THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL

This blog moving to WordPress - changing to HymnWyse

2011-02-18T23:31:00.001-06:00

This is my last post on this blog - I will be moving the archives of this blog to WordPress with a new blog - a continuation and expansion of this blog to include Christian hymnody in general. Please join me at http://hymnwyse.wordpress.com/ Eric

Christmas Caroling

2010-12-23T10:53:00.000-06:00

Last night about12 members of my church choir and I went Christmas caroling, visiting shut-ins from our church. I used the carol books from Hendrickson Publishers A Classic Christmas Caroling Songbook. This is a carol book we produced as The Christian Life Hymnal was in production and is based on the hymnal. It includes "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" that has additional words for verse 2 and 3

Advent & A New Church Year

2010-11-24T23:30:00.000-06:00

This Sunday after Thanksgiving for many begins the season of Advent (if your tradition follows the Church Year), or it may be when you start using Christmas songs in your worship. In my church this Sunday , we will observe the 1st Sunday of Advent. On this day, we will focus on Christ comings - both His first coming in the incarnation, and His final (second) coming to rule and reign one day.

DESCANT #591 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (Tune: St. George's Windsor)

2010-11-16T12:53:00.001-06:00

Here is a descant for Thanksgiving. I am using it this Sunday at my church in a medley of Thanksgiving hymns we will all sing at the offertory, as follows; #591 Come, Ye Thankful People Come, vs. 1 #589 Now Thank We All Our God, vs. 1, 3 (in E flat) #590 We Gather Together, vs. 1 #591 Come, Ye Thankful People Come, vs. 4 with descant Available in Key of F as well. Almighty and gracious Father,

Guest blog by Allison Lynn

2010-10-21T22:58:00.005-05:00

Keith Getty Inspiration! I just watched a great interview with Keith Getty (of "In Christ Alone*" fame). He and Nashville worship leader, Eric Wyse, were interviewed by the director of Lifeway Worship about songwriting, music planning, and art in worship. The whole thing is quite brilliant, but here are a few of my favourite moments: - Keith talked about a creative approach to Sunday worship,

Recent customer reviews from Christianbook.com

2010-07-26T20:18:00.001-05:00

5 out of 5 starsReviewed by Joyce (Huntsville, AL), July 15, 2010 Just what we needed. Has old & new which we love. We have a small church with a new beginning and these will work great for us. Hope to need to order more in the near future. 5 out of 5 starsReviewed by Keith (Hurricane, WV), June 14, 2010 I am a hymnal collector, and I have over 20 different hymnals in my collection. Though I

GOD OF OUR FATHERS #597

2010-07-08T11:38:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday (July 4), our recessional hymn was "God of Our Fathers," #597in The Christian Life Hymnal. This hymn is found in the NATIONAL HYMNS section. Here is a reharmonization for organ/piano accompaniment with unison voice and descant.

Praise Ye the Triune God (Tune: FLEMMING) #8

2010-06-06T23:40:00.001-05:00

I recall learning "Praise Ye the Triune God' (Tune: FLEMMING, #8 in Christian Life Hymnal) during high school, and it has always been a favorite hymn. I used it at my church last Sunday, which was Trinity Sunday. Here is the score in PDF of Praise Ye the Triune God in the Key of G with a descant. You can use the modulation chart in the back of the accompanist edition to transition from the Key

New Communion/Maundy Thursday/Good Friday Hymn: "Dear Jesus, Thou Did Favor"

2010-03-29T01:38:00.002-05:00

This morning for our Passion Sunday I used a new hymn, written since The Christian LIfe Hymnal was published. I composed the hymn tune (which I have named CEDAR LANE) to an existing text in our hymnbook in 2001 but in 2008 my wife Dawn Rodgers and I wrote 3 stanzas of a new text, and incorporated one stanza attributed to John Donne. I am posting it here, and giving you permission to reproduce it

#6 I Bind Unto Myself Today (Tune: ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE)

2010-03-17T13:36:00.001-05:00

On this day honoring St. Patrick (c. 386 -469), we look at one of the earliest hymns in Christianity "I Bind Unto Myself Today", #6 in The Christian Life Hymnal. Based on text by St. Patrick, the words were adapted by Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander in 1889. The Christian Life Hymnal contains 4 other hymn texts by Alexander, (the Christmas carol "Once in Royal David's City," "All Things Bright

TOM HOWARD (1950 - 2010)

2010-02-15T13:05:00.002-06:00

My dear friend, associate music director at St. Bartholomew's, keyboardist, conductor/orchestrator, and composer Tom Howard died two weeks ago. He was taking a walk in a local park with his wife, Dori, and suffered a fatal heart attack. Tom composed, with Darrell Harris, "It Is Finished" #629 in The Christian Life Hymnal. This is a Memorial Acclamation that we have used at my church in communion

About the Hymnal from Darrell Harris

2009-12-12T11:52:00.002-06:00

Darrell Harris wrote the following about The Christian Life Hymnal a few days ago.Martin Luther said "Music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul." Seldom is that more evident than in a well put together hymnal. And Jesus said "Every scribe that has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and

Review of THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL in THE ORGAN by David Baker

2009-10-15T22:12:00.001-05:00

I found an on-line review of The Christian Life Hymnal by David Baker in THE ORGAN recently.This North American-published collection of 641 hymns combines old and new in a useful anthology that will complement hymnals with a more UK-centric approach. There are many popular tunes and texts from this side of the Atlantic, but a good many also that were unknown to me that could usefully be added to

