The Secretary’s Newsletter

No.100: Spring 2024
From the Interim Secretary:
Revd Robert A. Canham
Windrush
Braithwaite
KESWICK
CA12 5SZ
Phone: 017687 78054

Email: Please see our Contact page

The Rt Revd Timothy Dudley-Smith – Honorary Vice President

We were saddened to receive the news that our Hon. Vice President, Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, died on Monday 12^th August. Bishop Timothy kindly acceded to a request and was appointed an Honorary Vice President at our AGM on 24^th July 2003 at Canterbury, Christ Church University College. The Minute states: ‘Finally, Alan Gaunt (Executive President) was delighted to propose at the Executive recommendation, the Rt Revd Timothy Dudley-Smith as an Honorary Vice-President of the Society. This was warmly welcomed by all.’

Timothy joined the Society in 1970/71 and has been one of our most energetic ambassadors, frequently requesting additional membership information/application leaflets encouraging new members to the Society. He contributed two Occasional Papers, Snakes and Ladders – A Hymn Writer’s Reflections (2009), based on a lecture delivered at our 2006 70^th Anniversary Conference in Guildford, where he also preached at the Conference Eucharist, and Faith, Hymns and Poetry (2016) again based on a lecture delivered at our 2013 Swanwick Conference (both Occasional Papers are available via the Members’ Area of the website or in paper format from the Interim Secretary). He also contributed a number of articles and letters to the Bulletin.

Timothy authored more than 500 hymns and was, until very recently, still writing new texts. One of his earliest hymns, written in May 1961, being Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord. He will probably be remembered as the foremost Anglican hymn writer of the 20^th and early 21^st Century, his work being included in many hymn books throughout the world. But undergirding that, Timothy was a man of profound faith, benign temperament and generous spirit, a gentle, humble man imbued with an innate serenity. He was a delight to all who met him, enriching the lives of many. Thankful for his life, he will, nevertheless, be sorely missed.

We regret having to also report the death of our member:

Major John Matthews (Tadley, Hampshire)

A lifelong member of the Salvation Army, Major John died on 8^th June. Almost anyone attending Conferences in past years will recall John! His last Conference was Canterbury 2019 prior to health issues precluding him attending further. A little man but with a huge, enthusiastic spirit, totally committed to his Lord and with a lifelong and passionate interest in hymns and hymnody. At our 2008 Liverpool Conference, John delivered a lecture on Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) ‘The boy who ran around the countryside with a hymn book under his arm’. Apart from the significant content of the lecture itself, it was memorable for Major John seeking to enthuse his audience with a lesson in how to march and clap the Salvation Army way! His lecture later appeared in Bulletin 259, April 2009, Vol. 19, No.2 with a picture of John on the front singing and clapping!

We welcome new members who recently joined the Society:

Mr Timothy Berman (Granbury, Texas USA)
Mr Ken Culver (Cathedral City, California USA)
Ms Fi Dunn (London, UK)
Mrs Joyce Hogg (Northallerton, North Yorkshire, UK)
Dr Timothy Liu      (Queensland, AUSTRALIA)
Revd Ian Scott McCarthy (Corby, Northamptonshire, UK)

 Forthcoming events

Ein feste Burg
Come-and-Sing: An Evening of Classic German Hymns
In London – Tuesday 17^th September 2024 at 7.00 pm

at St George’s German Lutheran Church
55 Alie Street, London E1 8EB
(near Aldgate East tube station)
the oldest surviving German Church in Britain retaining its remarkable and mostly original interior.
Led by our member Phil Price of With Cheerful Voice
Tickets £7.00 on the door (includes wine and cake!)
The hymns to be sung include: Ein feste burg ist unser Gott (Luther)
Nun danket alle Gott (Rinkart)
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Nicolai)
Der Mond ist aufgegangen (Claudius)
Von guten Mächten (Bonhoeffer)
and much more besides!
for more information: www.withcheerfulvoice.org.uk

In Salisbury – Saturday 14^th and Sunday 15^th September
at Sarum St Martin Church 1 St Martin’s Church Street, SALISBURY SP1 2HY
SALISBURY STANFORD SINGING WEEKEND

A weekend of singing Stanford, Rathbone and High Victorian hymns led by Professor Jeremy Dibble of Durham University.

