Liturgical Music for the Revised Common Lectionary Year C

ISBN-13: 9780898696141

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Church Publishing - Incorporated

Publication Date: 05-01-2009

Pages: 175

Product Dimensions: 8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)

Thomas Pavlechko has served Episcopal, Lutheran and Catholic churches as music director and organist since 1978. He is a widely published composer of hymns, Psalm settings, service music, choral anthems, motets and instrumental arrangements. He was a member of the liturgical music editorial team for the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal, and has served on advisory teams for Augsburg Fortress, Church Publishing, and the Hymn Society's Center for Congregational Song. He lives in Dallas, TexasCarl P. Daw, Jr. is an Episcopal priest and writer who served as the executive director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada from 1996 to 2009. He has been successively Secretary and Chair of the Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church and was a consultant member of the Text Committee for The Hymnal 1982. Daw taught hymnology in the Master of Sacred Music program at the Boston University School of Music from 1996 to 2019 and at the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale Divinity School from 2018 to 2019. He lives in Watertown, Massachusetts.

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Liturgical Music for the Revised Common Lectionary Year C

Church Publishing Incorporated

INTRODUCTION

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HYMNS

The hymns listed in this liturgical guide are intended to be a starting place for those who plan Eucharistic worship following the Revised Common Lectionary. These suggestions are not a substitute for careful local planning but a survey of the possibilities from which choices can be made. They provide a skeleton that will need to be fleshed out according to the needs and capabilities of each worshiping community. For example, in the "green seasons" between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday and between Trinity Sunday and Advent, it may be appropriate in a given situation to use a general "Praise of God" hymn at the Entrance or a "Holy Communion" hymn at that point in the service rather than one of suggestions given here.

Although this listing has been compiled from the authorized hymnal of the Episcopal Church and its supplements published by Church Publishing, Inc., it has been created with the hope that it will also be useful in a larger ecumenical context. In that connection, it must be acknowledged that the quarter-century since the adoption of The Hymnal 1982 has been a very fruitful one, both for the creation of new texts and tunes and for the compilation of new hymnals. As CPI's own publication of Michael Hudson's Songs for the Cycle (2004) attests, numerous writers have published collections of texts related to lectionary readings since the creation of H82. Some of these have been incorporated into the supplements indexed here, but there are many more to be explored. Also beyond what can be included here lies a wealth of settings that numerous composers have created for texts old and new.

One of the best ways to become acquainted with the broader ecumenical context from which the CPI supplements have been created is through The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. A quick glance at the "Author and Composer Collections" section of their Book Service listings in any printed issue of The Hymn (or the online version at www.thehymnsociety.org/books) will show how many possibilities there are. In addition to these texts and tunes that have come out of North American and European contexts, there is an abundance of material coming from Africa, Asia, and the other Americas. Glimpses of this bounty can be seen from time to time in the materials indexed here, but the possibilities are constantly increasing. In a world that is becoming increasingly interdependent because of political and economic concerns, we need more than ever to affirm our connections with Christians around the globe by incorporating their sung prayer into our own.

Because this guide is specifically organized by the Revised Common Lectionary, the primary consideration for including hymns in the lists provided here has been their relationship to the appointed scripture passages. First priority has been given to metrical paraphrases or retellings of a passage, followed by texts that allude to portions of it. These directly-related texts are augmented by hymns that share a thematic emphasis or have some cultural association. Ordinarily a hymn is listed only once on a given day, but there are occasionally texts that allude to more than one appointed scripture and therefore appear more than once. Alternatively, hymns that are related to a specific day or season rather than to a specific scripture passage are listed before the lections and are marked [S]. This initial list also includes hymns related to the collect of the day [C] or the appointed psalm [P].

