Lifting Hearts - Joining Hands - Raising Voices: The Campaign for The Center for Congregational S ong
We are headed toward the finish line in the final weeks of our campaign to endow The Center for Congregational Song. There is still plenty of time for you to jump in, whether you've already donated or having been cheering us on from the sidelines. Here's where we stand as of June 1: To date we have raised $943,500. Of that total, $122,500 has come in since April! Of that portion, $72,500 has been given by existing donors since we received the surprise gift of $50,000 from the Baugh Family Foundation. That's an impressive track record and you can help us hit the million-dollar mark by the time we reach the Redlands, CA conference in July: - If you've not yet donated, now is the time to join in. Send an email to Deb deb@thehymnsociety.org with the details. Your gift now will have a significant impact.
- If you are a donor, please consider an extension of your existing pledge or a new, one-time gift.
- Ask friends and family to donate. Tell them where we are and where we hope to be in July. Then try this sentence: "I wonder if you'd be willing to consider a donation to help us make our goal." Have them email the information to Deb.
We want to celebrate this remarkable success in Redlands with everyone who has participated since we started in 2013. Even if you're not able to be there, you can take part in spirit in this historic event in our Society's history. On behalf of the Financial Development Committee, thank you!
Joanne Reynolds, Chair |
2016 Annual Conference in Redlands, California ONLINE REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!!REGISTER NOWDon't forget your books and artisanal crafts for the Silent Auction for the Lovelace Scholarship See the guidelines attached here to see what to bring. Silent Auction Guidelines Wednesday Festival Leaders Mary Louise (Mel) Bringle Sally Ann Morris
Mel and Sally will lead us in a festival entitled "Moving Pictures, Everlasting Song" As you might guess from the title, there will be video clips in addition to our singing as we look at the impact of song on groups of people from around the world. Hearing their stories, and singing the songs important to them will be another way to consider how song has shaped faith and inspired people through the years.
Mary Louise Bringle is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Brevard College in North Carolina. In addition to her teaching, she is the author of a number of publications in pastoral theology. Her latest book is Envy: Exposing a Secret Sin (Westminster John Knox, 2016). GIA has published two collections of her hymn texts and she served as the chair of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song that selected the hymns in the recently published Glory to God. Mel also served as Hymn Society president from 2008-2010.
Sally Ann Morris, a composer and church musician, is Musician in Residence at Wake Forest University School of Divinityin North Carolina. She has a number of anthems published with GIA, as well as two collections of her hymn tunes. In 2013 she collaborated with Adam Tice to produce Walk in Peace, a print collection and CD of Adam's texts set to her tunes.
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Writing the Church's Song Registrations are coming in and space is limited. Sign up now to reserve your place for our fall 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 is available and registration is open on the website .
Registrations are already coming in so reserve your spot soon!!
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: workshop sessions 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
Kai Ton Chau Program Manager, Hymnary.org
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New United Methodist Hymnal Planned
The United Methodist Church is on track to get its first new hymnal since 1989, and this one will be Internet-cloud based and print-on-demand.
General Conference 2016 approved on a consent calendar Tuesday, May 17, a petition authorizing the creation of a 15-member Hymnal Revision Committee.
That approval allows the United Methodist Publishing House and Discipleship Ministries to move forward with the new collection. The two agencies share responsibility for the hymnal.
The 2020 General Conference will need to approve the Hymnal Advisory Committee's recommendations, with release of the new hymnal coming as early as 2021.
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Association for Reformed and Liturgical Worship The spring convocation, Worship, God's Call, Our Response will be held Sunday July 24 through Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at the Prince Conference Center, Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, MI. The meeting is sponsored jointly with Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and Church Music Institute. For more information, see the attached Flyer. We're also pleased to share that AR&LW will be meeting jointly with The Hymn Society's annual conference in July 2017 in Canada.
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Fairmount Presbyterian Church Announces Hymn Competition Winner
Jayne Southwick Cool is the winner of the Hymn Writing Competition sponsored by Fairmount Presbyterian Church, Cleveland Heights, OH. Her text, "Come with a Thankful Heart," and tune, MUSKINGUM VALLEY, will be premiered at Fairmount's 100th Anniversary worship service on Sunday, October 23, 2016. The tune name is for the area in Ohio where her minister son lives and where she spent some extended time.
