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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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March 2016
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Spring is nearly here -- longer days and warmer temperatures always seem to give me more energy! I'm renewed as I see color and new growth around me. As we continue our Lenten journey for now, I hope you are starting to see signs of color and new growth in your spiritual life as well as outdoors. When it's time to sing "Alleluia" again, may you sing with exuberant joy because of the changes in your life and world.  This is a great time to make your plans to join us in Redlands, CA this summer! Remember the dates: July 17-21. Get a good deal on airfare and check out some of the lovely and fun places to visit before or after the conference. What's happening with you and in your community? We love to have news about our members. Send a quick email and if you like, we'll share your news in The Verse! 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 2012-We dreamed of what The Hymn Society might become. 2013-We launched the campaign to bring those dreams to life in The Center for Congregational Song. 2014-We asked you, our members, to join in the effort and nearly 400 of you contributed! 2015-We hired Brian Hehn as the founding Director of The Center. It's 2016. What will the landmark be that we create together? Can we lift our total of funds raised over the $1 million mark? This is the final year for our "Lifting Hearts, Joining Hands, Raising Voices" campaign to endow The Center for Congregational Song. Time is slipping away. What can you do to make this final year as memorable as the preceding four? - If you haven't already, make a contribution or pledge (due by year-end)
- If you've already made a pledge, complete your payments by year-end
- If you've already made a contribution or completed a pledge, consider an additional contribution
- Ask friends and family to join in this effort with a contribution
We've raised $820,000. Help us lift this number total over One Million Dollars. With a united effort and your help we can do this! Joanne Reynolds Chair, Financial Development Committee |
2016 Annual Conference in Redlands, California
Students: apply now for the Lovelace Scholarship. Applications which may be downloaded from the website are due in the Hymn Society office by April 1.
 ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!REGISTER NOWFestival Leader Milburn Price 
Milburn Price is a noted educator, conductor and composer. He served as Dean of the School of Performing Arts at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama from 1993 to 2006. In "retirement," he has taght as a Visiting Professor at Stetson University, Mercer University and Mississippi College. Prior to his duties at Samford, he served as Dean of the School of Church Music at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and Chair of the Music Department at Furman University. He served as National President of the American Choral Directors Association from 1999-2001. Guest conducting and lecturing engagements have taken him to twenty-eight states, as well as Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Scotland, Switzerland, and Russia. His choral compositions and arrangements have been published widely.
He has written texts and music for several hymns, some of which have been included in the 1975 and 1991 editions of Baptist Hymnal, as well as The Worshiping Church (1990) and Celebrating Grace: Hymnal for Baptist Worship (2010) in which he also served as one of the editors. He is co-author of A Survey of Christian Hymnody (with William J. Reynolds and David Music, 4th edition, 1999).
 Beverly A. Howard will accompany the festival. Dr. Howard is Professor of Music at California Baptist University and is organist at Calvery Presbyterian in Riverside, CA. She also served on the Format and Organization Committee for Celebrating Grace. A Life Member, she served as Editor of The Hymn from 2003-2008. Price and Howard will lead us in a hymn festival on Tuesday night that will examine all the changing scenes of life and use hymns to explore the metaphor of life as a journey.
Some of the information for this biography was accessed from Wikipedia
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Writing the Church's Song Save the Date! We will offer a workshop retreat for poets and composers of all styles of congregational song in September, 2016. Outstanding faculty will guide participants, providing insights from their own writing process and offering feedback. There will be time for small group interaction and ample time for individuals to work on their own projects. The workshop will be held at Richmond Hill, an ecumenical community in the heart of Richmond, Virginia. Full schedule and registration will be available online April 1
Space is limited so sign up early!!
Schedule Overview
Monday, Sept 26: check in after 4 pm and join the community for prayer and dinner Tuesday Sept 27 through Thursday Sept 29: meet together for the workshop Friday Sept 30: check out after breakfast and depart for home Faculty
   Adam M. L. Tice David M. Bailey Sally Ann Morris
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Hymnary.org Resources
Using hymnals at worship services is good ... so that the people can see the melody and sing in harmony. Using a projector is great ... so that the people can sing with their heads up. How about having the best of both worlds? The Hymnary.org website offers a useful resource ... PowerPoint slides with lyrics, melody and/or 4-part harmony for more than 2,300 hymn instances. You can even remove and/or rearrange the order of verses.
