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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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October 2014
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Happy Halloween, friends, and blessings for All Souls and All Saints Days.
The Executive Committee just finished their fall meeting and headed home today. Everyone gathered at Richmond Hill, an ecumenical retreat center in Richmond, VA. Joining the community for prayer and meals three times a day helped to balance our long meeting times and keep us focused on the most important reasons for our work -- our joyful faith-response to God. The EC tackled some large issues related to our endowment campaign, budget, and the implementation of initiatives that we are seeking to fund. Though these matters are complicated and required deep reflection, they are also very exciting and your leaders weighed options carefully. Very good decisions emerged. We'll be communicating with members soon about the ways to move forward that they discerned. Watch especially for news in the spring issue of The Stanza!
Speaking of communicating, you're going to see a shift in the time you receive The Verse. I am trying to move the publication of this email newsletter to the first week of the month, rather than having it slide into your inbox at the last moment of the month. Toward that end, look mid-month for the November issue and during the first week of the month for the December issue. After that, we'll be on schedule for the new year! So, if you have news for me to include, please send it along as soon as possible for this new schedule.
Till then, keep singing!
Deb
Deborah Loftis
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 Lifting Hearts - Joining Hands - Raising Voices We have two new videos! I hope you've seen the video we produced at this summer's conference in Columbus, Ohio. If not, you can see that video on our website. We're approaching some foundations and individuals outside The Society about two of our initiatives and so have built on this year's video to emphasize the Lovelace Scholars http://youtu.be/LhHGWQqnGZ4 and the Text and Tune Writers Workshop http://youtu.be/urSeZ7nvYng Check them out! You'll be inspired by what our members have to say. ___ Here's an idea from Andreas Teich, Financial Development Committee Member: Have you thought you would like to make a significant gift to The Center for Congregational Song endowment campaign but can't figure out how to do it now? Perhaps you could include the Hymn Society in your estate plans. There are some obvious ways to do that but as members of a society that includes musicians who hold copyrights, there might be a very creative way to consider. Might we suggest that you consider making the Hymn Society the beneficiary of the royalties which are connected to material you have created? One of your fellow text writers indicated that that was her plan. What a great way to keep the song of the church alive on earth when we join the heavenly chorus! ___
We have 297 members participating in the campaign so far. Are you "one in a thousand" ? Have you encouraged another Hymn Society member to give? |
2015 Annual Conference in New Orleans
The Hymn Society Annual Conference
Loyola University, New Orleans
July 12-16, 2015
Dr. Miguel De La Torre, Professor of Social Ethics and Director of Latino/Latina Studies, Iliff School of Theology - Plenary I: "Congregational Singing from the Margins" 
The focus of Dr. De La Torre's academic pursuit has been social and political ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. Through theology and bibilcal ethics, he examines marginalized persons and groups and challenges the structures of oppression. De La Torre joined the Iliff faculty in 2005 after teaching at Hope College in Holland, Michigan for five years. An ordained Southern Baptist minister, he served as pastor for Goshen Baptist Church in Glenn Dean, Kentucky. He is the author of many books and articles. One of his early publications, Reading the Bible from the Margins (Orbis Books, 2002) inspired our planning committee to invite him to examine congregational singing through a similar lens. Other more recent publications include: Genesis: A Theological Commentary on the Bible (WJK, 2012); The Quest for the Historical Satan (co-authored, 2011); Liberating Jonah: Toward a Biblical Ethics of Reconciliation (Orbis Books, 2007). The information for this biographical sketch was taken from his biography posted on the Iliff School of Theology website. For a fuller view of his work, please visit
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Gaudeamus In Domino Chorale -- Update!!
