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VOORWOORD CHURCH HYMNARY 4th Edition 2005
INTRODUCTION
A Changed Context
When the predecessor to this book was published in 1973, the
world was a very different place. The internet had yet to be
developed and the Cold War had yet to be terminated. Women
were still to be paid the same as men for doing the same job, and a
minimum wage had yet to be agreed. No one had benefited from
laser eye surgery or been brought back to life by an automatic
defibrillator. Nor were there wind farms, personal computers, debit
cards, junk food, speed bumps or job centres. No one and no
thing was `past its sell-by date' or the subject of scrutiny by a `focus
group'. Language and the society which articulates it have changed.
And in these three intervening decades the Church has not stood
still. New translations of the scriptures, the ordination of women,
increased frequency of Communion, deepening interest in the
Christian Year and the Lectionary, the greater use of non-ordained
leaders in worship - these and a host of other changes have
increasingly featured in and enriched the corporate life of
congregations.
It has not only to be expected, therefore, but it is essential, that
any
new hymnary should take into account the realities of faith and life
today as its forerunners did in their day. This is not to suggest that
all that is old has lost its value and all that is new is automatically
virtuous. It is simply to attest that a book intended to be used for
the worship of God in the twenty-first century should reflect the
contemporary experience of humanity and the contemporary fruits
of God's creative spirit, with the added engaging thought that such
a book might continue to be relevant in the day and generation of
the grandchildren of the compilers.
Developments in Hymnody
The first task of the committee which selected and prepared the
contents of this hymnary was to produce a list of items in The Church
Hymnary, Third Edition (CH3) for exclusion from the new book.
This was done in consultation with the churches. The final list,
which comprised almost a third of CH3, was approved by the
General Assemblies.
The next task was to review developments in hymnody since 1973,
and there was much to discover. A whole range of new genres had
emerged, growing in popularity in different parts of the Church.
Where repeated meditative songs were favoured by some, lively
syncopated praise songs were preferred by others. Some congre-
gations discovered their corporate identity in the Body of Christ
by singing songs from non-European cultures, while others used
material which expressed personal devotion or intercession for the
world in contemporary language.
It was clear to the committee that this seeming new range of
musical and literary styles was but an extension of the variety which
already exists in any hymnary. `Traditional' hymns are not
homogeneous. Some are fast-flowing verse and chorus songs of
celebration, others are profound theological musings on the
purposes of God; some are personal testimonies, others commu-
nal laments; some are set to post-reformation Genevan Psalm tunes,
others to folk melodies; some are rooted in the ethos and culture
of the community which produced the book, some reflect inter-
national and ecumenical associations and Christian traditions from
across the world; some come down from the early days of
Christendom, some are contemporary.
Ordering the Material
During the rigorous and necessarily lengthy process of selection,
consideration was given to the ordering of the contents of the book.
Many models of ordering were considered, but the committee in
the end opted to arrange the material according to aspects of faith
and life which closely corresponded to the three persons of the
Trinity. Of course, this scheme has its imperfections. Many items
could easily fit in two or three categories. For that reason, an
extensive Biblical Index and Topical Index are provided.
The Psalms precede the main three sections of the book, and a
selection of shorter songs for meditative singing ends the hymnary.
These songs, which in themselves are wide in variety, have also a
multitude of uses - as congregational preludes to worship, as
meditations during worship, as aids to devotion during Holy
Communion, and as occasional choral pieces.
The Psalms
The committee, with the support of the General Assemblies, wished
to encourage a wider use of the Psalms. CH3 had interspersed the
Psalms throughout the hymnary: the committee decide to revert
to the earlier practice of its precursors, namely, that of providing
psalms in an identifiable section at the beginning of the book.
While acknowledging that at no time in the Church's history has
every Psalm been equally frequently or fondly sung, it was felt
desirable to represent as wide an experience of the psalter as
possible, and to offer a selection of psalms which covered the full
gamut of emotional expression or subject matter found in the psalter.
At the same time, while the primacy of metrical psalmody in our
tradition as represented by the Scottish Psalter of 1650 was recog-
nised, the opportunity was taken to allow for new translations or
paraphrases to articulate these ancient texts which Jesus knew by
heart in the original Hebrew.
Language Issues
As noted above, language has changed in the last thirty years, and it
was inevitable that issues of exclusivity and archaism had to be
dealt with, as much with twentieth-century texts as with older
hymns. The committee decided against adopting a blanket policy,
preferring to decide on each text according to its merits.
Broadly speaking, where a text could be sensitively amended by
the contemporizing of archaic language or by having an exclusive
term replaced by an inclusive one, that was done. But where that
was not possible, either the whole text was reworked or it was left
intact.
