The Stanza - February 2022

February 2022

The Stanza

A Monthly Newsletter

Dear Members and Friends,

About two weeks ago, Alan Hommerding shared with members of The Hymn Society’s Facebook group a sermon by the Rev. Molly Baskette entitled “Sing Because You Have To.”

Rev. Baskette recounted the story of an encounter that she and her teenage son had with singer Bobby McFerrin. The young man asked McFerrin, 71 and dealing with advancing Parkinson’s disease, how he finds his fire. McFerrin responded, “I get up every day, and I sing. I sing while I feed the dog. I sing while I get my wife breakfast, slowly. I sing because I have to. I still have so much music left inside of me.”

At The Hymn Society’s monthly Zoom gathering on January 18, President Ben Brody shared that sermon with the group and then led us in reflecting on where each of us initially received the spark that led to a passion for congregational song and the ways in which we continue to fuel that fire even today. The responses were inspiring.

The very next day after our Zoom gathering, we observed the 100^th anniversary of The Hymn Society’s founding event in New York City on January 19, 1922. Bobby McFerrin’s response and the conversations in which I had participated over Zoom got me thinking about the fire that has fueled The Hymn Society over these past 100 years.

It’s far more than our shared interest in talking about, studying, compiling, or even creating hymns and songs. As I’ve spoken with other members over the years, it’s clear to me that the fire that burns within us is sparked by the incomparable act of singing together—in our churches, schools, communities, and of course, at our conferences. Yes, we sing because we have to. Indeed, “we believe that the holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness, transforms lives, and renews peace."

Anyone who has experienced a gathering of The Hymn Society knows the incredible power that is unleashed when we lift our voices together in song. I can’t wait to do that again this July when we gather in Washington, D.C.

Sing a new song!

J. Michael McMahon

Executive Director

2022 Annual Conference: Early Bird Rates through March 15

The wait is over! Register today for the 2022 Annual Conference of The Hymn Society to be held July 17-21 at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Come and join members, leaders, and friends of The Hymn Society in an international conference celebrating 100 years of song, including participants from at least 10 countries on 6 continents! If you’re not able to attend in person, you may sign up for our digital option.

This year’s conference theme is “Sing the World God Imagines,” featuring a multicultural focus and including participants from all over the world. We’ve added an extra day to the schedule, allowing plenty of time to celebrate this centennial milestone and launch our organization into its next 100 years.

The Hymn Society is all about singing together, and so our conference will formally begin and conclude with hymn festivals on Sunday and Thursday evenings. In all, there will be five exciting hymn festivals, led by Stanley J. Thurston, Carlos Colón, Peter Kolar, the compilers of Voices Together, Benjamin Brody, and Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra.

Plenary speakers who will help us unpack our conference theme will be Cynthia A. Wilson, Tanya Riches, Mikie Roberts, and Martin Hoondert. Other speakers and leaders will include I-to Loh, FHS, Marcell Silva Steuernagel, Patrick Alston, Makihiko Arase, and Sarah Eyerly.

In addition to hymn festivals and plenary addresses, the conference will include six featured sessions and more than forty sectionals, along with “short-metre sessions” and song sharing by friends and guests from all over the world. On Tuesday afternoon and evening we will celebrate with a centennial hymn festival and banquet (included in the price of registration). You may also enjoy free time to do some sightseeing in the Washington area.

Hymnary.org

My.Hymnary.org is still under the radar for some, but it shouldn't be. If you have not checked it out for worship planning, you should! It's a great site and getting better by the week. Service plan presentations now support multiple songs with YouTube videos for their audio sources. To see this, you can create a worship plan with two songs, open the presentation, and then in the settings for each song choose the “Provide a YouTube Video...” option for the audio source. After adding YouTube links for each song, pressing the presentation's “Play” button on either song will start the appropriate YouTube video.

Canterbury Highlights from C. Michael Hawn

Increase your knowledge of congregational song!

Each month, Michael Hawn, FHS, USA Editor, suggests some timely articles that you might find of interest. With more than 5,500 entries (and growing daily), you will find answers to most of your questions in the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology (CDH) as well as answers to questions you should have. Check it out! Access to the CDH can be enjoyed as a benefit of membership in The Hymn Society.