See the attached Press Release for more information on Jayne and to see the full text of the winning hymn. Jayne has also allowed us to post the full score of her tune that accompanies the text. Congratulations, Jayne!
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Greetings from John and Shirley Murray
An Update from our "Roving Reporter," Michael Hawn:
Greetings Hymn Society,
Among the joys of my current seven-month pilgrimage in Asia, New Zealand, and Australia is re-connecting with two of our most far-flung Fellows, I-to Loh (Taiwan), FHS (1995), and Shirley Murray (New Zealand), FHS (2009). Collyn and I had the privilege of making a quick trip to Wellington over Pentecost weekend and spending 15 hours (out of the 25 we were there) with John and Shirley Murray. The Spirit flowed in abundance. We covered a wide range of topics including mutual Hymn Society friends, the future of congregational song, politics in New Zealand, Australia, and the USA (use your imagination), the state of the church, hymns in worship, and how to retire gracefully (I'm seeking advice where I can get it). In addition we sang some recent hymns that Shirley has written including one on the theme of dementia set to a new tune by Lim Swee Hong, and shared three meals together. Shirley and John continue to have a productive and fulfilling life, even if paced a bit more slowly, and are intensely interested in the activities and vision of the Hymn Society. They are very impressed with The Center for Congregational Song and are particularly captured with the red-haired son (Jakob) of the director of the center. Deb Loftis' contacts with Shirley and John have been particularly meaningful in keeping them informed about the Society.
Best wishes for a jubilant and vibrant gathering at Redlands. Michael Hawn
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MTSO Offers Congregational Song Courses in 2016-17
Methodist Theological School in Ohio will be offering two congregational song courses in the 2016-17 academic year. Music of Taizé will meet Sept. 10 and Oct. 1, 2016, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with some online work during those months. Praise and Worship will meet Feb. 11 and 25, 2017, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with some online work in February. Both courses carry one hour of graduate academic credit and are taught by Dr. Robin Knowles Wallace. To enroll, contact admissions@mtso.edu . To audit the class for no credit, contact academicaffairs@mtso.edu.
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Planning a Hymn Festival?
When you host a hymn festival, why not put some information about The Hymn Society in your program. Mary Nelson Keithahn recently hosted Dan Damon leading a jazz hymn festival adapted from the one Dan led in New Orleans last summer. Mary described The Hymn Society conferences this way:
"Members of The Hymn Society represent a wide spectrum of denominations, so hymns festivals during each conference, as well as morning and evening prayer, provide experiences in different worship and music traditions from their own. There are also stimulating lectures, workshops, and discussion groups. Although many who come to the annual conference are organists, choral directors, seminary and college teachers, local church pastors and educators, hymn text and tune writers, and students, other are simply people who value congregational song, and love to sing together and learn more about the songs they sing.
Hymn festivals like this event today are one way The Hymn Society is reaching out beyond the annual conference into communities like ours to inspire and nurture a love for congregational song and a joy in singing together for the glory of God."
If you'd like information to include in your church's worship bulletin or in a hymn festival program, please contact the office 800 THE-HYMN or email deb@thehymnsociety.org
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Reviews of Hymn-Based Compositions
Our thanks to Adam Kukuk for choral reviews this month. 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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Latin American Hymn Writer Documentary
During the military dictatorship in Argentina (1974-1983), thousands of men, women, and children-by some accounts as many as 30,000-were disappeared by the government, their only threat having been a perceived crossing of the military dictatorship in word or deed. It was during this period that Federico Pagura, a Methodist bishop, fought back with hope in Christ. He fought with activism, and his pulpit was a place to speak as a prophet against injustice. Yet what sets Pagura apart is his choice to implement the arts in the pursuit of justice-sacred song in particular. Dirty War Hymns is a documentary in the pre-production stage that will explore the impact of Bishop Federico Pagura in his time-his life and hymns-as well as his indispensable message of resilience for the modern person of faith facing injustice.