Kai Ton Chau
Program Manager, Hymnary.org
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Old Harp Singings
Some of our members and friends enjoy shape-note singing. If you are close to the Knoxville, Tennessee area, you might enjoy attending a singing that uses the New Harp of Columbia. There are a number of singings throughout the year in TN and western NC. For a listing of the upcoming gatherings, visit www.oldharp.org
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Hymn Arrangements Available Hymns for Four HornsRecently I heard from James K. Taylor, a retired band director and composer in Texas. He is arranging public domain hymn tunes for four horns. You can find these for listening on YouTube by searching for the name, James K. Taylor.
Hymns for Guitar
Tom Pomroy has been setting hymns to guitar accompaniment for many years with now over 300 set to simple chords. If you are interested in seeing these please contact him at twigman@bulloch.net
Jazz Hymn Arrangements
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Hymn Contest Winner The world premiere of a hymn written by Bevill State Music Instructor Dr. John Stallsmith debuted as part of the Bethlehem Music Series in Minneapolis on Oct. 11, 2015 as part of the Let All the Earth Rejoice Hymn Festival. Stallsmith, an organist, saw a notice about the hymn contest in The Diapason and decided to enter the contest. It was his first hymn-writing venture. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of his text, "Let all the earth rejoice in loudest praise" may contact him at at jstallsmith@bscc.edu
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Hymnals Available For our readers in the Colorado area, a church in Greeley has hymnals to donate. Interested persons would need to pick up the hymnals from the church or arrange to pay for the shipping costs. Worship the LordHymnal of the Church of Godcopyright 1989 by Warner Press, Inc., Anderson, Indiana 116 in total, in very good condition And a small paper back book: Camp Meeting FavoritesHeritage Songs of the Church of Godcopyright 2003 by Anderson University Press and Warner Press, Inc., Anderson, Indiana. 61 in total, in very good condition Please contact Marcella at marcella.willis@gmail.com
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Amazon Smile 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
Our thanks to Joshua Brodbeck for this month's review of organ reviews. Reviews
If you'd like to write some reviews of hymn-based compositions, please contact Robin Knowles Wallace rwallace@mtso.edu
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RCA Grant
The deadline is approaching! Submit your application by March 15!
The Reformed Church Center at New Brunswick Theological Seminary invites proposals for:The Alvin J. Poppen And John R. Young Fellowship
An opportunity for research and/or presentation in Reformed Worship and Liturgy
The Alvin J. Poppen and John R. Young Fellowship provides a $500.00 stipend, travel expenses, and the possibility a two-week residency at New Brunswick Theological Seminary to support research in Reformed Worship, particularly as it pertains to the RCA.
More more information please see: Announcement
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Sing to the Lord ... With Understanding
Church Music Institute and Shenandoah Conservatory will host a conference, "Sing to the Lord ... with Understanding," A study of the history and repertoire of Congregational Song and its role in choral and organ settings.
Featuring . . .
June 26-July 1: Donald McCullough
July 3-8: Eileen Guenther, John Walker
For more information, see the attached Flier, visit the CMI website at www.su.edu/cmi or contact the director, Dr. J. Thomas Mitts at cmi@su.edu
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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
The Notre Dame Children's Choir announces a Hymn Competition for a new hymn with original text and original music.
The original text and tune will address the theme of God's love and our relationship with one another during times of turmoil. Put another way, in light of recent domestic and international violence, refugees searching for safety, nation warring against nation, and political divisiveness, craft a hymn text and tune that speaks to God's all encompassing love that is made complete through connection with one another.
The winning entry will receive $600, have their HYMN sung by the Notre Dame Children's Choir, and the HYMN will be considered for recording by the Notre Dame Children's Choir on their next album. Deadline for entries is midnight on March 31, 2016.