Hymn Society Fellows of the Twentieth Century

The Fellows that the Society has recognized embody its aspirations and the history of hymnody in the United States, Canada, and beyond. During our centennial year, this feature in The Stanza will focus on the 51 fellows that were elected during the twentieth century (1942–1997). Catch up on our history by acquainting yourself with the CDH biographies of our twentieth-century Fellows written by many of our members. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and thoroughly informed about our heritage in this, our centennial year.

Centennial Biographies: Hymn Society Fellows (1942–1946)

Fellow 1 (1942): Andreas Teich. "William Walker Rockwell [FHS]." The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed December 6, 2021.

Fellow 2 (1944): Teresa L. Reed. "Harry T. Burleigh [FHS]." The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed December 6, 2021.

Fellow 3 (1946): Ray Glover/Carlton R. Young. "Clarence Dickinson [FHS]." The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed December 6, 2021.

Fellow 4 (1946): Ray Glover. "Helen Dickinson [FHS]." The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed December 6, 2021.

Coffee & Hymns

The Lenten journey is often marked by distinct changes in music, musical soundscapes/instrumentation, and changes in the liturgy. Join Center Director Brian Hehn on Monday, February 7 at 10:00 a.m. ET as he explores a few different songs/hymns that are helpful for the Lenten journey. The stream can be found on The Center for Congregational Song's Facebook* Page.

*For those who don't use Facebook, the video archives are available on The Center's website here: https://congregationalsong.org/program/coffee-hymns/

Student Opportunities for Summer 2022

We have two very fine programs that provide opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to participate meaningfully in The Hymn Society Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., from July 17 to 21. Please share this information with any students you know who might benefit from one or both of these programs. We are open to students from Canada, the United States, and other countries.

Lovelace Scholarship

Current students at any level are invited to apply for scholarship support to attend the Annual Conference. Both full-time and part-time students can apply, and with our recent expansion of the program, past recipients of the Lovelace Scholarship can apply for a second year of support. Students who have graduated within 3 years are also eligible. View more information here.

Emerging Scholars Forum

The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada invites current graduate students and those who have graduated within the past three years to submit proposals to present their original, unpublished research on congregational song during our Annual Conference from July 17-21, 2022 in Washington DC.

As this will be an international conference, we are encouraging submissions in English from scholars from around the world. Submissions are to be guided by the research parameters of practice, philosophy (theology), history, and/or context of congregational

song. We also welcome submissions that reflect the conference theme “Sing the World God Imagines."

Three such presentations will be featured during the conference in a sectional event identified as the Emerging Scholars Forum. Conference registration fees will be waived for the three presenters. If anyone is unable to travel to Washington, DC, to present their paper, they will be invited to give their presentation via Zoom. One research paper will be selected to win consideration for the Emerging Scholar prize of publication in The Hymn and a $150 gift certificate for books to support the author’s research.

Application deadline is April 1, 2022. Complete information may be found here.

An Interview with Slats Toole: "100 Years of Song"

Join us on Monday, February 28, at 1:00 p.m. ET, for a free online event featuring Slats Toole, a musician, writer, educator, preacher, and theater director/sound designer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a Master of Divinity and Certificate in Theology, Women and Gender from Princeton Theological Seminary. They are a proud Deborah Carlton Loftis Ambassador for the Center for Congregational Song and have led workshops on expansive language and queer theology (with a particular emphasis on gender identity) throughout the United States and Canada. Slats’ work centers around creating space in the church where all are welcomed, embraced, and loved.

This conversation will be the sixth in our nine-part interview series, “100 Years of Song,” featuring nine Hymn Society leaders speaking about their own stories and interest in congregational song, their experience in and service to The Hymn Society, the contributions of our organization and our members to singing communities, and issues that are facing us today. This series, a part of The Hymn Society’s centennial celebration (1922 – 2022), will continue through May 2022.

Each interview will be made available for free as a real-time Zoom webinar, but registration will be required to view the live broadcast. The interviews will also be archived on The Hymn Society website where anyone may view them on demand. You may view previous interviews with Swee Hong Lim, Mary Louise Bringle, FHS, James Abbington, FHS, John Ambrose, FHS, and Carl P. Daw, Jr., FHS here.

All broadcasts will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET. Registration and more information may be found here.

February 28: Slats Toole

March 21: Cynthia Wilson

April 25: David Music, FHS

May 16: Emily Brink, FHS

NPR Highlights Reparations Royalty Program

Center Director Brian Hehn was featured on a story last month on NPR's Weekend Edition about the "Reparations Royalty" program. Check it out here.

