plan to take advantage of good weather in your area as I plan to do here before things turn blustery.
Watching the seasons change, seemingly more fleeting every year, reminds me not to postpone things I think are important. So, I want to make sure you all know how much I value your being part of The Hymn Society and that I consider myself very fortunate to have such a rewarding job working alongside you. Thank you!!
Till then, keep singing!
Deb
Deborah Loftis
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 "O For a Thousand" members Lifting Hearts - Joining Hands - Raising Voices The good news continues in our campaign to endow The Center for Congregational Song! - In the O, for a Thousand drive to get 1,000 of our Society members to participate in "Lifting Hearts, Joining Hands, Raising Voices," we added 118 new member-donors to the campaign during the five days of our July conference.
- The funds donated or pledged so far in the O, for a Thousand drive total more than $13,700!
- For the first two weeks in August, opening the $300,000 challenge grant from the Eula May and John Baugh Foundation, we raised $4,000. That will translate to $8,000 because of this generous matching grant.
Have you been part of this success yet? We want you to participate! If you are a Society member who has not yet donated, please consider doing so for a couple of very good reasons: - One of the proposed programs of The Center is expansion of the Lovelace Scholarships. For a quick look at what that program is producing, please look at our new short video at http://youtu.be/iuaxwwgAdAY . It is truly inspiring!
- Your gift or pledge will carry a lot of weight, regardless of its size because of the Baugh challenge. The Baugh Foundation will match every dollar we raise, so your donation will have twice the impact.
- Your participation will help us with other foundations like the Baugh family's. Participation of our members sends a clear message to potential funders that our organization is firmly behind the proposal to create The Center for Congregational Song.
It's easy to make a donation. Just go to our website, www.thehymnsociety.org and click on the Donate tab. Be sure to indicate that your donation or pledge is for the endowment campaign, "Lifting Hearts, Joining Hands, Raising Voices." You can also call the Society office at 800-843-4966 or mail your donation directly to the Society, 8040 Villa Park Dr., #250, Henrico, VA 23228. Remember, we want 1,000 of our members to join in this effort by investing in the future. It's not what you give that's important. It's the fact that you participate that matters most. Joanne Reynolds Chair, Financial Development Committee |
2015 Annual Conference in New Orleans
There is still time to submit your sectional proposal!!
The Program Committee is accepting
Sectional Proposals through September 30. Please submit your proposal online. Proposal form
You will also find the proposal form on our website. 
The Hymn Society Annual Conference
Loyola University, New Orleans
July 12-16, 2015
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Nominations for Executive Committee
We are gathering nominations for Executive Committee openings to be filled in July 2015 for the following positions: Secretary Member at large We also would appreciate suggestions for persons to serve on the Editorial Advisory Board for The Hymn and persons to write the Hymn Interpretation, Hymn Performance, and Book and Media Reviews columns in The Hymn. If you wish to nominate someone for office, please contact them to obtain their permission. Send nominations and your suggestions for EAB and contributors to The Hymn to Geoffrey Moore gcmoore@flash.net |
Update on Hymns for Times of Crisis
John Ambrose and his task group have received many texts and suggestions as they compile resources for worship following major international calamities or tragic regional events. There is still a little time to send your texts and suggestions to the task force -- but don't delay! Please send your ideas to John Ambrose, chair of the task group, at jambro@sympatico.ca Please see the attached invitation for more information. Invitation |
Winners of the Schoenstein Hymn Playing Competition
Congratulations to Patrick Scott (2nd Prize) and Tom Mueller (1st Prize). The Hymn Society provided several key people in making this a successful competition: Stuart Forster, organizer, Carl P. Daw, Jr, FHS, judge, and Eileen Guenther, judge. For more information, see the attached press release.  Photo: (left to right): Will Sherwood, Jack Bethards, Stuart Forster, Eileen Guenther, and Carl Daw. |
News of Members
Rusty Edwards wrote the lyrics and Susanne Bagenfelt wrote the music for the Dalai Lama Theme Song that was played in front of an audience of 12,000 in Atlanta, as the Dalai Lama entered the room. The song was recorded in Sweden, and sung by Susanne's daughter, Linea. You can hear it at: http://youtu.be/pNgdklmTaJA W. Thomas Smith turned 80 this year! He's in good health and enjoying life in Mexico. If your membership goes back prior to 1996, you'll remember what a significant and positive effect his leadership had on our organization. Tom recently wrote to us, supporting our plans for The Center for Congregational Song. If you'd like to celebrate his birthday, please consider a gift in his honor to the "Lifting Hearts, Joining Hands, Raising Voices" campaign. The ways to give are noted in the article above. We'll pass along your gift and birthday greetings to Tom. And speaking of significant birthdays, Wilbur Held, former Hymn Society member, and noted organist and composer, celebrated his 100th birthday on August 20. If you'd like to send him greetings, his address is Wilbur Held 650 Harrison Avenue Claremont, CA 91711-4595 |
Hymn-based Compositions
Our organ reviews this month are provided by T. Wes Moore -- one of our Returning Lovelace Scholars this summer in Columbus. Thanks, T. Wes! Organ reviews
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| The Hymn Society in the Wall Street Journal
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Pruit Symposium at Baylor University
"Marching to Zion: Celebrating and Preserving Black Sacred Music" is the theme of the 2014 Pruit Symposium hosted by Baylor University from October 23-25, 2014. The Symposium features keynote addresses from Civil Rights leader and musician Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Associate Professor of Church Music, Dr. James Abbington, and Dr. Dwandalyn Reese from the Smithsonian Museum. In addition, there will be several gospel celebrations featuring combined choirs. More information about the Symposium is available on the Pruit Symposium website at baylor.edu/pruit.