Project Proposal
If you would graciously consider donating financially to help this resource become a reality or would simply like more information, please contact Jared Weatherholtz at jaredweatherholtz@gmail.com or 314-378-3152.
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Carol Competition for Young Composers
The Hymn Society office recently received this communication:
I am writing to you to inform you of a competition that our Schola in Mercy Navan is holding for young composers. I would be grateful if you could spread the word to anyone that you know that might be interested. Composers who are 21 years of age or under are invited to submit a new carol for Advent or Christmas, suitable for upper voices. The carol can be for unison, SA or SSA choir, or for choir and congregation. The accompaniment may be piano and/or organ, or may be unaccompanied. There will be two prizes of €350 and €150 awarded for the best carols, and the winning carol will be performed by the Schola at the annual Mercy carol service which takes place in St Mary's Catholic Church Navan (County Meath, Republic of Ireland) during December 2016. Submissions must be received by August 15, 2016.
Full details at www.ahymnformercy.weebly.com
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Attention, Instrumentalists
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News of Members
On July 1, William (Bill) Clyma will begin work as pastor of the Congregational United Church of Christ in Sparta, Wisconsin.
Paul A. Richardson, FHS, presented "Baptist Hymnody, Baptist Spirituality" to a joint conference of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion, Baptist History and Heritage Society, and Association of Librarians and Archivists of Baptist Institutions on May 24 at Baylor University. |
Recent Events
May 1, 2016 -- Paul A. Richardson, FHS, led a hymn festival at The First Baptist Church, Henderson, North Carolina. The service celebrated the tenth anniversary of the dedication of The Hymnal of The First Baptist Church-for which Richardson was also the guest speaker. The festival included compositions by Mark L. Hopper, minister of music and organist, and Philip M. Young, composer in residence, who guided the compilation of the hymnal.
William (Mac) and Betty McElrath report on two recent hymn festivals in Raleigh, NC: May 13, 2016 - The Community Sing was held at Raleigh Moravian Church in North Carolina. The gathering was presented by the church in collaboration with the Board of World Mission and the Moravian Music Foundation.
May 20, 2016 - "Celebrating the Trinity: A Festival of Hymns & Anthems for Brass, Organ, and Choir" was part of the Sacred Music on the Square Concert Series of Christ Church Episcopal, Raleigh, NC.
June 5, 2016 -- John Ferguson led a hymn festival, "Our Hope for Years to Come: a Celebration in Song" at Christ Lutheran Church in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, MD, Daniel Aune, Director of Music. The hymn festival included arrangements and reflections by John Ferguson and anthems sung by the Christ Church Choir. This event was a part of the Hafenmusik: Music by the Harbor concert series and co-sponsored by the Baltimore chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
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Upcoming Events
June 26-July 1, July 3-8 -- 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. The session June 26- July will feature Donald McCullough; The July 3-8 session will feature Eileen Guenther and John Walker.
For more information, visit the CMI website at www.su.edu/cmi
or contact the director, Dr. J. Thomas Mitts at cmi@su.edu
September 18, 2016 - John Kleinheksel will lead a Hymn Festival in Christ Memorial Church, Holland, MI, on the theme, "How Canons Model God and Human Interaction." Leaders from the S, A, T, and B sections will model and lead congregants in singing canons composed by John and others.
The Grand Rapids Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, coordinated by chapter director, Bob Batastini, FHS, is presenting a hymn festival celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy in Song, in six different locations around the diocese between this spring and next fall. Divided into five parts, focusing on a different aspects of God's merciful relationship with his people, each part will be preceded by a brief reading of the words of Pope Francis on this subject. Two additional presentations in Spanish, with appropriate music, are being prepared for next fall. For more information go to www.npm-gr.org Upcoming dates and locations are: May 20th: St. Francis de Sales, Holland September 16th: Cathedral of St. Andrew September 23rd: Holy Family, Caledonia September 30th: St. Francis de Sales, Muskegon
November 6, 2016 -- Alice Parker, FHS will visit College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL to lead a community hymn sing on Sunday night. Tickets will be required for the event. Contact Lee Kesselman, lrkmus@sbcglobal.net
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