Webinar on Praise & Worship

Don’t miss a webinar entitled “The World Sings: Praise & Worship,” being presented on Monday, February 14, at 1:00 pm ET by musician, theologian, worship leader, and Hymn Society Executive Committee member Adam Perez, who currently holds the position of postdoctoral associate in worship at Duke University Divinity School where he teaches, writes, and assists with chapel. This session is part of The Hymn Society’s centennial celebration during this year. The webinar series, entitled “The World Sings,” features expert voices on congregational singing around the globe.

Except as noted below, all of these 60- to 90-minute webinars in this series will be held on Mondays and begin at 1:00 p.m. ET. All of the presentations will also be available as recordings for registrants to view for an extended period of time. Here is the schedule of upcoming programs:

November 8: Kim Harris: “The World Sings: Music Moving Movements”
December 13, 8:00 p.m. ET: Yasuhiko Yokosaka & Makihiko Arase, “The World Sings: Japanese Congregational Song”
January 10: Becca Whitla, “The World Sings: Decolonizing Congregational Song”
February 14: Adam Perez, “The World Sings: Praise and Worship”
March 14: María Cornou, “The World Sings: Latin American Song”
April 26 (Tue): Ricky Manalo, CSP, “The World Sings: Filipino and Chinese American Catholic Song”

Registration for a single webinar is $25 for members, $35 for non-members, $15 for students. Registration for the full series of six webinars is $125 for members, $175 for non-members, and $75 for students. To view complete information or to register, click here. You may still register for the full series and enjoy previously presented webinars as recordings.

Hymns in the News

From the BBC: "Beating Retreat: British hymn 'Abide with Me' causing a stir in India." As India grapples with its colonial history, a British hymn was scrapped this year from an annual celebration. Learn more and read reactions at the link above.

History Stimulus Program

The Hymn Society has taken many approaches to fundraising across its first century. It has always welcomed gifts, sometimes sought them, and never (to my knowledge) turned them down. Sometimes these came in answer to a specific need, such as a filing cabinet, a typewriter, or, in due time, a computer.

In extraordinary circumstances, members were invited to give to causes that would bring no direct benefit to the Society. After World War II, THS collected money for Thomas Tiplady’s London chapel that had been bombed during the Blitz. It supported the solicitations of Eisaburo Kioka to restore organs in Japan. In 1985, led by President Austin Lovelace, it raised funds to enable persons from Eastern Europe to attend the joint conference of American, British, and European hymn societies in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

As in many contexts, the most meaningful gifts come from a sense of gratitude. In late 1999, George Brandon–a member for 47 years at that time –sent the following letter to Executive Director Carl Daw:

Last month I mailed in my regular dues without any additional amount for special things.

However, when I became aware of the 50th anniversary of The Hymn (this is, when I belatedly gave my attention to the October 1999 issue), I realized that I should have included a gift to help celebrate the occasion.

So I am now sending this check for $100: $50 in honor of the contributions of the succession of editors who have guided the periodical through various phases to become what it is today, plus $50 as a special tribute to George Litch Knight.

George was one of the first people in the HSA that I became acquainted with (via correspondence, while I was still in California), before my arrival in New York (in 1950) to attend the School of Sacred Music at Union Seminary, where George was already a student. He made me feel welcome, and I still cherish his genial spirit in that situation.

We will soon celebrate a big anniversary. Part of the plan for our centennial year is to add a significant sum to our endowment, so that coming generations can experience The Hymn Society with the same gratitude George Brandon expressed. I encourage you to consider a gift in honor or memory of someone who has shaped your life through this community. -Paul Richardson, FHS

Centennial Playlist

Center Director Brian Hehn has curated a playlist of 100 congregational songs and hymns to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of The Hymn Society. Check it out here!

In Memoriam

Mary Louise VanDyke, FHS, 94, of Oberlin, Ohio, died on December 12, 2021, at Lorain Mercy Health. She was an active member and leader of The Hymn Society, performing groundbreaking work in developing the Dictionary of [North] American Hymnology. Carol Pemberton interviewed her in 1993 about her work on this important resource. You may read that interview here. Mary Louise was preceded in death by her husband Don in June 2021. You may read her obituary here.