Using the Hymnary
The aim should be to make as wide and as varied a use of the
book as possible. If hymns are a record of humanity's experience
of God and of God's revelation to humanity, it is important that the
choice of Psalms and hymns for worship should not simply be a
reflection of the minister's or the congregation's favourites. There
is, of course, a place for these, clothed as they are with associations
- of childhood, of important moments in personal faith, of
significant events in the life of a congregation. The new material,
which does not come with the inbuilt comfort of familiarity,
cannot have this immediacy; but that should be seen more as a
reason for welcoming it rather than for discounting it.
Singing the Hymns
The book offers opportunities to a wide range of musicians for,
unlike its predecessors, it does not presume that every item will
invariably be accompanied by an organ. In its provision of the
music for the book, the committee sought to encourage a strong
sense of musical integrity, which should ensure variety in the
singing of the psalms and hymns.
If a melody, such as a traditional psalm tune, stands well on its own,
let it be sung unaccompanied. If a tune comes from a folk
tradition, with the harmony changing once in the bar, let it be
4 Harmony and Unison
Most items in CH4 are in four-part harmony, a few are in three
parts. Harmony is normally signified by a square brace at the
beginning of the stave. Where items are in unison, this is indi-
cated either by an accolade at the beginning of the stave, for those
items with piano-style accompaniment, or by the word Unison
appearing in italics.
Unison is not second best to harmony. It is often the more appro-
priate way for a tune to be sung, especially if the accompaniment is
syncopated or harmonically complex.
5 Cantors
From before the days of the psalms, it has been common for
religious songs to be shared between a soloist and the congre-
gation. In recent years, the popularity of this practice has increased.
Where a cantor (or soloist) is designated, as in some responsorial
psalms, the normal practice is for the cantor to sing the chorus or
antiphon once. The congregation immediately follows, singing
the same chorus or antiphon. The cantor then sings the first verse,
and the congregation follows the verse, and each of the succeeding
verses, with the refrain.
In some Taize chants, the cantor is expected to sing verses over the
congregation, who either hum or sing the antiphon quietly.
6 Metrical Commas
These appear not in the text, but above the top stave of the music.
They are not breathing indications, but signify the end of a line
of text. They are meant to aid the rye as it moves between music
and verse.
7 Tempo and Dynamic Markings
Different buildings have different acoustic properties, and different
instruments played with or without amplification will vary in the
way they resonate in the surrounding space.
It is therefore impossible to be strict about tempo. A tune sung
allegro with a piano accompaniment in a dry acoustic might be an
impossibility in a reverberant stone building with a pipe organ.
The tempo markings are therefore few and, in general, relate to
recently published items.
However, the speed of a hymn is important. It should reflect the
vitality, calmness, excitement, resignation or other dynamic in the
text. But at the same time, it should not be so fast that it makes
meaningful singing an impossibility, or so slow that it results in
tedium.
As regards the dynamics, the occasion and the text should suggest
which verses should be sung loudly or softly, slower or faster.
Hymns such as `Be still, my soul' and `Be still for the presence of
the Lord' may, on one occasion, be subdued in their rendition; but
on another occasion, if the note of assurance needs to be empha-
sised, the singing might be more robust. The sensitivity of the
musician must determine the appropriateness of the dynamics.
As a rule of thumb, accompanying musicians who sing the text as
they play the music are more likely to play at an appropriate speed
and volume. If the accompanying musician does not sing, he or
she should have no reservation in asking whether the music is too
fast or slow, too quiet or loud.
8 Accompanying Instruments
With the exception of texts intended for reading and a few
unaccompanied songs, music in CH4 is arranged for keyboard
accompaniment - organ, piano, and electronic keyboards. This,
of course, does not preclude the possibility of songs being accom-
panied by other instruments, or being sung unaccompanied.
Guitar chords are provided for some items. In most cases, these
chords match the keyboard harmony; but, where the chords do
not exactly match the harmony, an encircled cross saltire ® appears
at the side of the music. In such cases, there are two options:
(i) the keyboard and guitar may accompany different verses; or
(ii) the keyboard player may simplify the accompaniment by play-
ing only those notes which are consonant with the guitar chords.
9 Psalms
The psalm section at the beginning of the book reflects a variety of
ways of singing the psalms and using the psalter. The traditional
use of metrical versions (in original and revised texts from the
Scottish Psalter, 1650, along with modern versions) is complemented
by prose psalms, responsorial psalms, antiphonal psalms, and psalms
for congregational reading.
The numbering of the psalms begins the numbering of the items
in the book, and the numbering continues consecutively when the
psalm section ends. But each psalm also bears its own particular
number. This means that the psalm chosen for worship may be
announced as `Psalm aa (number of psalm) at number bb'.
The singing of the metrical psalms, whether old or new, is straight-
forward. Occasionally, as at no. 41 (Psalm 61), an older harmonic
version has been re-introduced, where the tune (`the people's part')
is in the tenor. This `Tune 2' is an alternative to `Tune 1': the two
arrangements are not meant to be sung at the same time.
