Lifting Hearts - Joining Hands - Raising Voices: The Campaign for The Center for Congregational  S ong             We have a lot of good news about the Endowment Campaign. And there is also a lot more work to be done to meet our goal of raising $2.2 million to endow The Center for Congregational Song (CCS). - We have sufficient funds raised and pledged to have launched the search for the CCS Director.   We hope to be able to introduce this new staff member at the summer conference and then bring her/him on board Sept. 1.
 - We have brought eight of the 10 program initiatives of the CCS to life, some as pilot projects. These include the Ambassadors Program and the Solo Pastor's Conference. Three years ago these were dreams that we all shared-now they are either ongoing or waiting to be launched as a regular part of the Society's programs.
 - A year ago, we had slightly less than 100 of our members who had donated or pledge to the campaign. At this point, we have more than 300 contributors. Thanks to all of our members who have not just shared in the 2012 dreaming process that led to creation of these programs, but who have also donated to make them a reality.
 
 But there is so much more to do if we are to sustain this marvelous start to the Center. We've raised $813,000. That's not even half way to our goal. What can you do? 1) Make a pledge or donate, if you've not already done so. If you have donated once, would you consider making another gift? 2) Connect us to people you know who share your love of congregational song and who have the capacity to help us reach our goal. Contact Deb in the Society office, or Joanne Reynolds, jsreynoldscb@q.com. We'll help you figure out what to say in conversation with these contacts so that we can then come visit them to talk about our plans for the Hymn Society's second hundred years.      |  
 
 2015 Annual Conference in New Orleans 
  
  
 
 
The Hymn Society Annual Conference
  
Loyola University, New Orleans
  
July 12-16, 2015Online Registration is now open!!
  Monday Hymn Festival "Down by the Riverside: Jazz and Congregational Song" led by Dan Damon    Dan  is well-known to Hymn Society members, not only through his hymns, but  also his plenary address to the conference in 2010.  Dan is one of those  rare talents who can write both hymn texts and tunes and is published  internationally. He is pastor of First United Methodist Church,  Richmond, California and serves as adjunct faculty in church music at  Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. Dan plays piano in  clubs in the San Francisco area and studies piano and composition with  Richard Hindman.  He is currently working on a collection of African  songs with Patrick Matsikenyiri, retired Professor of Church Music,  Africa University, Zimbabwe.
  You won't want to miss this festival as Dan and friends help us feel right at home in New Orleans as we sing familiar and new hymns in a jazz style.  
    
  
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New Conference Event for New Orleans: Children's Program!
  
We have a few children signed up for our new program but we need six more children in order to offer this children's session.  Please contact Geoffrey Moore at gmoore@smu.edu  by May 1 to reserve a spot.    
  
During the summer conference in New Orleans, we will be piloting a new program for children of conference attendees.  For a reasonable registration fee, the program would provide daytime (9am-5pm), music-centered programming for children ages 8-13.  The program would be led by one of the Society's own members, Megan Mash.    
  
        
Megan is currently the Music Minister at Sebastian United Methodist Church in Sebastian, Florida.  Megan received her Master of Sacred Music degree, magna cum laude, from Perkins School of Theology (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, where she studied organ with Larry Palmer, conducting with David R. Davidson and church music with Michael Hawn and Christopher Anderson.  Megan is an active member of The Hymn Society of the United States and Canada, The American Guild of Organists and Choristers Guild.   
  
 
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 Conference Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsoring sessions at our summer conference has become a favorite way to support the work of The Hymn Society and help keep the costs of our conference as low as possible.  We started in 2011 and every year the support gets stronger!  Thank you for this marvelous vote of confidence in our work!  You'll be getting a letter with a sponsorship form in the mail in about 10 days, but this year we have created a way to  reserve and pay for your sponsorship online.  It's faster and payment is secure through PayPal.  On our website, select: Get Involved>Donate>Annual Fund and you'll see the option for conference sponsorship.  You can also download and print the form  here.     By sponsoring a session at the conference, you can accomplish two things: 1) you show your support for the Hymn Society -even if you can't make it to the conference in person, and 2) you can honor or remember a person or event important to you. And don't forget: You can also support the  Lovelace Scholarship online as well! Help us bring as many deserving students as possible to New Orleans!!    
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 Braille edition of Common Praise 
A new edition in braille has been released for the hymnal,  Common Praise, the hymnal of the Canadian Anglican Church.  Click the link for a story about this new resource.   
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 Support The Hymn Society with AmazonSmile
When you shop online for books, music, and other goods, you can also support The Hymn Society.  Use this link for AmazonSmile to begin shopping.  It will automatically link your purchases to support The Hymn Society.  We won't get rich this way (unless you do a LOT of shopping) but every bit helps!    https://smile.amazon.com/ch/13-5564941   And thanks in advance for keeping us in mind when you shop!!   
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 | Center for Music and Liturgy Opening  
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2015 Joint Meeting with HSGBI and IAH: Hymns in Liturgy and Life  
  
We have a good-size group of HSUSC folks already registered for the international hymn conference.  Don't you want to join us?  There's still time to register!   
  