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Charles Wesley Society Annual Meeting
Lester Ruth, President of the Charles Wesley Society sent this information for distribution. We're proud that two of our members are mentioned!
Registration is now open for the upcoming annual meeting of the Charles Wesley Society to to be held in Wilmore, Kentucky, Sept. 25-27, 2014 on the campuses of Asbury University and Asbury Seminary. We have an exciting meeting planned on the theme of Wesley and holiness with presentations by Paul Chilcote, Robin Knowles Wallace, Mary Cheng, Jennifer Woodruff Tait, and Laurence Wood. Our meeting will begin on Thursday afternoon with an unveiling of a new statute of Charles Wesley on the seminary campus. Also planned is a field trip to see the ruins of Bethel Academy, the first Methodist school west of the Appalachians, and Masterson Station, the site of the first Methodist annual conference in the state. A link for registering online can be found at http://charleswesleysociety.org/ as well as a form for mail in registration, if you prefer. Special rates for housing have been arranged with the Asbury Inn on the seminary campus. Call 859-858-2156 to reserve directly. (Housing is not included in the registration fee.)
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Continuing Contests
Call for Hymns on Labor and Faith
Faculty from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and leaders in a growing faith and labor movement are preparing a collection of songs suitable for use in churches, union halls, and at actions that highlight the focus on the struggles, hope, and agency of working people and their communities. Included will be recent hymns on this theme that speak to the labor situation today. Entries should be submitted electronically to Michael Hawn mhawn@smu.edu by October 31, 2014. The first place entry will receive $500. The second place entry will receive $300. The judges will choose other texts, along with the winning texts, for inclusion in the song collection. The original texts should be paired with well-known public domain tunes from the United States that may easily sung in a variety of venues including public gatherings and marches as well as in worship gatherings.
More information
Church of the Servant invites congregational songwriters to submit a Psalm-based song to its 2014 COS New Psalm Contest. The winner will receive a $500 award. There is no entry fee and the contest is open to all. Submissions must be emailed or postmarked by October 1, 2014. More information
Macalester-Plymouth United Church in St. Paul, MN announces the nineteenth annual international contest for English language hymn writers. The 2014 contest will be a search for a hymn text that celebrates God's presence in current social changes and changes in the church. It carries a prize of $500. All entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2014. For more information, view the attached flyer.
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, is pleased to announce its first Church Music Search, a contest for composers and authors. This annual and international search calls for the creation of congregational hymns, choral anthems and orchestral music that engage and exclaim liberal Christian theology and associated themes. Each year a different musical category and theological theme will be selected to resource Pullen and other theologically-liberal congregations with artistic and meaningful church music.
The 2015 search is for an SATB choral anthem suitable for adult choirs with keyboard accompaniment (organ or piano). Other optional instrumental parts may be included. The text of the anthem should express the meaning and celebration of Easter from a theologically-liberal viewpoint.
An award of $1500 will be given to the creator of the winning selection (or divided equally between author and composer). Though the Pullen Music Ministry will retain the right to print and use the winning selection in perpetuity, copyright will remain with the creator(s) and a publisher will be sought for the winning composition.
Entries are submitted electronically and will be accepted through February 1, 2015. Find submission guidelines and enter at: www.pullen.org/musicsearch .
For additional information contact Larry E. Schultz at lschultz@pullen.org.
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Upcoming Events
September 23-25, 2014 -- Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, VA will host: Faith in Our Music: Many Voices, Diverse Chords, Common Hopes. This three-day conference will combine diverse worship experiences with interesting, relevant workshops to help pastors, musicians, worship committees, and anyone who loves music to experience the wide varieties of music for worship.
The conference features John Bell, from the Iona Community in Scotland; Amanda Powell, expert in global music; and Warren Cooper, who in well-known for spiritual jazz music.
Visit the website, www.upsem.edu/music_conference
to find more information and registration.
October 5, 2014 -- Arapaho United Methodist Church, Richardson, Texas. Come sing as we celebrate the baptism of Jakob Friedrich Hehn, son of Executive Committee member, Brian Hehn and nephew of Jonathan Hehn. A potluck dinner will follow. Hymns by John Thornburg, Ruth Duck, Sally Morris, John L. Bell, Mark Miller, Fred Pratt Green, and Avery/Marsh will be sung!
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Recent Events
July 15, 2014 -- "Celebrating Jesus' Love: A 'Him' Festival" at Butler Chapel, Campbell University (NC) as part of the 2014 OASIS Music and Worship Conference. The service was planned and led by Billy Orton, Minister of Music and Worship, First Baptist Church, Huntsville, AL. The service featured the FBC Big Band from First Baptist Church, Huntsville with special guest, jazz artist Kenn Watters, trumpet and flugel horn.
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2015 British Conferences
Have you made your travel plans yet? Many members earlier expressed an interest in attending our joint hymnological meeting which takes places every six years. Now is the time to start looking for favorable air travel. Let's have a large group from HSUSC at the meeting!
The joint meeting of our Hymn Society with HSGBI and IAH will be held at
Robinson College, Cambridge. The conference will begin with registration on Sunday, 26th July 2015 with the Conference program beginning on Monday and concluding on Friday 31st July. 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. Details
The third biennial conference of Christian Congregational Music: Global and Local Perspectives will be held at Rippon College Cuddesdon, Oxford on August 4-7, 2015. Details
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