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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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December 2015
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Greetings!
During these days when we'd like to enjoy a season of hope, peace, joy, and love, we are once more confronted with violence, death, and grief. The recent shootings in San Bernardino are in the region where we'll gather this summer for our conference. Please hold this community in your prayers, and also share our resource, Hymns in Times of Crisis, with all who may benefit from the texts. The collection can be downloaded from our website. Click on Resources and scroll down. May we each find time and courage to discern what we can do to prevent violence and bring us closer to Peace on Earth.
Blessings to you and yours this Advent Season and all through 2016!
Keep in touch and keep singing ---
Deb Deborah Loftis |
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Lifting Hearts - Joining Hands - Raising Voices: The Campaign for The Center for Congregational
S ong
If you haven't made a pledge or gift yet, there's still time. You can give online or call us to talk about other options. Together we can accomplish much to encourage, promote, and enliven congregational song.
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2016 Annual Conference in Redlands, California Introducing Plenary Speaker Mark Burrows 
Mark's plenary address on Wednesday will focus on the faith formation of children through worship and congregational song.
Mark Burrows is currently the Director of Fine Arts at First United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, Texas. He directs choral ensembles of all ages and oversees programs in visual arts and theater. Prior to his work in Fort Worth, Mark was a music teacher at Stephen C. Foster Elementary School in Dallas, Texas.
Mark received his undergraduate degree in music education from Southern Methodist University and a graduate degree in conducting from Texas Christian University. He has written music and curriculum for children for several major publishers. In addition to music education materials, he has published several books of worship materials for children.
 Note: Emily Brink alerted me that the information and photo of John Witvliet that appeared last month was several years old. A better image and bio can be found here: http://worship.calvin.edu/about/staff-directory/john-d-witvliet
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Hymn Society Annual Fund Our goal this year is $25,000.
Ho, Ho, Ho! As you are making your Christmas gift list, please remember The Hymn Society with a gift to the Annual Fund. These gifts help us with ongoing expenses in our operating budget. We welcome checks, phone calls to give by credit card, or online donations. To give online on our website, select "Get Involved" and choose "Donate." You'll see a tab for Annual Fund.
Thank you in advance for your generous spirit!!
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Psalm Singing: A Link between Interfaith Communities in Pakistan
For two weeks in October, Hymn Society Fellows Emily Brink and Michael Hawn sang, preached, and lectured to three different Christian communities in Pakistan including The Church of Pakistan (a union church of Anglicans, Methodists, and Congregational Churches), the Philadelphia (See Revelation 1:11; 3:7) Pentecostal Churches of Pakistan, and the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan. At a conference organized by Hymn Society member and Lovelace Scholar (2014, 2015), Eric Sarwar, Director of the Tellihim School of Church Music and Worship in Pakistan http://www.calvin.edu/cicw/microsites/worshipsymposiumorg/files/2010/sarwar.pdf, invited Emily and Michael to be keynote speakers at conferences held throughout Pakistan.
Worship with Christians in Pakistan, a tiny minority of the population, is enriched by a vibrant tradition of psalm singing, the Punjabi Psalms http://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/why-persecuted-christians-sing-psalms-in-pakistan/, indigenous expressions of the psalms in Urdu and other local languages based upon Pakistani traditional musical practices with the harmonium (a keyboard instrument played with one hand while the other pumps small bellows) and the tabla drums (traditional drums in Pakistan and India that are highly sensitive and complex with up to 36 pitches in the hands of a skilled tabla player.
The following video clip has a significant subtext. The psalm (Psalm 1) was presented at a rare Christian - Muslim (Sufi) dialogue. Also present were Hindus and other groups. The evening was tied together by interfaith witnesses and psalm singing! This particular recording reflects the traditional musical structure of Pakistan (and India) by beginning with a freer improvisatory section supported only by the harmonium. Then, at the appropriate point, the tabla player joins in the ensemble with a firm and lively beat. Though more soloistic in this rendition, the best known of the Punjabi Psalms are congregational. The other feature that is highly significant is that the tabla player is a woman! (the only woman player that I saw in Pakistan and one of the few in the country) - and she is a Christian!
While you cannot probably understand the specific text of this psalm, you can appreciate the witness of these particular Christians in singing and sharing their faith through the psalms and connecting with believers of other traditions through the psalms.
By the way, Michael Hawn's (last minute) contribution to the evening was the Hebrew canon "Hine ma tov" (Psalm 133).
Emily Brink has an article in Reformed Worship that will give more background on the Punjabi Psalms:
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Hymnary.org Commended
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship commends Hymnary.org as your go-to, online hymnal companion for Lift Up Your Hearts: Songs, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs (Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2013). See http://www.hymnary.org/hymnal/LUYH2013 Â
Includes...
- worship elements (calls to worship, confessions, prayers, and more)
- musical resources
- background information
- copyright and reprinting details
- 30-second clips
- and more!
Contributors to this rich set of resources include Calvin Institute of Christian Worship staff: Emily Brink, FHS, Harry Plantinga, Jr., and others.