The Saturday begins (9.30 am – 1.00 pm) with a Singing Workshop led by Jeremy Dibble preparing Stanford Mass in C op.115 and Rathbone’s ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway’.
In the afternoon (2.00-4.00 pm) a musically illustrated talk on the Great Victorian Hymns, again by Jeremy Dibble who is a noted expert on Stanford and British and Irish music of that era and with singing of many relevant hymns or verses, followed by tea and cake.
4.30-6.00 pm Piano Recital by Allan Schiller, international concert pianist, playing Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Scarlatti and more.
7.30 pm White Hart Hotel: Black tie, champagne reception and 3-course dinner and coffee with after dinner speech by Allan Schiller.
On the Sunday (10.30 am) Choral Eucharist at Sarum St Martin including the Stanford Mass in C and the Rathbone (this is preceded with a rehearsal from 9.15-10.15 am).

Full weekend programme: £149.00
Saturday ticket (but excluding the dinner) £85.00
Saturday evening dinner on £65.00
for tickets email: phil@withcheerfulvoice.org.uk
Contact: Naomi King 0786 227 7071
www.withcheerfulvoice.org.uk

HSUSC – Detroit Conference 2025 – Sectionals Request

The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada (HSUSC) is seeking proposals for Sectionals to be presented at their next Annual Conference to be held 13^th-16^th July 2025, in Detroit, Michigan. The Conference theme is: “We Believe: Faith, Community, and the Holy Act of Singing”.

There are normally between 30 and 40 breakout sessions each of 75 minutes in length. Proposals connecting well with the conference theme, and those submitted by current HSUSC members will be given priority consideration; however, you do not have to be a member to be a presenter.

The submission deadline is 18^th October 2024, with the results being emailed by 1^st December 2024. For additional information or to send a proposal using the online form:
https://thehymnsociety.org/2025-sectionals/

Results of the Pratt Green Trust (PGT) Hymn Competition

On the theme of Celebrating Creation in All its Diversity marking the 40^th Anniversary of PGT, of the eleven on the judging panel, five were Hymn Society members: Michael Baughen, Ian McLarty, Emma Turl, Nigel Uden and Janet Wootton.

Over 150 submissions were received from around the world and, collectively, showcased a rich mix of creativity, tradition, culture and style. The panel was impressed by the high quality of the entries which made selecting the most successful entries extremely challenging. However, they were as follows:

Original Text to an existing tune:
* Colin Thompson with Creation’s glory shines in distant worlds of light

Original Text to an original melody:
David Hill and Susan Goforth with Feel the balmy breezes blow hear the simple swallow song… Maker we praise you

Tune to a Pratt Green text:
Abe Cáceres with SPIRIT OF PEACE, a setting of When, in our music God is glorified

*I can only comment personally on Colin Thompson, a URC minister, who has seven texts included in Rejoice and Sing (1991). These include two fine pieces: Nothing distress you, nothing affright you, a translation of a poem by St Teresa of Avila (1515-82), and O matchless beauty of our God, based on St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) Confessions.

Memories of Edinburgh twenty years on

At the end of June, whilst immersed in preparations for our 2024 High Leigh Conference, the early morning Prayer for the Day on Radio 4 was being given by Revd Neil Gardner, minister of the Kirk of the Canongate in Edinburgh. I was immediately transported back to our 2004 Edinburgh Conference, the first which I organized as Secretary, and to the truly magnificent Festival of Hymns in the Kirk of the Canongate whose grounds contain, amongst many others, the grave of the quintessentially Scottish hymn writer Horatius Bonar (1808-1889). The Commentary was delivered by the then minister of the Kirk of the Canongate, Revd Charles Robertson, the Conductor, Ian McCrorie (who died in 2019) and the organist, John Kitchen, all members of the Society. It was a truly memorable occasion, culminating in an impromptu rendering of O worship the King, all-glorious above which many present sang entirely from memory.