Treasure No 80: Finding the Right Voice – Glimpses of Poetic Imagery in the Hymn Tune by Joan Thackray An Article from Bulletin 281, Autumn 2014 ‘Music of quality is a critical element in the life of the church. It is a necessity, not a luxury. It is neither a frivolous confection nor an elitist distraction from the real business …
Treasure No 79: Coda
Treasure No 79: Coda by Ian Sharp: An Article from Bulletin 276, Summer 2013 Reprinted from the June 2013 issue of Church Music Quarterly, the magazine of the Royal School of Church Music, by permission of the author and the editor. www.rscm.com arly one Sunday morning, two tunes, let’s call them ST FREDA and SUNSHINE SONG, were gossiping in the …
Treasure No 78: Developments in the Near Future: Hymnals in England
Treasure No78: Developments in the Near Future: Hymnals in England by Brian Castle: An Article from Bulletin 271, Spring 2012 (This lecture was delivered to a conference in Tallinn, Estonia, convened by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia to help its thinking about compiling a new hymn book. Similar lectures were given by members from Lutheran churches in Germany, Finland …
Treasure No 77: Canticles Old and New
Treasure No 77: Canticles Old and New by Anne Harrison: An Article from Bulletin 267, April 2011 (Hymn Society Conference Lecture, Durham, 28 July 2010 Edited for The Bulletin) ‘Be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine: may Jesus Christ be praised!’ these well known lines from the hymn ‘When morning gilds the skies’, Caswall uses the word …
Treasure No 76: Producing 5,842 hymns
Treasure No 76: Producing 5,842 hymns by Bert Tosh An Article from Bulletin 262, January 2010 (A transcript of the paper given to the Hymn Society Conference of 2009) hen your President asked me for a title for this talk and I came up with ‘Producing 5,842 hymns’, I wondered if you thought there was another Charles Wesley in your …
Treasure No 75: The Price of Sin
Treasure No 75: The Price of Sin by Leslie Ivory An Article from Bulletin 258, October 2008 (This article has been adapted from a Short Metre presentation given at the Hymn Society Conference in Liverpool, July 2008). The Penguin Book of Hymns Ian Bradley tells us that several New Testament scholars have admired the theology of Cecil Frances Alexander’s hymn …
Treasure No 74: Geoffrey Beaumont and the 20th Century Church Light Music Group – A Recognition of their Contribution to Contemporary Hymnody
Treasure No 74: Geoffrey Beaumont and the 20th Century Church Light Music Group – A Recognition of their Contribution to Contemporary Hymnody by Simon Parry: An article from Bulletin 256, July 2008 he breadth of music used today for worship is staggering, as is the abundance of hymnals and songbooks. Styles also vary enormously, ranging from the traditional four-part hymn …
Treasure No 73: Healing the Nations: Fred Kaan The Man and his Hymns by Gillian Warson, Stainer & Bell Ltd. 115 pp £9.50 ISBN 0-85249-889-6
Treasure No 73: Healing the Nations: Fred Kaan The Man and his Hymns by Gillian Warson, A Book Review from Bulletin 251, March 2007 by Alan Gaunt ome years ago I suggested to Fred Kaan that he could write a fascinating autobiography. He was not so inclined, but I continued to believe that such a book would have been fascinating …
Treasure No 72: What are we saying by singing?