For each listed hymn, a suggestion is made for the place in the service where it is most likely to work well. In general, the beginning, middle, and end positions (Entrance, Offertory, and Postcommunion) are assigned for the more expansive, better-known, and more corporate hymns, while the more reflective, less-familiar, and more personal hymns are assigned to the positions framed by those positions (Sequence and Communion). A number of the hymns appointed for Communion, for example, have a refrain or some other feature than lends them to singing without reference to the printed page, making them appropriate for use while members of the congregation are moving. Also, because experience has shown that most worshipers make the connections between hymns and scripture better if they have heard the scripture first, it has been a general principle to have hymns follow rather than precede the scripture passages to which they are related. This pattern is not applied, however, to occasions in the church year when the emphasis of the day is already generally known (e.g. Christmas, Trinity Sunday, Thanksgiving Day).

In most cases, hymns are listed by the first line of the first stanza rather than by title or the first line of an opening refrain or antiphon, though there are occasions where exceptions have been made in order to use a well-known title or part of an identifying refrain. On the few occasions where metrical paraphrases of a relevant canticle (e.g. the Second Song of Isaiah) were not available, the canticle itself is suggested and is listed by first line rather than title.

In the two far-right columns following the hymn numbers are cross references to The Crowning Glory: New Descants for Church Choirs (CG descant) and Trumpet Descants for 101 Noteworthy Hymns (Inst desc) composed and arranged by Lorna Tedesco. Both resources are available from Church Publishing (www.churchpublishing.org) A shaded cell containing a circle [??] means that the hymn tune is available, but the text is not the same as hymn indicated. Trumpet Descants offers two descants in Bb for each hymn it contains. These descants may be played together or separately. In the organ score for the hymns these same descants appear in C and could be played by other instruments if desired.

In many ways, the present guide is a successor to the weekly Eucharistic listings of A Liturgical Index to The Hymnal 1982 compiled by Marion J. Hatchett (CPI, 1986), which has helpfully informed what is presented here. Equally valuable has been his Scriptural Index to The Hymnal 1982 (CPI, 1988), to which I am much indebted. Another great help in locating hymns related to passages not previously appointed has been A Concordance of The Hymnal 1982 by Robert F. Klepper (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1989). In addition I am grateful for the responses to preliminary versions of this guide from Carolyn Darr, SSM, Kevin R. Hackett, SSJE, Mark G. Meyer, and (by no means least) May B. Daw, as well as the encouragement from Marilyn Haskel and Frank L. Tedeschi of Church Publishing, Inc. Anthems and hymns from the African-American tradition were supplemented by the work of Dr. Carl MaultsBy.

Carl P. Daw, Jr.

Carl P. Daw, Jr. is an Episcopal priest and writer who has served as the Executive Director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada since 1996. This ecumenical and international organization has its headquarters at Boston University School of Theology, where Dr. Daw serves as Adjunct Professor of Hymnology in the Master of Sacred Music program. He has been successively Secretary and Chair of the Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church and was a consultant member of the Text Committee for The Hymnal 1982, to which he contributed a number of translations, metrical paraphrases, and original hymns. Four collections of his hymns have subsequently been published by Hope Publishing Co., and they have appeared in a wide range of denominational and ecumenical hymnals in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan as well as in several smaller collections and over sixty anthem settings. He was a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee for The Hymnal 1982 Companion and wrote the essay on "The Spirituality of Anglican Hymnody" in Volume I and numerous text commentaries in Volume III. Other Church Publishing, Inc. projects in which he has been involved include: Breaking the Word: Essays on the Liturgical Dimensions of Preaching (1994), for which he was the editor and a contributor of two essays, and (with Kevin R. Hackett, SSJE) A Hymn Tune Psalter, 2 vols. (1998-1999), now reissued in a Revised Common Lectionary edition (2007).

We acknowledge with gratitude that the anthems and hymns in the African-American tradition were supplemented by Dr. Carl MaultsBy

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CHORAL ANTHEMS AND VOCAL SOLOS

The principles guiding the selection of hymns are paralleled in this compilation of choral anthems and vocal solos.

The anthems in this list represent over twelve years of hands-on parish worship planning according to the RCL, plus a concentrated six-month compilation specific to this resource. Considering the diversity represented in all of our churches, it is far from exhaustive. Time and space are major factors to which many good intentions have to be relinquished.