  
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. Friday evening there is the option of an excursion to Ely Cathedral for Evensong.  The Conference theme will be: Hymns in Liturgy and Life.   Program schedule     
  
HSUSC Leaders: 
Robin Knowles-Wallace: "Congregational Singing and Everyday Life"  
Kenneth Hull: "Do We Become What We Sing? Congregational Song and Spiritual Formation"  
Geoffrey Moore: " Hymning the Kingdom: Originating - Resonating - Consummating" Jan Kraybill: coordinator for our Hymn Festival: "Celebrating the Journey"  
    
 
 
 
   
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 Early Hymn Society Publications Sought  
Here's a note from Tina Schneider, our DNAH editor, working with Hymnary.org:   Needed: scans or a loan of the following Hymn Society publications. They are not cataloged in any library, they are not in the Hymn Society archives, and I need your help so that I can get them into Hymnary.org! If you have a personal copy of either of these original publications, and would be willing to scan them, please get in touch with me at schneider.290@osu.edu or 419-995-8326. Each has appeared in hymnals subsequent to its publication by The Hymn Society, but I would like to see the originals if at all possible.   1928 Airman's hymn, "God of the Shining Hosts" by May A. Rowland. 1929 Missionary hymn, "Eternal God, Whose Power Upholds" by Henry Hallam Tweedy.    If you're willing to part with your copy, The Hymn Society office would happily add it to our holdings. Thanks for looking on our behalf!      
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 Sermon: Psalm 96 and Songs New and Old  
Recently we received an email from  Martin Tel: Yesterday in chapel we had one of our younger biblical faculty members preach in our daily chapel service.  His sermon was a real encouragement to hymn-writing and hymn-loving souls.  Thought I'd share it with you. The preacher, Heath Dewrell, gave me permission to share this with you. 
 
  Part of the power of the sermon was the context of the opening hymn, All Glory Be to God, itself based on an ancient hymn, and concluding with Carl Daw's "Sing to the Lord No Threadbare Song."  I inserted these hymn texts and the chanted and read psalm texts for context.  I'm also attaching the printed liturgy.
    It is truly an inspiring sermon, so click on the links and read for yourself!! Sermon            Chapel Worship order    
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 Hymn Contest 
  Macalester Plymouth United Church of Saint Paul, MN announces their 2015 hymn contest: a search for a hymn that celebrates the language of love, inclusiveness, commitment, and the love God has for the union of all people regardless of gender. See the attached document for full description and contest rules.  The prize is $500. Hymns must be postmarked by December 31, 2015.    
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 | Reviews of Hymn-Based Compositions   
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News of Members         
Rusty Edwards will be receiving an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Lutheran Southern Seminary at Lenoir- Rhyne University at their May Commencement.  Provost Clay Schmidt wrote to Rusty: "We are pleased to present you with this distinction, because of your work as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and your prolific output as a hymn writer. Your hymns have given voice to the praise of Christians across the globe, providing us with words and melodies with which to articulate our hearts as we gather for worship."   We're proud of you, Rusty!!  Congratulations to Nancy Hardy! Her new book, Worship in the City:Prayers and Songs for Urban Settings, will be published soon by United Church Publishing in Canada.   We mourn the passing of Pat Henry, April 8, 2015, in Sherwood, AR.  His absence will be keenly felt at our gathering in New Orleans. He was so looking forward to the jazz emphasis. Our prayers are extended to his wife, June, and their family.  
 
  
 
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Upcoming Events        
May 3, 2015 -- Join members of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the AGO in the hymn festival, "Made in Michigan."  The event takes place at Trinity Lutheran Church, Midland at 4:00pm.  Designed and led by Life Member, Andreas Teich, the festival features hymns with Michigan connections.  The idea originated with "The Old Rugged Cross" but moved quickly to living text and tune writers such as David Haas, Steve Starke, Roy Hopp and John Kleinheksel.  Come and sing with us! You can contact Andreas at Messiah Lutheran Church, 989-893-4444   May 7, 2015 -- Bob Batastini, FHS, will narrate the second annual Festival of Congregational Song, sponsored by the Grand Rapids Chapter of the National association of Pastoral Musicians. The event will be held at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Grand Rapids, with cathedral music director and organist, Nick Palmer, leading the singing from the 56 stop, 72 rank, gallery organ by Lèteourneau. It is one of three organs built for the cathedral in 2002. The chancel organ is 22 ranks, and the chapel organ, 14. The hymn fest will include 14 hymns based on the gospel readings for the Sundays from Lent I through Pentecost. For information visit  www.npm-gr.org  July 21-24, 2015 -- Baylor University Alleluia Conference.  The Alleluia Conference is one-of-a-kind enrichment event features superb clinicans who re-energize and inspire worship leaders, music ministers, children's choir leaders, and keyboard ministers. Hymn Society members serving as clinicians include: John Bell, FHS, Randall Bradley, Stephen Cowden, Brian Hehn, David Music, FHS, Jacob Sensenig, Al Travis. Online registration is open.   http://www.baylor.edu/alleluia/    
 
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