The chants for the prose psalms have been made as accessible as
possible, with the rhythm of clear natural speech being the main
guide, and the melodic note changing on the syllable or word
bearing the appropriate mark. In a plainsong chant (for example,
Psalm 22 at no. 12), the first two notes in brackets are sung for the
first verse only.
Where no direction is given for the reading of a psalm, the psalm
may be read antiphonally (verse or section about, by different
individuals or sectors of the congregation).
Occasionally, there is interaction between music and the spoken
text. In Psalrn 77, at no. 49, for example, a sung antiphon responds
to the spoken verse; and in Psalrn 27, at no.23, the words of the
verse are spoken over played music, and the congregation responds
in a sung antiphon.
Appropriate doxologies for the conclusion of metrical psalms in
metre are provided at the end of the psalm section; doxologies for
prose psalms are included with the text.
10 Paraphrases
Items from the 1781 collection of The Scottish Paraphrases appear in
appropriate places throughout the book. They are identified in
the Index of First Lines.
11 Children's Hymns
There is no separate section for items suitable for children. There
is a separate First Line index of items suitable for children and
young people.
12 Short Songs
A number of these appear throughout the book and several
comprise the penultimate section.
A short song is not a substitute for a hymn of four or five stanzas.
Rather, its purpose may be to prepare the congregation for wor-
ship, to offer a congregational response to the reading of scripture
or to a prayer, to meditate on words of spiritual depth, or to enable
movement (as in a recessional).
In circumstances where the song needs to be sung repeatedly, the
musicians should feel for how long it is appropriate for the song to
continue, rather than decide in advance that it will be sung a
particular number of times.
13 Longer Songs and Hymns
While there is no requirement that every verse of a longish item be
sung, sometimes omitting verses can upset the flow of thought of
the hymn. Rather than leaving out verses, a helpful alternative
may be to invite different sectors of the congregation to sing different
verses. For example, the worship leader may invite All to sing
verses 1, 3, and 5; Women, verse 2; and Men, verse 4. Or, if the item
has a clear chorus or refrain, different sectors of the congregation
or soloists may sing the verses, with everyone joining in the refrain.
14 Global Church Songs
Until the 1980s, most Europeans were aware only of hymns and
psalm settings which had originated in the northern hemisphere,
which were generally cast in the form of strophic verse set to tunes
in four-part harmony.
More recently, the marvellous textures of song from the southern
hemisphere, particularly from Southern Africa and Latin America,
have begun to enliven our worship. With the increasing presence
among us of people from these and other countries and cultures, it
is likely that we will hear more of styles of congregational song
from churches round the world.
When using other people's music, it is important to respect the
culture from which it comes. Most musicians would prefer to
accompany an intricately harmonised Bach chorale on the organ.
In the same way, a song which is meant for unaccompanied
singing, or is so rhythmic that percussive sounds would best enable
an effective rendition, should not be `domesticated' by using
inappropriate instrumental accompaniment.
15 Alternative Tunes
In a number of cases, two tunes are suggested to be sung to a text.
This happens where both are equally well known.
Elsewhere, an alternative tune associated with another text may be
suggested. Where this happens, the alternative tune should be
used as a last, rather than first resort, as, for example, on occasions
where it would not be possible to practise a new tune in advance.
16 Metrical Index
The metrical index is used to enable the substitution of appro-
priate tunes to texts, should this be required. However, as most
tunes have been carefully matched to their text, such use should
not be seen as an alternative to learning new music.
At its most basic, the metrical index indicates the number of
syllables of each line of text. In verse 1 of Psalm 23, for example,
the first line with its eight syllables is followed by the second line
with six syllables, followed by eight, followed by six. This pattern
is indicated by the formula 86 86. As this is a very common verse
structure, 86 86 is called Common Metre. 88 88 (the metre for Psalm
100) is known as Long Metre. 66 86, the metre of Psalm 67, is called
Short Metre.
All other metres are indicated by their numerals. Thus, `Glory be
to God the Father' has a metre of 87 87 87; while `Abide with Me'
is 12 12 12 10.
Occasionally, a `D' appears either before or after the numerals. This
indicates that the stated metre of the verse is doubled. The Seven
Joys of Mary (340), for example, is described as 'DCM', meaning
Double Common Metre. Here 'DCM' is a convenient abbreviation
for 86 86 86 86.
The word Irregular indicates that the number of syllables in each
line varies throughout the verses and, therefore, there is unlikely
to be another tune which would fit the text. Where no metre
is given, the likelihood is that the text and melody cannot be
separated from each other.