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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News of Members
Ginny Chilton and her husband, James, announce the birth of their first child. Ralph Davis Maxwell was born on February 12th, weighing 8 pounds 11 ounces and measuring 21 inches long.
Édith Weber, Professeur dr émérite d'Histoire de la Musique à l'Université Paris-Sorbonne hosts a radio program every Sunday (from 21h. to 22 h. = French time). It is possible to listen live over internet broadcast at : www.radiocourtoisie
Her most recent article, "Le Patrimoine hymnologique protestant" has just come out in :
BULLETIN DE LA SOCIÉTÉ DE L'HISTOIRE DU PROTESTANTISME FRANÇAIS Tome 161, (oct ., nov., déc. , 2015); Paris, Genève, Droz , 2015, p. 609 - 626 .
We mourn the passing of Ruth McElrath, widow of Hugh T. McElrath, FHS, who died February 29, 2016. Funeral services were held March 6 at Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.
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Recent Events
January 17, 2016 - Hymn Festival on the theme, "Hymns of Faith" was held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Macon, GA. It was sponsored by the Macon Chapter of the AGO and led by Harry, Eskew, FHS. Dr. Eskew was asked to use familiar hymns for this service, all of which came from the St. Michael's Hymnal. January 31, 2016 - Hymn Festival, "Light Dawns on a Weary World: Psalms and Hymns of Praise and for Peace, Made in Michigan" was held at the Basilica of Saint Adalbert in Grand Rapids, MI. The festival was jointly sponsored by The Hymn Society and the Grand Rapids Chapter of the AGO. Emily Brink, FHS was liturgist, Bob Batastini, FHS was choir director, and Peter Kurdziel was organist. Over 400 people were in attendance at this Hymn Society regional meeting and a new tune by Roy Hopp was premiered. February 5, 2016 - Hymn Festival, "Songs of Justice and Peace" was held at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Smyrna Beach, FL, led by Brian Larson, organist. A soup and bread supper following the festival helped to emphasize the evening's theme.
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Upcoming Events
April 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
April 4-6, 2016 - the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) is hosting a conference for worship leaders at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Delores Dufner, OSB, FHS has been commissioned to write a hymn for the event, and to be one of the plenary speakers, along with Paul Westermeyer, FHS and Don Saliers, on the theme: Bearing God's Creative Word to All the World: Vocation and Worship. The commissioned hymn is "Who Is the Neighbor" (inspired by the Good Samaritan story), which has been set to music by St. Paul composer Mark Sedio.
April 10, 2016 - "Write a Hymn - Who, Me??" Royal York Road United Church, on Royal York Road, Toronto, south of Bloor St. SOCHS member Lydia Pedersen will soon be finishing a D.Min. degree focused on workshops on hymn writing for beginners. In her interactive presentation, she will report on the results of these sessions with beginners in hymn writing: the folks in the pew who never thought they had what it took and were pleasantly surprised, and along the way, those who encountered unexpected personal transformations, and growth in their faith journeys. Come, hear the stories and sing their hymns, ask questions, and perhaps go home inspired to try your own hand at the fascinating art of hymn writing.
April 10, 2016 -- Dan Damon will be leading an Ecumenical Jazz Hymn Festival at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Rapid City, South Dakota at 3:00 p.m. Damon will be assisted by local church musicians in a program adapted from the Jazz Hymn Festival he led at the 2015 Hymn Society conference in New Orleans. The event is sponsored by Lutheran, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, and Episcopal churches and the Black Hills Chapter of the AGO as a benefit for Hope, a local agency that provides day care and other services for the homeless in the community. Mary Nelson Keithahn is one of the event organizers.
May 1, 2016 -- Join Hymn Society members Steve Starke and Andreas Teich as they present a hymn festival of ten Welsh tunes sponsored by the Saginaw Valley chapter of the AGO. We gather at Trinity Episcopal Church, Bay City on Sunday, May 1 at 4:00pm. Along with favorites, like Hyfrydol and Cwm Rhondda, we will sing less well-known ones such as Suo Gan and Blaenwern.
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