Dear Members and Friends,
Welcome to 2022 and to The Hymn Society’s year-long centennial celebration!
You can now view the web page for our very exciting 2022 Annual Conference in Washington, which will include a centennial gala and other occasions for celebration. This year’s gathering will afford multiple opportunities for members and friends to engage together in events that not only recognize the gifts we have received and shared in the past, but that also open a dialogue with various international voices and cultural expressions. We will “Sing the World God Imagines” as the Spirit moves among us to lead us into our next one hundred years.
Our centennial celebration will of course be more than the Annual Conference. Histories are being written and recorded. We will remember the vision of early leaders and others who discerned the signs of the times. We will share stories of people who have become our companions on the journey and of singing events that have transformed us. At the same time, we will be exploring ways to broaden the vision of our organization and to include voices that have been left out. While the centennial year is a milestone in The Hymn Society’s story, the journey is far from over.
In what new directions will the Spirit be leading us as we hear and join in the song of the world during this centennial year? I can’t wait to find out.
Sing a new song!
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J. Michael McMahon
Executive Director
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Registration Now Open for the 2022 Annual Conference
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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! If you’re not able to attend in person, we will also be offering a 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 four featured sessions and forty sectionals, along with short presentations 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.
Register now to reserve your place at this historic conference. Early bird rates are available through March 15.
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At Hymnary.org, we are deeply grateful to all our website users and all who contribute to our site, whether those contributions come as financial donations, gifts of volunteer time, suggestions, little notes of encouragement and even corrections and complaints. They all help us to keep going, to make improvements and to expand our resources. So, thanks!
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Canterbury Highlights from C. Michael Hawn
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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.
In Memoriam 2021
Several long-time Hymn Society members died in 2021 that also have biographies in The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology:
Lia C. Gerken. "Harry Eskew [FHS]." The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed December 6, 2021.
Michael Silhavy. "Carl Schalk [FHS]." The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed December 6, 2021.
Jacque Browning Jones. "Amanda Husberg." The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed December 6, 2021.
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As we approach Epiphany, join Center Director Brian Hehn on Monday, January 3 at 10:00 a.m. ET for hymns of light. The stream can be found on The Center for Congregational Song's Facebook* Page.
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An Interview with Carl P. Daw, FHS: "100 Years of Song"
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Join us on Monday, January 24, at 1:00 p.m. ET, for a free online event featuring hymn writer, scholar, and former Hymn Society Executive Director Carl P. Daw, Jr. For many years Carl taught hymnology and other courses at Boston University Divinity School and today remains as Curator of Hymnological Collections. He led The Hymn Society during a period of significant change, from 1996 to 2009. His deeply grounded hymn texts appear in nearly all major hymnals in North America today.
This conversation will be the fifth 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, and John Ambrose, FHS here.
All broadcasts will take place at 1:00 p.m. ET. Registration and more information may be found here.
January 24: Carl P. Daw, Jr., FHS
February 28: Slats Toole
March 21: Cynthia Wilson
April 25: David Music, FHS
May 16: Emily Brink, FHS
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Webinar on Decolonizing Congregational Song
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Don’t miss a webinar on “Decolonizing Congregational Song” being presented on Monday, January 10, at 1:00 pm ET by musician, theologian, and former Hymn Society Executive Committee member Becca Whitla, who currently serves as Professor of Pastoral Studies at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This session is part of our preparation for The Hymn Society’s centennial celebration in 2022. 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:
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November 8: Kim Harris: “The World Sings: Music Moving Movements”
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December 13, 8:00 p.m. ET: Yasuhiko Yokosaka & Makihiko Arase, “The World Sings: Japanese Congregational Song”
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January 10: Becca Whitla, “The World Sings: Decolonizing Congregational Song”
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February 14: Adam Perez, “The World Sings: Praise and Worship”
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March 14: María Cornou, “The World Sings: Latin American Song”
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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.
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2021 George Black Membership Scholarship Winners
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The winners of the 2021 George Black Membership Scholarship are:
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Oghenetega Aror, Western University
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Anjelique Croteau, Western University
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Kirsten Evenden, Atlantic School of Theology
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Jotham Sennema, Wilfrid Laurier University
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Benjamin von Bredow, Atlantic School of Theology
Open to Canadian students, each winner receives a free one-year membership with The Hymn Society. Congratulations to these students and to their nominators-- Kevin Parks (AST) and Debbie Lou Ludolph (Martin Luther University College-WLU).
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Happy New Year! Happy Century!
The Hymn Society was founded on January 19, 1922, in Calvin W. Laufer’s office at the Presbyterian Building, 156 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Five persons gathered to discuss Emily S. Perkins’ proposal to establish a group to promote the writing, singing, and study of hymns that would help the church address the needs of a new era.