Edith Patton, a long-time member and regular participant in The Hymn Society Annual Conferences, died on Monday, January 10, from complications from a fall caused by a stroke. A service to celebrate her life will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at Matthews Glen Retirement Center in Matthews, North Carolina.

We received late word that Mary Simmons, wife of life member Morgan Simmons, died on Sunday, January 30.

Vintage Hymn Sing in Salisbury, UK

A Vintage Hymn Sing, planned in association with HSGBI and The Prayer Book Society, is scheduled for March 5 in Salisbury, UK, to celebrate the joy of singing hymns together. Plans are also underway to broadcast or record the event. Full more information and to register, click here or email [email protected].

Call for Poppen-Young Fellowship Proposals

The Reformed Church Center at New Brunswick (NJ) Theological Seminary is calling for proposals for the Alvin J. Poppen and John R. Young Fellowship in Reformed Worship for the 2022-2023 academic year.

The fellowship provides a $500 stipend, travel expenses, and the possibility of a two-week residency at New Brunswick Theological Seminary to support research in Reformed Worship. The resources of the Seminary, as well as the wide variety of worship resources and experiences in the New York metropolitan area, are at the Fellow's disposal. The Fellow will provide an experience of the results of the work, through a lecture, a convocation on the theme chosen, or some other public expression shared with the Seminary community--concerts, worship liturgies, et cetera, are all distinct possibilities.

Anyone with an interest in Reformed Worship is encouraged to apply; Hymn Society members including Emily Brink, FHS, Paul Janssen, and James Hart Brumm, have been Poppen-Young fellows, and Nancy L. Graham is the fellow this year. This is an opportunity for personal study that can improve the vitality of the worshipping church. For more information and to apply for the fellowship, click here or e-mail [email protected]. Applications will be received until April 8, 2022.

You're Invited: Monthly Zoom Gatherings

Please join us for our monthly informal Zoom gathering for conversation, learning, sharing, and singing on Tuesday, February 15, at 3:00 p.m. ET. This month we will be led by former Executive Committee member David Bjorlin. Access information will be sent by email the day of the gathering.

Hymnals Available

Joe in Fairmont, WV, has many hymnals available in good condition: The Hymnbook (red) (256 copies), The Presbyterian Hymnal (blue) (139 copies), The Hymnal for Youth (38 copies) and The Church Service Hymns (14 copies). Interested parties can call (304) 282-7637.

News of Members

The Baylor Center for Christian Music Studies will host a virtual book launch featuring The Gift of Music: Essays on Church Music and Hymnology honoring retired professor of church music, David W. Music, FHS. Join us for this celebration of David's legacy via Zoom on Monday, February 7 at 6:00 pm CT. Speakers will include book editors Samuel J. Eatherton and Nathan Myrick, along with Baylor faculty members Randall Bradley, Monique Ingalls, and Maria Monteiro.

On February 16, Baylor University will host the 2022 Pruit Memorial Symposium, "Go Tell It on the Mountain: Perspectives on Black Preaching, Theology, and Gospel Music." Three leading scholars who are working at the intersection of Black theology and music, including Lisa Weaver, will be featured. To receive more information and to RSVP, click here.

Nathan Peace, having just finished his time as Interim Organist at Emmanuel Church in Boston, is now Organ Scholar at Trinity Church Copley Square, Boston. He recently began his final semester of the MSM (organ) program at BU School of Theology.

We love hearing about what you are doing! Don't forget to let us know by sending an email to [email protected] with your updates.

Subscribe to "Word and Song" Lectionary Reflections

Each week Executive Director Mike McMahon offers a reflection on Lectionary readings for the following Sunday and a hymn for the day. You may find these on Monday of each week at The Hymn Society's web page and Facebook page. You may also sign up to receive these reflections in your inbox by sending an email with your name and email address to [email protected] and the word "Lectionary" in the subject line.

Advertising Opportunities in The Hymn and The Stanza

Your organization can reach readers of The Hymn, our quarterly peer-reviewed journal, and of The Stanza, our monthly e-newsletter, by advertising in either or both of these publications. For more information on these publications and advertising rates and specifications, click here.

The Center for Congregational Song

Make sure you're keeping up with all the exciting new programs being offered through The Center for Congregational Song! For more information about The Center, upcoming events hosted by the Center, and to explore all that we have to offer, go to www.congregationalsong.org.