Evening star., 1949-10-30
Great Hymns
Selected on
Monthly Basis
By Alice Eversmon

UlldU tllCy WILL UC uScO Ill ClQUSs
schools, service organizations.
broadcasts and community sings
as well as in the churches.
The hymn selected for the
month of November is Now
Thank We All Our God" to the
tune Nun Danket," composed by
the 17th century Johann Cruger,
with text by Martin Rinkert in
Catherine Winkworth's transla-
ton. The appropriateness Of the
text for the great Thanksgiving
holiday of this month is apparent.
Rinkert's "Te Deum." used on all
occasions of national thanksgiving
in Germany. has been introduced
by Mendelssohn into his Hymn
of Praise"
The December hymn will be the
beloved 20 Come. All Ye Faith
full" and for January has been
chosen Brightest and Best of the
Sons of the Morning" the music
by the renowned John P. Hard
ing of Britain's Chapel Royal and
the text by Reginald Heber.
Bishop of Calcutta in the late
18th century.
Hymns for Other Months.
February's sacred song will bs
20 Worship the King" with music
attributed to Michael Haydn, while
March will have 20 Sacred Head
Surrounded" the words by the
sweetest of German hymnists,"
Paul Gerhardt. and the music,
harmonized later by Bach. by
Nuremberg's greatest musician.
Hans Hassler. April's selection Is
"All Glory, Laud and Honor" and
that of May, Charles Wesley's
Come, Thou Almighty King" to
the Italian hymn by Felice de
Ciardini.
The revised version of the
Hebrew text, The God OF
Abraham Praise" to traditional
melody will be used in June and
the Scotch Presbyterian hymn
20 Love That Will Not Let Me
Go" has been selected for July.
The August selection rounding
out the year, which began in Sep
tember, is 20 Master, Let Me Walk
With Thee" words by Washing
ton GLADDEN. and tune by Henry
Percy Smith.
The focusing of attention on
the hymns of the church and
their incorporation into daily life
is more necessary today than ever
before. But long ago st. Paul
| in one of his epistles. gave in
struction how to sing when he
wrote Teaching and admonish-
ing one another with psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs. sing
ing with grace in your hearts unto
the Lord" And later: II will
sing with the spirit and I will
sing with the understanding"
On the Structure Of Hymns.
w. Garrett Horder. giving .
definition of q good hymn. says
| it should at least in some one
part be addressed to the Divine
Being. It seems to me that
hymns of the noblest type should
be composition addressed in the
way of praise. confession, or .
communion to the great Object
of all worship" Nearly all the
hymns selected by the Federation
were written in the 18th century
or earlier. They have retained
their vitality and appeal to this
day and have not been surpassed
by later composers. Although
contests in hymn writing have
been held. no mastery works Of
this kind have been forthcoming.
The contemporary idiom in COM
position does not lend itself to the
simplicity and sentiment needed
for general appreciation. II
However. Rev. Thaddeus Clapp,
rector of, st. Marks Church In
Worcester. Mass, seeks to en-
courage the employment Of the
contemporary character Of music
in the religious field. He has
commissioned the music depart
ment of the Institute Of Contem-
porary Arts to compose a set Of
masses Gin a modern idiom for use
in a small parish and having in
mind congregational participation
in the singing of the ordinary Of
the mass" He is anxious Ito
have the church use contemporary
art forms and experimentation Is
the only way to get anything
going" The English text will be
preferred although adaptation to
the Latin words will be made as
well. The work has already start
ed by the composers in residence.
Robert Evett and William Graves,
and six of their advanced students.
It will be ready in December and
will be given a laboratory" per-
formance before being sent on to
Worcester. .-.1
Spiritual Help Necessary.
The political trend of the times
has made people realize the need
for spiritual help. The old hymns
embody mans reliance on Divine
assistance and this basic rule of
religious writing cannot be over
looked in whatever modern dress
may be given the music. Were
our composers to dedicate them
selves more to the writing Of mu-
sic with religious content, tho
spirit of the world would be
strengthened. It is with this
thought in view that the Fedora
tion advocates the adoption Of q
special hymn each month and il
now sponsoring a recording, Of its
selections by the Westminster
Choir, with narration by Mrs.
Royden j. Keith. president of the
Federation. who was nationally
known. under her maiden name
OF Marie Morrisey, as an oratorio
singer