Time limits the ability to include much of the current output of living composers, and space limits us from listing all of the multiple settings of the most common scripture texts, Psalms and canticles. For example, the number of settings available for the text of the Magnificat is daunting, let alone the number of anthems and solos with the theme, "O Sing Unto the Lord." And, as lists grew beyond the pages of this volume, we have had to cut in many places, and refer the reader to other parts of the book, or to the volumes for Years A and B.

The list includes many obvious choices, satisfying the needs of a first-year church musician utilizing this resource. It is our hope that it also includes selections that even seasoned musicians may have missed. For example, in some cases, anthems have been chosen based upon verses of scripture just outside the actual appointed verses, providing a contextual, rather than a literal match. The most important principle to keep in mind when perusing these pages is respecting your local tradition. Your own church or cathedral library is going to dictate how you will narrow your choices and apply them to your choirs. It is our intent that the settings listed here will not only serve as suggestions in themselves, but will also stir your creativity in applying similar choices that are already in your own choir's repertory.

As a practical budgetary consideration, many anthems appear multiple times, and, should you invest in a collection or major work included in these lists, you will find that many more than one movement or anthem are applicable throughout the year. Bach Cantatas and major works are included more for the potential of extracting choruses and solos than for their possible performance as a major work with orchestra. Most of the anthems are for adults, from simple unison/two-part to complex mixed/multipart, and experienced trebles in unison/two-part. Vocal solos are also included, with a special emphasis during summer months.

My goal was to personally peruse all of the music in the lists with my own eyes, but as gaps appear, and time races by, I have to rely on trusted anthem lists with music by composers with a notable reputation. With time, these lists can expand to nearly limitless proportions. I wish to express my thanks to my liturgical musician friends and colleagues who contributed to these lists, Dr. Neal Campbell, Dr. Jonathan Dimmock, Dr. Jane Gamble, Dr. Philip Gehring, Dr. William Bradley Roberts and Dr. David Stevens.

It will be very apparent where the gaps lie in the availability of musical settings of scripture texts that are lesser known, and especially those which have only recently been introduced to the body of the lectionary. There is a plethora of texts in need of new anthem and solo settings, providing all of us with the opportunity to narrow these gaps in the repertory by writing new textual paraphrases and new musical settings.

Choose wisely, and revel in the creative opportunities that lie ahead.

Thomas Pavlechko

Thomas Pavlechko has planned worship through four 3-year cycles of the Revised Common Lectionary. He is currently the Cantor and Composer in Residence at St. Martin's Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas. He served this church from 1994-2000 as Director of Music and Principal Organist, introducing the RCL in 1995. From 2000-2006, Pavlechko was the Organist-Choirmaster at Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee, where he also introduced the RCL during its trial-use years in the Episcopal Church. Previously, he served as Organist-Choirmaster at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Petersburg, Virginia, and All Saints Episcopal Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Baptized a Lutheran and confirmed an Episcopalian, Pavlechko remains committed to both denominations.

A church musician for over thirty years, Pavlechko has also been a member of the adjunct faculty at Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary in Prince William, Virginia, and served as chapel musician, adjunct faculty, and liturgical consultant to the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, Austin. He held a seat on the Liturgical Music Editorial Team for the new hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Pavlechko is a published composer of choral anthems and service music settings, along with 84 hymns in print, and nearly 1,000 Psalm settings in three editions of St. Martin's Psalter. He was selected in 2002 as the Emerging Hymn Tune Composer by the Hymn Society, and his hymn tunes appear in hymnals in the United States, Canada and Australia. Pavlechko's music is published with Abingdon Press, Augsburg-Fortress, Church Publishing, E-Libris Editions, GIA, Hope, Live Oak House, Selah and St. James Music Press.
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Excerpted from Liturgical Music for the Revised Common Lectionary Year C by Carl P. Daw Jr., Thomas Pavlechko. Copyright © 2009 Carl P. Daw, Jr. and Thomas Pavlechko. Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
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