Members of the Financial Development Committee-the folks raising money to endow the Center for Congregational Song-are looking for a few more good men and women to fill its ranks. We need:

• People who have fund-raising experience, or who would like to learn about fun-raising;
• People with skills for our grant-writing team. This includes research, grant-writing and editing.
• People who are adept at using social media and can help design and implement a plan to use those channels to generate interest and excitement in the campaign and The Center.
• People who have experience in using print media channels to spread the word about the Society and the creation of the Center.

If you are interested in sharing your talents in the "Lifting Hearts, Joining Hands, Raising Voices" campaign, please contact Joanne Reynolds at jsreynoldscb@q.com.

Nominations for the future open positions on the Executive Committee should be sent to Geoffrey Moore, President-Elect, no later than November 1, 2016.  gcmoore@flash.net  
Please contact the person you are nominating and get permission to nominate them.

Positions open:

President-Elect - 2 year term, to become President in 2018

Treasurer - 2 year term

Member at Large - 3 year term

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) has formed a hymnal project committee, with the goal of releasing the church body's next hymnal in the early 2020s. Those wishing to submit hymns for consideration are welcome to do so at www.welshymnal.com, where the "public submissions" form allows materials to be submitted as attached files. Soon the committee will also release texts and guidelines as it solicits musical settings of the divine service (the main canticles of the historic liturgy). Composers interested in receiving this information and submitting settings for consideration are invited to write to contact@welshymnal.com. A future notification in The Verse will also make this information available as an attached file.

Hymn Descants  

Larry Visser and the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship announce the publication of a new worship resource:  "Praise God in the Heights", a collection of 164 descants for hymns/songs in the "Lift Up Your Hearts: Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs" hymnal (©2013 Faith Alive Christian Resources).  Single copies of the pdf document may be downloaded free from the Institute website: http://worship.calvin.edu . Click on "Resources" and scroll down to "Publications."  Reproducing additional copies requires seeking permission from copyright holders or using the appropriate licensing (CCLI or OneLicense.net).  Larry completed this project on a sabbatical in the summer of 2014 from his position as Minister of Music and Organist at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It is likely that the descants will also appear on www.hymnary.org in the future. 

Articles on congregational song

Two journals give major attention to congregational song in their current issues.

Reformed Worship, June 2015

Martin Tel, "Psalm 1: A Walk Through the Woods" features a text by Michael Morgan and a translation by Mary Louise Bringle

Stephen Cowden and David W. Music, FHS "'bring many NAMES:' the Hymn Tunes of Swee Hong Lim" features texts by Brian Wren, FHS and Shirley Erena Murray, FHS

Church Music Quarterly (RSCM) has an issue on Celtic traditions

John L. Bell, FHS, "The Conundrum of Celtic Christian Music"

Morag Macleod, "Highland and Island: The Tradition of Gaelic Psalm Singing"

Rhidian Griffiths (President of the Welsh Hymn Society), "Revival and Renewal? The Welsh Tradition"

Gordon Giles, "Hymn Meditation: St. Patrick's Breastplate"

In an effort to encourage Psalm-singing, Church of the Servant invites congregational songwriters to submit a Psalm-based song to its 2015 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, 2015. The song will be premiered in worship on January 31, 2016. Church of the Servant is a Christian Reformed Church with a rich history of encouraging the arts in worship. Its worship is Reformed, liturgical, participatory, eclectic, and open to creative new worship expressions. This contest is made possible by a generous donation in memory of Ben Fackler, who loved all things musical.

Full contest rules may be found at:

 http://www.churchoftheservantcrc.org/2015-cos-new-psalm-contest/ 

You may also download a pdf of the contest details here.  Contest Rules 

 contest information and rules