Shortly after the September Verse went out to all our subscribers, I received an email message from João Faustini: I think it must have taken only minutes after you posted the "The Verse" announcement I sent you asking for choir robes for our choir, when I got an email offering us 48 beautiful gowns! They are to be mailed to us today. I want to thank you again for posting the announcement! I think you may want to rejoice and thank God with us for such generous people of the First Baptist Church of Rome, Georgia! Then the very next day, a second email arrived! My God! We are being blessed with a shower of choir robes! Now Princeton Seminary Choir offered their old robes to us! 63 of them! Thanks to Melissa Haupt and Martin Tel! We are accepting them all and we will share them all with many choirs in Brazil who do not have robes! God bless you all for your generosity and speedy replies to this request for help!  |
News of Members
Earlier we announced the publication of the final volume of the work by Édith Weber on the cantus firmus. She wanted us to know the full scope of the 10 volume work. Thank you, Édith, for this extensive research tool!! What an accomplishment. Collection dirigée par Édith WEBER Groupe de recherche sur le Patrimoine musical ( 145O-175O). LE CANTUS FIRMUS : I Fondements théoriques et exploitation d principe II De l' Orient à l' Occident III De la théorie à la pratique IV De l'Église à la salle de concert V Réminiscence, référence et pérennité VI Le cantus firmus : exploitation à travers les siècles VII Le cantus firmus hymnologique, pédagogique et lexicologique VIII Le cantus firmus : aspects multiples IX Le cantus firmus : aspects géographiques X Le cantus firmus : universalité . Bilan et épilogue de la Collection. Presses de l' Université Paris-Sorbonne , 2014. http://pups.paris-sorbonne.fr Robert C. Mann -- The Importance of Congregational Song to Worship, part 2. http://www.churchmusicinstitute.org/the-importance-of-congregational-song-to-worship-part-ii/ David W. Music, FHS and Paul Westermeyer, FHS have published a new book on American Church Music. It is available from MorningStar. Congratulations, gentlemen! I hope you are starting to work on a sequel now? Kudos to Nancy Hall of Berkeley, CA. She has had her faculty title at American Baptist Seminary of the West expanded to "Associate Professor of Ministry and Congregational Song." In October she was elected to the board of directors of the Center for Arts, Religion, and Education, an affiliate organization of the Graduate Theological Union. Nancy's course on hymnody, "How Hymns Shape Worship and Faith," will be on the spring class schedule for ABSW and the GTU. Deb had the delightful opportunity to share a meal with Mary Oyer, FHS, recently. Mary continues to be actively involved in the community of Goshen, IN and sends her greetings to Hymn Society friends. 
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Amazon Smile
A new way that you can support the work of The Hymn Society is through the charitable donation site, Amazon Smile. Set your bookmarks to enter the Amazon site through this portal, http://smile.amazon.com/ You can select The Hymn Society as the charity of your choice and 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases will come our way. Read more about the program here: http://smile.amazon.com/about/ref=smi_se_ft_abt_saas
Just think, if you buy your Christmas gifts here, you're really giving TWO gifts each time! PS, your friends and family can also select The Hymn Society -- no need to be a member! Spread the word!
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Hymn-based Compositions
Our thanks to Craig Dobbins for this month's choral reviews. Choral reviews
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Special Offer from Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology
If you attended the annual meeting of the Hymn Society in Columbus, OH you probably saw the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology (CDH) display in the foyer. Be sure to see Tina Schneider's recent interview with editor Carlton R. Young (The Hymn, summer 2014) regarding this important on-line resource.
Hymn Society members are encouraged to explore the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology in its entirety by logging in with full access at no charge through November 26th.
Go to www.hymnology.co.uk.
On the top right hand corner click on LOGIN/REGISTER.
Then in the EXISTING USER fields enter
Email Address: media15@hymnology.co.uk and Password: Julian
PLUS SAVE 20% - Hymn Society members can receive a discount on an annual individual annual subscription by simply inserting the code HYMNS633at checkout and 20% will be deducted from the total due. (This offer ends December 24, 2014).
"This is an amazing resource. It inaugurates a new era in the study of hymns and hymn tunes."
