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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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July 2016
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Once again the United States is reeling from violence, hatred, mistrust, anger, and despair. It seems that the instances of sad headlines are coming more quickly than ever. Amid all the gruesome details, I have been touched by the small gestures of goodwill noted by the media: a hug between an African American person and a white police officer, flowers delivered to a police station by a small child, kind and polite interactions in the shopping mall, expressions of caring and listening to others --small, small ways to confront the overwhelming problems our society faces. Small, but perhaps not insignificant. What about music? What role can singing play to stem the flood? Jan Kraybill posted a reflection on Facebook on July 8, and I want to share a portion of that with you. She was having difficulty focusing on the recital she was about to play and struggling like all of us to make sense of the pain around us. (Jan has served on the Executive Committee of The Hymn Society and will lead us in a hymn festival next week in Redlands. )
So I've added a piece to this afternoon's performance: Litanies, by Jehan Alain, a French organist/composer who saw more than his share of tragedy during his brief life, and who was killed on the front lines of World War II. He wrote on the first page of this piece (translated): "When the Christian soul in its distress cannot find words to implore God's mercy, it repeats ceaselessly the same invocation with a vehement faith. Reason has reached its limit. Faith alone can ascend." He later added, "This prayer is not a lament, but an irresistible storm which overthrows everything in its way. It is also an obsession: it must fill the ears of men...and of the good Lord."
What if music filled our ears and became our obsession? I'm naive enough to believe that music can change people, inspire us to be our best selves, provide a safe way to express strong feelings, help us learn about each other, help us see that we have more in common than we think. What I know is that today, practicing this piece helped me. I hope it also helps someone who hears me play it today, in this Temple dedicated to pursuing peace in our world.
"This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly, than ever before." - Leonard Bernstein
Thank you, Jan, for reminding me of the power of song. Sometimes we who work with congregational song take it as so much a part of our daily lives that we forget just what power we handle. In light of all that has happened since last November, it seems prophetic that the Executive Committee worked so diligently last fall to create this statement of why we are passionate about congregational song:
We believe that the holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness, transforms lives, and renews peace.
May it be so, Lord. 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 We'll officially close the campaign at our conference in Redlands next week, but we will still be accepting gifts and pledge payments as long as you'd like to send them! Watch this space in August for the grand total announcement. |
2016 Annual Conference in Redlands, California Don'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 Thursday Festival Leaders
 
Adam M. L. Tice Chelsea Stern
These two former Lovelace Scholars team up to present our closing hymn festival "Like a Child: Faith, Hope and Love." Knowing the rich talents of both leaders, they will surely send us homeward with hearts brimming from our singing together.
Chelsea Stern is Choir Director at Grace Presbyterian Church in Temple, TX. A Licensed Kindermusik Educator, she teaches Kindermusik at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor Conservatory in Belton, TX. She holds a Master of Sacred Music degree from Perkins School of Theology, a Master of Music in
Vocal Performance from Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music from Baylor University. In 2009 she was named a Lovelace Scholar by The Hymn Society. Chelsea was an appointed member of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song, the Presbyterian (PCUSA) committee that created the Presbyterian Hymnal, Glory to God. She is a pre-school curriculum writer for Growing in Grace, a multi-age children's music curriculum project of Celebrating Grace, Inc. She has served as Children's Choir clinician at conferences with the Dallas Chapter of Choristers Guild and Presbyterian Association of Musicians. In 2014, Chelsea and her husband, Chris, joyfully became parents to Chloe.
Adam M. L. Tice was born in Pennsylvania, and grew up in Alabama, Oregon, and Indiana. After graduating from high school in Elkhart, Indiana, Adam went to nearby Goshen College, a Mennonite liberal arts school. He majored in music with an emphasis on composition and completed a minor in Bible and religion, graduating in 2002. He began working as a church musician and choir director while still in college. Adam took his first course at the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in the fall of 2003, which led to the writing of his initial hymn text. In 2004, Adam was named a Lovelace Scholar by The Hymn Society of the United States and Canada. He served as a member of the Society's executive committee from 2007 to 2010. He was Associate Pastor of Hyattsville (Maryland) Mennonite Church from 2007 to 2012. He now lives with his family in Goshen, Indiana.
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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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Call for Sectional Proposals for 2017
The Hymn Society is accepting proposals for sectionals for the 2017 Annual Conference to be held in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, July 16-20. The main focus of the conference is "500 Years since The Reformation." The secondary focus is "150 Years since Canada's Confederation." Sectional sessions are 75 minutes in length.
The submission deadline is October 1, 2016, and forms for submission are on The Hymn Society website, www.thehymnsociety.org. Be prepared to enter a title, description, primary leader's name and contact information, and if you will need a keyboard and/or projection equipment. Other information that will be useful includes secondary leader's name and contact information, biographical statements of the leaders, rehearsal time, handouts, and bookstore requests. Please use the online form for submission. If you have any difficulty with the online form, contact Brian Hehn brian@thehymnsociety.org
Anyone is welcome to submit a proposal, however submissions that support and uphold the mission of The Hymn Society and that address the 2017 conference focus will be given priority. Priority will also be given to submissions by members of The Hymn Society and/or the Association for Reformed and Liturgical Worship (AR&LW), who is co-hosting our conference in 2017.
