Secretary’s Newsletter 95 Winter 2023
The Secretary’s Newsletter
No.95: Winter 2023
From the Secretary:
Revd Robert A. Canham
Windrush
Braithwaite
KESWICK
CA12 5SZ
Phone: 017687 78054
Email: Please see our Contact page
Your Conference Booking Form is here to download…
It was unavoidably delayed, but we hope you will find it worth waiting for and hasten to submit your booking! Due to the variety of contents and opportunities for participation, an additional insert sheet was required, and both will need completion. In addition to the seven lectures, Festival of Hymns, and Conference Worship, there will be two 30-minute Sectionals, an ever-popular ‘Short Metre’ session, and a ‘Favourite Hymn Singing’ session which proved a welcome innovation last year. Also, consequent upon the Society assuming responsibility for Words for Worship, an offshoot of Worship Live, there will be a hymn-writing and tune-composition workshop as well as the possibility of singing in parts / playing musical instruments, and an optional outing to Lincoln Cathedral. A veritable feast is in store!
Can you help with a donation towards Conference?
We all know how the cost of everything is escalating. Inevitably, at £350, Conference is more than it was last year, though we have done our best to contain it and it still represents very good value. This is in part due to prudence but also because, as last year, the Society will once again be subsidizing the cost. This will more than extinguish our Conference Fund reserves. To enable us to continue to run affordable Conferences and also provide Bursary assistance for those who need it, it would be very much appreciated if any who are able, whether or not you can come to Conference yourself, would consider making a donation to the Conference Fund. This can be done by BACS (the information is on the ‘For Your Information’ page of the Conference Booking Form, towards the bottom under ‘Booking’), or by contacting our Treasurer, Michael Garland, whose details can be found on the back cover of any Bulletin.
For those who may be tempted to go further afield…
The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada will be holding its Annual Conference, also from 16th-19th July 2023, on the campus of McGill University in Montréal. This year’s theme, ‘Land, Language, and Liberation’, will offer an opportunity to explore how to celebrate, praise God, and live into the church’s mission in the light of the challenges we face in the world today. Both in-person and online registrations are available.
Also from HSUSC –
Women’s Sacred Music Project – call for submissions
The Women’s Sacred Music Project, in cooperation with The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada (HSUSC), is calling for submissions for a new collection of hymns, songs, and liturgical music by people who identify as women. This collection, Resounding Voices, is being compiled to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the hymnal Voices Found. In its search, the committee longs to address ideas ‘which touch our hearts, fire our imagination, and encourage us to action.’ Themes may relate to Christian or Jewish religious traditions with or without referring to the Bible or other sacred texts. The committee hopes to honour the spiritual legacy of Voices Found by connecting with issues of moral justice in our day. The deadline for submissions is 1st May 2023. For detailed information and guidelines, or to make a submission:
http://womenssacredmusicproject.org/resounding-voices/
Pastoral Link Person – changeover
Our Pastoral Link Person, Claire Wilson, has been active on our behalf for a number of years now. Many of our members will have cause to be thankful to Claire for her sensitive, timely support. Claire is now feeling the time is right for her to relinquish this role, but we are delighted that it is being taken up by Kay Griffiths, a long-standing member of the Society who has served on the Executive and in many other ways. As a regular attender at Conferences, she will be familiar to many.
Kay writes: ‘I’m excited at the prospect of taking on the Pastoral Link role. While having no formal qualifications in this line – no dog collar, for example – I bring to the task a liking for people, a liking for The Hymn Society and its folk, a liking for helping people, and a liking for correspondence. I look forward to indulging all those ‘likes’.’
Kay can be contacted via the Secretary or directly by email:
kaygriffiths@btinternet.com
An appeal for skills, time, energy
– whatever you may have to offer!
The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland has for the last nearly 90 years now, since its inception in 1936, relied almost entirely on the generosity of time, skills and expertise contributed freely by its members, all of whom possess a passion for hymns, hymn singing and hymnody.
The Officers are conscious that there resides among our widespread membership, a kaleidoscopic range of skills which many would be prepared to offer freely, and about which we know nothing.
These may include expertise in editing, proof-reading, publishing, technology, design, organisational and secretarial abilities, as well as expertise in hymns, hymn tunes, hymnology and music and, doubtless, much more besides.
We would like to hear from you! If you think you may be able to help and are willing to do so, please contact our Executive President:
Revd Dr Janet Wootton
Flat 5, River Court, 16a River Street, BEDFORD MK40 1PX
Email: revjwootton@btconnect.com
Or, of course, the Secretary.
We welcome new members who recently joined the Society:
Ms Ifunanya Anekwe (Lagos, NIGERIA)
Mr Abiodun Falode (Lagos, NIGERIA)
Mr Jonathan A. Lindridge (Silver End, Essex)
Mr Iain McLarty (Glasgow, Lanarkshire)
We regret having to report the deaths of members:
Revd Michael Kemp (Swindon, Wiltshire)
Mr Peter Nunn (Rustington, Sussex)
Sadly, Michael Kemp only joined the Society in Spring 2022 and so was a member with us for less than a year. However, we understand that during that time he much enjoyed receiving and reading the Bulletin.
In contrast, Peter Nunn was a member of the Society for some twenty or more years and was someone with whom I enjoyed correspondence from time to time. Living in the village of Rustington, memorable, not least, for Parry’s excellent tune of that name, Peter made regular appearances at Conference, most recently at Bishop Burton (2018).
Subscription Renewals
Most subscriptions, though not all, are renewable in January. Many now pay by Banker’s Order for which we are grateful. The UK rate for Individual Members remains £25.00 for 2023 with varying rates for Couples, Europe, and elsewhere in the World. Additional supplements can include IAH, HSUSC, or both. If your 2022 subscription remains outstanding, we would be most grateful to receive it. If you are uncertain of what you owe, please get in touch with our Treasurer:
Revd Canon Michael Garland
6 Whimbrel Road, Quedgeley, GLOUCESTER GL2 4LJ
Email: michaelgarland368@btinternet.com
As we are getting well into 2023… an advance date for 2024!
Very preliminary information
A one-day event is in preparation for members and non-members alike at Union Chapel, near Highbury and Islington Station in North London, on Saturday, 20th April 2024. It is hoped that the following contributors will be able to participate: Revd Gemma Birt speaking on congregational singing during and after Covid; Revd Kenneth Walker speaking on Free Church Hymnody; and our member Revd James Dickinson speaking about hymn books, including aspects of A&M, but likely more besides. There will be a chance to sing hymns together in an act of worship. More details and a poster will be available nearer the time.
Blackburn Cathedral at Christmas
In my last Secretary’s Newsletter (No.94: Autumn 2022), mention was made of the 2022 Christmas Worship on the BBC coming from Blackburn Cathedral where we held our Conference Festival of Hymns last July. Our member, John Barnard, who watched the Christmas Day morning worship wrote: ‘It was most impressive – a really joyous broadcast.
And whilst not solely to do with hymns…
Near to Blackburn is Bolton. Throughout Lent, Radio 3 has been broadcasting a 30-minute service of Compline each Monday evening. The most recent which I heard (20th March) came from Bolton Parish Church led by the HeartEdge Manchester Choral Scholars. It included Hail, gladdening light, of his pure glory poured (Greek 3rd cent. or earlier, tr. John Keble 1792-1866) sung to SEBASTE (John Stainer 1840-1901), and Glory be to Jesus (anon. Italian tr. Edward Caswall 1814-1878) sung to CASWALL (BEMERTON) (Friedrich Filitz 1804-1876). An absolute delight! It may still, just, be available to listen to.