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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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November 2014
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As promised last month, you're seeing the November issue of The Verse just a bit after the middle of the month. You'll see next month's issue during the first week of December. In 2015 the issues will continue to arrive during the first week of the month -- that's the plan, anyway!
Speaking of plans, I seem to be immersed in them! At , home I'm busy planning for family time at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but at the office we're well underway with plans for New Orleans next summer. I hope you're making your plans to be with us. Watch for the full conference schedule and online registration in February. It will be here before you can say, "Get ready!"
Don't forget to use Amazon Smile for your online purchases -- and designate The Hymn Society as your favorite charitable organization!
Till then, keep singing!
Deb
Deborah Loftis
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Annual Fund Appeal We've spent a lot of time and energy this year working to build our endowment funds in order to provide a firm financial basis for our work into the future. Let's not forget, however, that we have ongoing financial needs each year. I hope you are already considering a gift to The Hymn Society at the close of the year. Help us finish 2014 "in the black" with a contribution to The Hymn Society Annual Fund. You can give securely online, through the mail or by giving us a phone call. Together we can keep moving ahead to "encourage, promote, and enliven congregational song!"  Thank you for your support. It's clear that The Hymn Society has embraced a culture of generosity. We couldn't continue our work without your help.
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2015 Annual Conference in New Orleans
The Hymn Society Annual Conference
Loyola University, New Orleans
July 12-16, 2015 Dr. Carlton R.Young, FHSEmily Swan Perkins Presentation
on the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology
 Dr. Young, known to many as "Sam," has been a leader in The Hymn Society for many years. He served as President of The Society from 19080-82 and was named a Fellow of The Hymn Society (FHS) in 1993. He holds the distinction of editing the two most recent Methodist hymnals, The Methodist Hymnal, 1966; and The United Methodist Hymnal, 1989.
Dr. Young is an educator, having served on the faculties and directed graduate studies in church music at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University; and Scarritt College; and is Emeritus Professor of Church Music, Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He was visiting professor of church music, Tainan Presbyterian College and Seminary, 1995-2004, and The Methodist School of Theology, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia, 2004, and 2007.
In addition to his roles as editor and educator, Dr. Young is a gifted and prolific composer. An award winning composer of choral and organ works, he also composes hymn tunes for Shirley Erena Murray and other outstanding text writers.
Dr. Young will speak to us as the U.S. editor for the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology, an online resource that debuted last year. His plenary presentation at our New Orleans conference will provide insights into the scope of this important tool and help us understand the many ways it can support hymnological work for scholars and church musicians.
By the way, be sure to take advantage of the great offer from the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology to try out its resources during November! See the article below.
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Church Music Position at Samford University
Member Eric Mathis writes:
It is my pleasure to announce a new faculty position in music and worship at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. This position comes as a response to the recent retirement of Dr. Paul A. Richardson, Professor of Music, as well as a flourishing music and worship program at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Please help us commence this search by spreading the word to colleagues within your network, encouraging applications of qualified individuals. For more information, see the attached announcement: Samford faculty position |
Braille Hymnals Available
Central Lutheran Church, Portland, OR, has Braille hymnals to give away. We have a 3 volume Braille Lutheran Book of Worship and two copies of the 4 volume Braille With One Voice. Contact Janis Lord at worship@centralportland.org . We cannot promise to cover shipping, but contact us and we will discuss shipping costs. |
Another Story of Needs Met
I wanted to share with you another story of the way The Hymn Society can be the link between needs and resources. Earlier this fall, I was contacted by a woman seeking hymnals for her ministry to shut-in church members. Their congregation had recently replaced their hymnals and so she took a copy of the older hymnal to members who could no longer get to church. She would sing some hymns with them and leave the hymnal. She was encouraged by the response she had received from these members but was worried that she was running out of available hymnals. Though I couldn't supply them for her, I suggested some avenues to find other copies.
A few weeks later, a man contacted me saying that his family had donated hymnals to a congregation some years earlier but that they were now no longer needed. The hymnals were from the 1970's but were still in good condition. Was there a congregation that could use the books? I suggested the standard options of a mission church, hospitals, nursing homes, and so forth.
Then, I remembered the lady who needed hymnals. Though she had asked for a different title, I thought this hymnal might work, so I emailed the two of them and asked them if the idea might work. They both responded positively to the idea so a further email connected them. I heard from the woman just days later reporting that the man had sent an even larger number of hymnals than he mentioned to me AND that he paid for all the shipping. He was pleased that the hymnals would continue to be useful. She was delighted that she could continue her ministry of hymn singing with home-bound members.
It's just a small story, about one set of hymnals, but I was glad that they made the connection through The Hymn Society. In what other ways can we be the connecting point for people who have gifts to offer and those who need resources?
Perhaps you can be the connection point in your own community!!
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Hymn-based Compositions
Our thanks to Charles D. Frost Craig for this month's choral reviews.
Choral reviews
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Special Offer from Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology
Don't miss out on this great opportunity!! The offer is good through November 26.
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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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
July 4-9, 2015 -- the Winnipeg Organ Festival will host a very exciting week of workshops, concerts and events planned for organists and anyone who has an interest in the organ, in choral music, in church music and more! Our web site is www.winnipegorganfestival.ca and has an extensive amount of information on it. Of particular interest will be the Hymn Festival Sunday night, July 5, 2015. This Hymn Festival will be led by Christine Longhurst and will include a vast variety of hymns with organ (of course!) but also with organ and "praise band."
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Recent Events
Nov. 8, 2014 --"Footprints in the Snow: Tracking Faith and Song in the Artic" an all-day event sponsored by Emmanuel College and SOCHS featured Lori-Ann Doloff, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Music, U of Toronto, and wife of an Anglican priest, who shared her unique experience in the Cathedral community in Iqaluit, and finding both the strains of European and native Canadian influence in their worship music. Nov. 9, 2014 - "And Jesus Said: A Festival of Hymns on the Parables of Christ" was presented at Saint Paul Lutheran and Roman Catholic Community of Faith, led by Mark Alan Filbert, Cantor. Nov 9, 2014 -- The entire Alfred, V. Fedak family presented a concert to celebrate the beginning of their 25th year, as ministers of Music and Arts at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, in Albany, NY. The program included several of Al's own compositions, and Vocal renditions, sung by Sue Hermance Fedak, and a piece for organ and tympani by Ben Fedak, a dance by Anne Fedak, and a premier of an organ piece with narration by Peter Fedak. The program also included a premier, of an organ piece by Iteke Prins, entitled, "Dance at the Organ", based on the hymn tune, "MIEKE. Nov. 13, 2014 -- Carl Daw, Jr., FHS spoke at Church Divinity School of the Pacific on the topic "Audible Grace: Sacramental Dimensions of Congregational Song" The address can be viewed at the following website: http://new.livestream.com/ChurchDivinitySchoolofthePacific There is no charge to join LiveStream to view the address. Nov. 14, 2015 -- The Goshen Colege Hymn Club (a student chapter of The Hymn Society) held a hymn marathon, "Sing for Peace." They sang all the verses of all 658 hymns in The Hymnal: A Worship Book as a fund raiser for Christian Peacemaker Teams. Adam Tice and Rebecca Slough helped to form this student chapter last year.
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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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