-Nicholas Temperley, FHS, Professor Emeritus of Musicology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
For questions contact Bob Todd at BT@BobToddPublicity.com.
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Faculty Appointment at Baylor University
The Church Music department at Baylor University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Monique Ingalls to the faculty. A graduate of John Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Ingalls most recently served as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Cambridge. She co-edited the books Christian Congregational Music (2013) and The Spirit of Praise: Music and Worship in Global Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity (forthcoming), and is a co-founder and program chair for the international biennial conference "Christian Congregational Music: Local and Global Perspectives."
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Continuing Contests
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
January 7-9, 2015 -- Augsburg Publishers will present "THE SONGS WE SING:
National Conference for Sacred Music" in San Antonio, TX. The conference will feature David Bone, Mel Bringle, Michael Burkhardt, Mark Mummert, Charles Peery, and Randall Stroope.
National Conference for Sacred Music is a unique conference designed to provide the practicing church musician with fresh new ideas to help create a vital, growing music ministry. The emphasis of this conference is to provide a wide variety of new approaches to revitalize and reinvigorate the church's passion for music in worship.
Among the many sessions you will find:
- Strategic planning and educating the congregation about worship, with an emphasis on hymnody
For more information visit: http://www.augsburgfortress.org/ncsm/
January 29-31, 2015 -- Online Registration is open for the Calvin Symposium on Worship. See the presenter list http://worship.calvin.edu/symposium/presenters.html and program page http://worship.calvin.edu/symposium/program.html .
There will be over 100 workshops and seminar choices, including:
-Thursday seminar "Seven Streams of 21st Century Congregational Song: Skills for Leading the People's Song in a Musically Multilingual Word" moderated by C. Michael Hawn, FHS with contributions from James Abbington, Jorge Lockward, Emmett Price and the James Abbington Church Music Academy alumni, Martin Tel and the Princeton Seminary Choir
-Vespers "We've Come This Far by Faith: Our Story, Our Song" led by Emmett Price, III, James Abbington, and several alumni from the James Abbington Church Music Academy
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Recent Events
October 19, 2014 -"Beloved Community: a Hymn Festival," held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. The festival was led by the St. Paul's Choir, accompanied by Broad Street Brass and the Rosales organ, David Sinden, organist.
October 26, 2014 --LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan, "At Home with the Lord," a hymn festival reflecting on the image of "home" in the story of Scripture, from Genesis through Revelation. Larry Visser, organist and Minister of Music of the church, led the choir and congregation by accompanying several anthems, hymns and hymn concertati, along with brass and timpani.
October 27, 2014 -- "Singing Faith in Community" featured C. Michael Hawn, FHS, in a program of lecture and singing sponsored by Kanata Centre for Worship and Global Song, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo, Ontario.
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New App for Lift Up Your Hearts
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Inglewood Christian Reformed Church, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is offering: 147 grey Psalter Hymnals, pub. 1987. Four of these copies are large print, and 28 have been rebound. Please contact us at inglecrc@telusplanet.net
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Saving the Lowell Mason House
In 2010, the Medfield, MA home of Lowell Mason, influential hymn tune composer and music educator, was slated to be demolished so a developer could build a new structure on the site. Upon learning about the significance of the house, a group of citizens and two area music teachers banded together to save the building. After raising sufficient funds, the house was moved in April 2011. The group formally became a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization and is currently raising funds to renovate and remodel Lowell Mason's house.
Plans call for the basement to be used for music lesson space and small group music-making, the first floor will house a museum of Mason's personal and professional possessions, and the second floor will hold office space for arts organizations.
The Lowell Mason House is working to preserve and perpetuate his legacy, but we need your help. Please consider supporting the effort by donating a financial gift by mail or through the group's website. Learn more about the work at www.lowellmasonhouse.com
Lowell Mason House
P.O. Box 913
Medfield, MA 02052
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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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