Recent New Anniversary Hymns for Churches...

I have completed several new anniversary hymns for congregations marking special milestones.

The Sycamore Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, is marking their 225th anniversary - remarkable isn't it - in a Sunday Morning worship celebration on Sunday, October 15, in less than two weeks from now.  Rev. Ross Reddick is their pastor and they have a robust and warm fellowship.  You can watch their worship that day on line, or see it later in their archive of recent services.

Trinity United Church of Christ in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania is marking its 175th anniversary in 2023.  At the request of the church’s pastor, Chris Rankin, I wrote a hymn for the church entitled “Now Hear God’s Word for Us This Day”, which is sung to the tune JERUSALEM.  East Petersburg is my hometown (where I lived from 1971 to 1982). Although we were members of Highland PC in Lancaster, Trinity UCC played a special part in my formative years, and I have a great fondness for them. (And a first hand knowledge of their past 50 or so years of their 175!).  This hymn will have its debut on Sunday, October 29th; you can worship with them on line to hear it, or consult their worship archives thereafter.  

 

South Presbyterian Church is marking 300 years in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Since 1723 this congregation has been a source of inspiration and strength for the community and a landmark in the local landscape.  As part of their yearlong celebration, I crafted  a new anniversary hymn text, called ”We Praise You God This Day”; it is sung to the familiar hymn tune VRUECHTEN, which is a tune beloved by the congregation and reflects their heritage.  Rev. Osvaldon 'Osy' Nuesch is the church's pastor.  The hymn will first be sung at a celebratory anniversary concert - as the finale - on Saturday, October 21, with the webcast starting at 7 p.m.  You can see it via the church website.

 

The Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, Pennsylvania will mark its 300^th anniversary in 2024.  For the Derry congregation, I  have penned a hymn called “Bourne By the Waters, Braving the Waves”, which, by  the church's anniversary committee's special request, is sung to the tune of the “Skye Boat Song”, thus connecting to their Scots Irish Presbyterian roots.  Rev. Stephen McKinney-Whitaker is their pastor.  The hymn will first be sung the first Sunday in April 2024.  The congregation anticipates singing the hymn throughout their anniversary year.   

 

“These churches each have a remarkable and laudable history.  I am glad to lift up aspects of their congregations’ life in a hymn that is theirs alone, that they can sing during their anniversary celebration and in the years to come.”

Currently, I am at work on several other pieces for churches who are marking special anniversaries in the coming year.

What is a Hymn Writer?

The other day, someone mentioned that I have "written a lot of beautiful music". I was touched by the comment, which was made in a kind and genuine way. But I was also amused, since I have never written even one measure of music.

Yes, I am a hymn writer, but no, that does not mean that I write hymn tunes. In fact, in the world of hymns, the word "hymn" refers specifically to the words. And the word "tune" refers specifically to the, you guessed it, tune.

Now there are some very versatile hymn writers out there who write both the hymn and the tune. But I am on the "lyrics" or "poetry" end of things, not the "notes" and "score" end of things. So I am glad to collaborate with tune writers, both ancient and modern.

It is kind of like this. Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern were a song writing team. Oscar wrote the words and Jerome Kern wrote the music--both of them, fabulous and beyond compare. You know lots of their songs. Oscar's words and Kern's music. Later, Oscar Hammerstein II teamed up with Richard Rogers. Again, Oscar wrote the words, and Richard Rogers wrote the music. You know lots of their songs. Oscar's words and Rogers' music. In some way, my writing the words is like what Oscar did. But not at all like what Kern and Rogers did.

Another way of saying it is that George Gershwin wrote the music, but Ira Gershwin wrote the words.

By contrast, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin wroth BOTH the words and the music. I wish I had the gift, in hymn writing, to create the tunes as well as the words. But that is not my gift.

So as I say, I have collaborated with the tune writers. Some of them long gone to their eternal rest (but as the songwriter said, 'the melody lingers on'). So I have written words to go with familiar tunes by some of the greats, like Sir Arthur Sullivan whose tune ST GERTRUDE is best known as the tune that goes with the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" the hymn (words) written by Sabine Baring Gould for a children's Sunday School processional.

I've also written hymns that are paired with tunes by wonderfully creative living sacred musicians such as John Ferguson, Glenn Rudolph, John Dixon, Glenn Osborne, Dorothy Frisch and many more.

So when you hear hymn think words.

That is what I write.