In choosing alternative tunes, matching the syllables of the lines of
a text is not, by itself, completely failsafe: it is also important to
match the rhythm, the pattern of stressed syllables in the text. For
example, `The King of love my Shepherd is' and `In the cross of
Christ I glory' are both 87 87, but the tune of the first, Dominus
Regit Me, does not fit the text of the second, and the tune of the
second, Stuttgart, does not fit the text of the first. Similarly, `For
my
sake and the Gospel's, go' and `Lord, in love and perfect wisdom'
match in metre (87 87D) but not in rhythm, and therefore their
tunes, Bishopgarth and Blaenwern, are not interchangeable. How-
ever, these instances are not unduly common. But, as a safeguard,
a substitute tune should always be sung through to the new text
prior to any act of worship, to ensure it fits both metre and rhythm.
17 Biblical Index
A fairly extensive index of the biblical references in the hymns is
provided. Many of the references amount to direct quotations,
while others resonate with biblical passages.
An attempt has been made to supply individual verses of the hymns
with their own references, but, occasionally, all the references
apply to the whole hymn. Psalms and Paraphrases bear only the
single reference of their source. Parallel passages in the Gospels
are usually given.
18 Amendments to Text
The changing use of language and the changing meaning of words
has led to certain texts being changed, largely to enable the
language to be inclusive of male and female, and to avoid obsolete
usage. Where that has happened, an asterisk * is put before the
name of the text's author or source.
In other cases, where to change the text would be to interfere
to the detriment of the poetry of a text, no amendment has
been made.
19 Unattributed Items
There are some tunes and texts for which source and authorship
has not been traced at the time of publication. Should anyone
be able to supply such information, it should be sent to the
publishers.
FOREWORD
In May 1994, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
gave its Panel on Worship the remit to "Proceed with arrange-
ments for the replacement of The Church Hymnary, Third Edition
(CH3)". A Revision Committee of thirty members was appointed,
drawn from Churches which were members of the Church
Hymnary Trust and from the Trust itself. The Committee, com-
prised of representatives from the Church of Scotland, the United
Free Church of Scotland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and
the Presbyterian Church of Wales, first met in November 1994.
Both the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Presbyterian
Church of Wales later withdrew from the joint project to produce
their own hymn books, but not before giving valuable and much
appreciated help towards the production of this book.
The committee saw its task as combining the best of new
hymnody with the cherished and rich tradition that had nourished
and sustained previous generations, and so sound forth the eternal
gospel in a world constantly changing in customs and culture.
The committee was aware of an outpouring of hymnody in the
United Kingdom and around the globe, which, in fresh and
appealing ways, encapsulated and expressed the vitality and
integrity of the Christian experience of God. The sheer amount
of this wealth of material made an exhaustive review of it
impossible: nevertheless, a wide range of publications, in books
and in manuscripts from all over the world, was perused, and
selections made. Annual reports were made to the General
Assemblies as the book took shape; presbyteries were consulted
both about the scale and shape of the book and about its texts and
tunes; and workshops and consultations were held with individual
congregations. At each stage of its process, the book was approved
by the Church at large; and, when it was complete, it was
authorised for use throughout the Church.
A project of this magnitude could not go forward without the help
and good will of many people, to all of whom the committee now
expresses thanks. In particular, Dr John Kitchen, of
Edinburgh University, acted as music consultant, giving generously
of his time and experience: this is undoubtedly a better book
because of his invaluable contribution. The publisher, Gordon
Knights, and his colleague, Andrew Parker, have dedicated them-
selves to ensuring that the printing and production of the book is
of the highest standards. And, above all, the convener of the
committee, John Bell, who also acted as music editor, gave
unstintingly of his unrivalled knowledge and expertise, and with
his vibrant faith, scholarly gifts, pastoral concern, and warm
humanity inspired the committee throughout its work. To him,
and to all, the Church owes immense gratitude.
Charles Robertson
Secretary
Members of the Committee
lan Alexander, *David Beckett, Christopher Bell, *John Bell,
*Walter Blair, *Ian Bradley, Graeme B. Bruce, *Christine Carson,
Iain Cunningham, *Marion E. Dodd, *M. Leith Fisher,
Douglas Galbraith, Iain Galbraith, Kathryn Galloway, Gwen M. Haggart,
Jared W Hay, *Rita Jackson, T Gwynn Jones, Finlay Macdonald,
Rory Macleod, *Gilleasbuig I. Macmillan, Glendon Macaulay,
`Moyra McCallum, *Ian McCrorie, Robert McGhee,
Michael M. Marsden, Gordon Munro, John E Murdoch,
A. K. M. Rankin, *Colin C. Renwick, *Charles Robertson,
*Helen Scott, A. Douglas Scrimgeour, *Margaret Stein, *Robert Tait,
H. Barkley Wallace, James Weatherhead, *Malcolm J. Wood,
Alexander W Young.
*These members served for the duration or the committee; other members
came and
went by rotation; Robert McGhee died before the end of the committee's
work.
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