January, in New York City, as darkness fell on coldness, became the setting of the annual meeting for the Society’s first twenty-five years. The usual pattern was a business session in late afternoon, followed by dinner and an evening program. Here are a few occurrences recorded in the minutes:
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William P. Merrill spoke about the use of hymns at Brick Presbyterian Church, where he was pastor and Clarence Dickinson was organist-choirmaster.
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John Burnham was introduced as the winner of the Society’s first contest, which was for a hymn tune. George C. Stebbins was elected a new member.
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Four hymns written by Louis Benson were read. One was titled “A Hymn for a Time of Theological Controversy”
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Two Vice Presidents were elected (with the explanation that a constitutional amendment to permit this would come later).
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A larger than usual attendance was prompted by the announcement that Bible translator and hymnologist James Moffatt would speak and be the guest of honor.
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In the depths of the Depression, dues were reduced to two dollars.
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The program was interrupted by the announcement of the death of King George V of the United Kingdom.
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Amos Thornburg, president of the Chicago Chapter, was present. (He would later add to his fame by becoming the grandfather of John Thornburg, FHS).
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The American Guild of Organists joined THS to hear a performance by the Hampton Quartet.
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Bliss Wiant, in the states because of expulsion from his work in China, was the speaker.
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Lazare Saminsky spoke on “Authentic Ancient Sources of Christian and Hebrew Hymns.”
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Harry T. Burleigh was presented as the second Fellow of The Hymn Society.
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The Executive Committee was instructed to explore the possibility of Life Membership.
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Perhaps the most remarkable of these meetings was recorded in these words:
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The annual meeting of the Hymn Society was held in the ushers’ parlor of the Riverside Baptist Church on Monday evening, January 15, 1934. In the absence of the President [Howard Chandler Robbins], Miss Caroline B. Parker, Vice President, presided.
Upon motion, the annual meeting was adjourned to meet at the dinner table where Miss Parker again presided; and a program of addresses and music was carried out, including talks from Mrs. Horatio Parker, Mrs. William Neidlinger, Miss Edith E. Sackett, Miss Marguerite Hazzard and Mrs. William Buchanan. Miss Helen Kittredge sang several selections, Miss Emily S. Perkins accompanying.
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A few men gave reports during the business session, and the account of the meeting was dutifully set down by Recording Secretary Thornton B. Penfield. The entire occasion was led by women. That this occurred without comment may be as intriguing as the fact that it happened in an organization that included men and women but was usually led by males.
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Emerging Scholars Forum: Submissions Open
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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. Submission 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.
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Susan Palo Cherwien passed on December 28. You can read her obituary here.
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Call for Poppen-Young Fellowship Proposals
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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 $500.00 stipend, travel expenses, and the possibility 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.
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You're Invited: Monthly Zoom Gatherings
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Please join us for our monthly informal Zoom gathering for conversation, learning, sharing, and singing on Tuesday, January 18, 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.
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Chris has over one hundred copies of the 2008 Baptist Hymnal, as well as 18-24 unused choir robes, and is seeking a new home for them. Interested parties can call (904) 642-1154 and ask for Chris.
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Joslyn Henderson been hired as Worship Arts Director at Christ City Church in Washington, DC. Congratulations, Joslyn!
Wipf and Stock Publishers has just released Bruce Taylor's book, Christ's New Address: Sermons for the Lectionary, Year C, Pentecost through Christ the King, which completes a six-volume homiletical journey through the Common Lectionary (Revised).
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.
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Subscribe to "Word and Song" Lectionary Reflections
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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.
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Advertising Opportunities in The Hymn and The Stanza
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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.
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The Center for Congregational Song
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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.
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Members of The Hymn Society enjoy access to the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology and other resources through our website. Access the CDH by logging in to our website and then clicking the link on the landing page.
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If you shop for books and gifts on Amazon, you can help support The Hymn Society. A percentage of your purchases will be sent to the Society. Every bit helps! Go to The Hymn Society's page at AmazonSmile.
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The Hymn Society is sustained through the donations of generous members and friends who keep our mission alive. Consider making a donation today!
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Join us in Washington, D.C. from July 17-21 for "Sing the World God Imagines", our Centennial Annual Conference.
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Did you know The Hymn Society has an online store? Take a look if you are interested in buying any of our merchandise or acquiring some of our resources that are for sale!
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The Hymn Society in the US and Canada | 800-THE-HYMN (800-843-4966)
5 Thomas Circle, NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Planning a hymn festival? Need help with background information on hymns? Looking for a hymn on a particular topic? Let us know how we can assist you in your ministry to encourage, promote, and enliven congregational song.
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The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada
is an ecumenical, non-profit organization devoted to congregational song.
We believe that the holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness,
transforms lives, and renews peace.
Our mission, therefore, is to encourage, promote, and enliven congregational song.
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Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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