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Hymnals Available First Congregational Church of Toulon, Illinois has approximately sixty (60) Favorite Hymns of Praise hymnals needing a new home. Tabernacle Publishing Company, Wheaton, Illinois, 1967. Church contact: Rev. Dr. William R. Toliver - 218 N. Henderson St., Toulon, IL 61483 - prchrt1@frontier.com - 309-286-4901
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Amazon Smile Still shopping for Christmas gifts? Remember that you can support The Hymn Society each time to buy books and products through Amazon. Enter the site through Amazon Smile, register The Hymn Society as your charity, and then enjoy your purchases even more, knowing that a percentage will come to us as a result.
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Reviews of Hymn-Based Compositions
Thanks this month to Jan Kraybill for reviews of hymn-based organ and instrumental compositions. Reviews
We send out a big thank you to all the volunteers--over 40 of you!! -- who have contributed reviews since we started including them in The Verse. If you'd like to write some reviews of hymn-based compositions, please contact Robin Knowles Wallace rwallace@mtso.edu
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The Power of Singing Together
Karen Bellimer shared this article with me. Dr. Ricciuti was one of her professors in seminary.
An abbreviated version of an essay by Gail A. Ricciuti, D.D., Associate Professor of Homiletics, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, was published in the October 19, 2015 edition of The Christian Century. Read Dr. Ricciuti's post here: https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2015-10/song
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Hymn Society Hymn Search
As part of The Hymn Society's ongoing commitment to the enrichment of congregational song and in anticipation of the 2016 conference "Formed in Faith, Shaped by Song" the Executive Committee has announced a search for a theologically rich hymn or song that engages the theme of the role of congregational singing in faith formation. The winning entry will be premiered at our 2016 conference in Redlands, California. An effective entry in this hymn search will address how singing as a part of a faith community shapes faith through various stages of life. The prize for the winning entry will be $500. Submissions must be received in The Hymn Society office by May 15, 2016. See the attachments for the full announcement, guidelines and entry form.
Announcement Guidelines Entry Form |
Continuing Hymn and Psalm Contests
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.
contest information and rules
Reformation -- 500th Anniversary Search
"We are searching everywhere for poets," shared Martin Luther in a letter to a friend, "so that the Word of God may be among the people also in the form of music" (AE 49:68).
Centuries later, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is looking for rising, talented writers too! Our hymn competition in honor of the Reformation's 500th anniversary is your opportunity to create a brand new hymn text that will bless the Church around the world. Join the ranks of Reformation hymn writers Martin Luther, Paul Speratus, and Elizabeth Cruciger with an original entry that reflects the historic purpose of Christian hymns: a proclamation of the Word, teaching the faith, and praise to God.
Fairmount Presbyterian Church, 2757 Fairmount Blvd, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 announces a Hymn Writing Competition for a new hymn (text and tune) to celebrate its 100th anniversary in October 2016. The hymn text and tune must be original, suited for praise and celebration for a centennial worship service. A cash prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the winner (author-composer) or equally divided between an author and composer team. The hymn will be premiered on Sunday, October 23, 2016. Submissions must be e-mailed or postmarked by May 1, 2016. Contact: Robert Moncrief, Minister of Music and Organist, at Rmoncrief@fairmountchurch.org or 216-321-5800 (ext.135).
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Contest Winners
125th Anniversary Hymn Search, St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, Australia
Congratulations to Shirley Erena Murray, FHS, as the Level One winner for her hymn, "All who walk the Christian journey" Full details of the competition and the other winners are found in the church's news release:
Psalm contest winner - Church of the Servant
From a field of 110 submissions, Steven Rodriguez's "Remember the Deeds of Our God" (Psalm 78) rose to win the 2015 COS New Psalm Contest.
The psalm setting will be premiered in worship at Church of the Savior on Sunday, January 31, 2016, the same weekend as the Calvin Worship Symposium and right down the street.
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News of Members
In 1957, Lois Rosebrooks arrived at Plymouth Church, known for its abolitionist stance in the 19th century. She is retiring from her position as the director of history ministry services. This article in the New York Times describes her work in the congregation over nearly 50 years.
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Upcoming Events
January 31, 2016 -- "Made in Michigan" a festival featuring authors/composers born in or living in Michigan, will be presented at St. Adelbert's Basilica, 654 Davis Ave., NW, Grand Rapids, MI at 7:30 pm, led by Emily Brink, FHS. The festival is co-sponsored by The Hymn Society and the Grand Rapids Chapter of the AGO.
February 27, 2016 -- The Southern Ontario Chapter of The Hymn Society will welcome Dan Damon, distinguished writer, composer, theologian, and clinician, to speak on "Justice in Hymnody" at Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. The event is co-sponsored by the Department of Continuing Education of Emmanuel College.
February 27, 2016 - "Singing with the Spirit," a workshop featuring national and local clinicians with tracks for pastors, music ministers, worship leaders, and keyboard players and a closing hymn festival, will be presented at Vienna Baptist Church, 541 Marshall Road, SW, Vienna, VA. CJ Redden-Liota is Music Minister at the church and host for the event. For more information, contact Brian Hehn brian@thehymnsociety.orgApril 2, 2016 - "Children Sing the World's Faith" an all-day event for children's choir with hymn festival open to the public at 3 pm. Brian Hehn will be the clinician. Location: Bon Air United Methodist Church, 1645 Buford Rd N Chesterfield, VA 2323. Contact Andrea Baxter for more information. abaxter@trinitylansdale.com
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