Treasure No 72: What are we saying by singing? By Rowan Williams An article from Bulletin 249, October 2006 (A transcript of the paper given to the Conference of the Society in July 2006, printed with the author’s permission) chose that title because I am aware that there is a kind of assumption very often around in the church and …
Treasure No 71: Peace and War in Hymns
Treasure No 71: Peace and War in Hymns by David Wright: An article from Bulletin 245, October 2005 (This article was received three days before the events of 7 July 2005 Ed.) his is the ‘Decade to overcome violence’, according to the World Council of Churches. It is also the ‘Decade for a culture of peace and nonviolence for the …
Treasure No 70: Hymns and Literature: Form and Interpretation
Treasure No 70: Hymns and Literature: Form and Interpretation by J. R. Watson: An article from Bulletin 238, January 2004 (This is a shortened version of a lecture given at Durham in May 2003 under the auspices of the University’s Department of Theology, the Cathedral, and St Mary’s College. They sponsor an annual lecture in honour of Michael Ramsey, former …
Treasure No 69: A Few Thoughts on Hymn Writing
Treasure No 69: A Few Thoughts on Hymn Writing by Alison Robertson: An article from Bulletin 235, April 2003 (This article was originally written as guidance for potential contributors to the Church of Scotland hymn-book now in preparation.) ymn writing is a real challenge, requiring a great deal of practice, because there are so many considerations to be dealt with …
Treasure No 68: When Words Call the Tune
Treasure No 68: When Words Call the Tune by Ian Sharp: An article from Bulletin 233, October 2002 A version of a paper given at the Annual Conference at Leicester. 23 July 2002 here are age-old associations between what John Milton so aptly termed ‘voice and verse’. The hymn is just one of many genres that link words with music, …
Treasure No 67: Mrs Alexander
Treasure No 67: Mrs Alexander by Valerie Wallace: An article from Bulletin 227, April 2001 (Condensed from an address at the Society’s conference in Dublin, July 2000.) ecil Frances Alexander, that most notable and prolific of all the Victorian hymn writers, was born in a well-to-do part of Dublin in 1818. Her mother’s stock had produced a line of Army …
Treasure No 66: Farewell to the Twentieth Century
Treasure No 66: Farewell to the Twentieth Century by J. R. Watson: An article from Bulletin 223, April 2000 A revised version of the lecture given at the Annual Conference, Lampeter, July 1999 he first—and the last—response to twentieth-century hymnody should be praise. In between I shall suggest some problems, but they are general problems of belief, and worship, and, …
Treasure No 65: Hymnody and Belonging
Treasure No 65: Hymnody and Belonging by Graham Deans: An article from Bulletins 220 & 221 Summer & Autumn 1999 (This article is condensed from part of the dissertation presented by Mr Deans in November 1998 for his M.Th. degree at Westminster College, Oxford. The original title was ‘Hymnody and Belonging: an Examination of Effective Uses of Christian Hymns in …
Treasure No 64: The English Hymn (review)
Treasure No 64: The English Hymn (review) by Elizabeth Cosnett: An article from Bulletin 214, Winter 1998 The English Hymn: A Critical and Historical Study, by J R. Watson. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1997. xi 4–552 pp. £65.00 (£48.00 to Hymn Society members using special order form with July Bulletin) he publication of this scholarly, thought-provoking and enormously enjoyable book is …
Treasure No 63: The Hymnologist’s Bookshelf
Treasure No 63: The Hymnologist’s Bookshelf by B. Massey: An article from Bulletin 211, Spring 1997 ack in Bulletin 142 (May 1978) we published, under this title, an article surveying the various books then available giving information about hymns, tunes, and their use. The article arose because members of the society were being asked ‘Where can I find information about …
Treasure No 62: Ten Laws of Hymnal Committees
Treasure No 62: Ten Laws of Hymnal Committees by Christopher Idle: An article from Bulletin 208, Summer 1996 ooks of hymns are called hymnals. Books about hymns may be historical companions or devotional compilations. Then there are books about hymn-writers, from the popularly glossy to the academically scholarly. There are even books about hymnals which we know as surveys, guides …
Treasure No 61: To the Budding Hymnwriter
Treasure No 61: To the Budding Hymnwriter by Brian Wren: An article from Bulletin 202, Winter 1995 (Many of us receive new hymn texts on which we are invited to comment. Over the years I have developed a line of reply that affirms the local effort without. I hope, being too dishonest with those whose work will never achieve a …