Accepted proposals will be notified in November of 2016 and will be offered partial support to attend the conference.
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Hymns in Times of Crisis Last year, The Hymn Society gathered a collection of hymns for congregations and individuals to use during difficult times. Copyright permissions have already been arranged with the publishers of these hymns, so they may be used without charge. You may download the collection at no charge from http://www.thehymnsociety.org/#!hymns-in-times-of-crisis/c1xod
There is a short form to fill out that is only for us to be able to touch base with those who download and get their feedback about the helpfulness of the collection. In addition, Hymn Society member Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written texts in response to recent gun violence. Two texts are attached here and you may find other helpful texts on her website www.carolynshymns.com
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Brazilian Hymn Festival of Reformation Hymns
A Festival of Reformation Hymns marked the beginning of 500 days prior to the celebration of the 500 years since Reformation.
On the evening of Saturday, June 18th, there was a Festival of Reformation hymns, a joint venture of the two branches of the Lutheran Church in Brazil, IECLAB (Lutheran Confession Evangelical Church in Brazil) and IELB (Brazilian Evangelical Lutheran Church) promoted by GT 500, the Special Celebration Committee.
The Festival took place at the IELB Reconciliation Church, which is downtown Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil. The inspiration for this event came from the participation of Maestro Ábner Elpino Campos and Maestro-Pastors Raul Blum and Paulo Brum at the Hymn Society in USA and Canada Conferences held in the United States.
Those of us gathered in Columbus, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana for our annual conferences in 2014 and 2015 will remember joyfully the way the groups of Brazilian attendees enriched our conference. These international church musicians were encouraged to join us by John Faustini, long-time member of The Hymn Society and I'm delighted to say we'll have three Brazilian attendees with us in Redlands! 
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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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Macalester Plymouth Hymn Competition Winner
Macalester Plymouth United Church of Saint Paul, MN, announces that Barbara Hamm is this year's contest winner. Her text is "O God, bestow your love and care" The full press release and the text of the winning hymn may be read here.
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Hymnals Available
Marilyn Parolini has available 24 copies of "Hymns for the Family of God", pub. Paragon Associates, 1976 available for the asking. Contact her at marilyn@parolini.net
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19th Century Tunebook Available
Stennis Waldon of Pasadena California has a copy of Thomas Rowe's MUSIC BOOK, dated July 18, 1852. Below is his description:
"It appears to me to be a Psalm Book or Hymnal, containing some 90 plus hymn tunes, but no texts, in 4-part manuscript. I would appreciate any assistance in reaching anyone who might be interested in this MS. Stennis Waldon Professor Emeritus, Pasadena City College Organist/Director Emeritus, FCC Pasadena, CA"
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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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Reviews of Hymn-Based Compositions
Our thanks to Sharon Beckstead for hymn-based anthem 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
Last month we shared information about a proposed documentary on Bishop Federico Pagura of Argentina. Just after The Verse was published, Pablo Sosa wrote to me to share that on June 6, Bishop Pagura passed away. Of Bishop Pagura, Sosa says,
"He had been declared "ciudadano ilustre" of the city already several years ago. He was 93, but still strong enough to travel to Buenos Aires (4 hours drive) to preach in our Flores Methodist Church last year. For almost 60 years my personal friend and mentor. ˇGracias a Dios por él!"
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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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New Hymn Contest
Macalester Plymouth United Church announces that their 2016 hymn contest seeks a hymn that welcomes individuals of all ages to share and connect as people of God at the communion table. Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2016 and the winner will be announced in March 2017. For more information see the attached Press Release |
News of Members Adam M. L. Tice has been named text editor for the new Mennonite hymnal project. Release of the hymn is planned for 2020. John Carter had lung surgery the end of April for a severe case of pneumonia. He is much better but doctors expect his recovery to take six months or more. Please keep John and Mary Kay Beall in your prayers.
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In Memoriam Several Hymn Society members and dear friends have experienced losses this month. Please keep them in your prayers. Roger Parolini, husband of Marilyn Parolini, died June 9, 2016, in IL.
Patrick Flannery, widower of Donna Hamilton, passed away on June 29, 2016 in CA.
Sarah Kimbrough, wife of S T Kimbrough, died July 3, 2016. Her memorial service will be at 11 am, July 16 in Chapel Hill, NC.
Ken Wilson's father died July 1. His granddaughter, Sophia, was born June 30.
Sarma Eglite's father died July 7 after a long and rich life of 94 years.
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Upcoming Events
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 October 30, 2016 - SOCHS EVENT "Heart Songs of the World" 2:30 - 4:30 pm - How do people around the world express their joys and sorrow in song? What do they sing at funerals? Weddings? Times of celebration or desolation? What brings hope and healing? Saya Ojiri, student in the Emmanuel College Master of Sacred Music Program, will introduce us to hymns of Japan and invite us to join her in song. Please note: this event will include a short time for the SOCHS Annual Meeting.
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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