DESCANT: Ye Servants of God (Tune: Hanover) #209

2009-10-11T01:17:00.001-05:00

Anglican clergyman, co-founder (with his brother John) of Methodism, and prolific hymnwriter Charles Wesley wrote the text to #209 "Ye Servants of God" in 1744. It is set to the tune HANOVER, attributed to William Croft. The tune HANOVER also works very well with the text "O Worship the King" (#10). Here is a descant for Hanover, with the Wesley text as found in The Christian Life Hymnal,

Paul Ferrin's AN OLD FASHIONED HYMN SING welcomes THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL

2009-09-28T17:42:00.055-05:00

Last Friday night at Living Hope Church in Colorado Springs, Paul Ferrin's AN OLD FASHIONED HYMN SING celebrated its 10th Anniversary of twice yearly city-wide hymns sings introducing THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL as the new hymnal for use at the gatherings. In spite of a change of venue, a large crowd gathered and sang for 2 hours from the hymnal. Joining Paul was Marjorie, his wife, at the organ,

#354 "Come, Labor On"

2009-09-04T22:05:00.001-05:00

I've chosen for the recessional hymn at my church this Sunday #354 "Come, Labor On," text by Jane Laurie Borthwick (translator of the hymn text "Be Still, My Soul"), 1859, set to the tune ORA LABORA by T. Tertius Noble (then organist/choirmaster at St. Thomas Church, New York) in 1918.It was only after the bulletin was printed yesterday did I realize the choice of this hymn fell on Labor Day

DESCANT: For All the Saints

2009-08-05T19:54:00.000-05:00

Last Friday morning, we closed the funeral service of a long-time church member and husband of our church bookstore manager) with "For All the Saints" (#547 in The Christian Life Hymnal). Sine Nomine is the hymn tune setting written by Ralph Vaughan Williams for the 1906 edition of The English Hymnal. Here is the descant the choir sang on the last verse.

TOP 100 HYMNS project

2009-08-04T11:40:00.001-05:00

I recently responded to a survey asking for people's Top 10 hymns. The results were compiled into a TOP 100 hymns list. Here is a recent blog from the list about the hymn "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven", #56 on the list. This hymn, set to the tune LAUDA ANIMA by John Goss is #12 in The Christian Life Hymnal. In the editorial process for the hymnal, we choose to include the 4th stanza,

DESCANT: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Tune: Ein Fest Burg) #22

2009-07-24T16:18:00.002-05:00

The very first descant I encountered was in HYMNS FOR THE FAMILY OF GOD, edited by one of my hymnody hero's Fred Bock, and published in 1976 by Paragon Music. I attended PraiseGathering, hosted by Bill Gaither in Cincinnati, OH as a freshman in college and was given (in the conference packet) a paperback edition of the newly published hymnal. Later that year, I arranged an a cappella version of

Descants for Hymns in THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL

2009-07-13T13:48:00.003-05:00

Nothing makes a hymn soar, in my estimation, like a well-written, and beautifully sung descant. If you're not familiar with what a descant is, it is a counter melody, typically sung by the sopranos (trebles in English Cathedrals), and sometimes joined by the tenors, on the last verse of a hymn (or refrain) to give the hymn a lift. I use them frequently in my own worship planning - virtually

The Hymnal as Textbook

2009-06-05T23:38:00.000-05:00

Brian Dunbar, Associate Professor of Music at Crossroads College, Rochester, MN graciously wrote the following:I have taught "Theology and Practice of Worship" at Crossroads College on an alternate year schedule for the past 14 years. Since hymnology is an important component of the course, a good hymnal is required. I had grown weary of the hymnals we had used in past years, so I went to a local

The Hymnal as a Choral Anthem Book

2009-06-03T21:43:00.013-05:00

One of the most cost-effective, and also musically satisfying, means of music for a church choir can be found in the hymnal. I was reminded of this just this week when The Chamber Singers (a 16 voice auditioned mixed voice choir we started last fall) sang "God Be in My Head" (#635) in The Christian Life Hymnal during their Spring Concert Sunday evening at our church.I first encountered this

Pentecost Sunday, May 31

2009-05-28T23:33:00.004-05:00

This Sunday, May 31, is 50 days after Easter, when we celebrate Pentecost. In my church, we hang large scarlet red cloth banners all around the entrance to the church, that blow beautifully in the wind, to signify the fire of the Holy Spirit that fell at Pentecost. We also all are encouraged to wear red! (That's why this post is red.)And we celebrate this Sunday as the birth of the church. Our

An Ascension Sunday update

2009-05-21T01:10:00.013-05:00

One of the musicians at my church sent me a new hymn he and his wife wrote - their first "co-hymnwriting" experience. They composed a wonderful melody, unison with organ accompaniment (in the vein of Stanford's ENGLEBERG - "When in Our Music God Is Glorified" #56 in The Christian Life Hymnal). We'll be using it Sunday at my church. I asked him if I could share the lyrics. If you'd like the music

The Ascension and Ascension Sunday

2009-05-18T22:57:00.015-05:00

Thursday, May 21 is 40 days after Easter, when the book of The Acts of the Apostles tells us Jesus ascended to heaven. Most churches who follow the Church Year will celebrate the Ascension on Sunday, May 24. In addition to the Ascension Hymns in the hymnal, #193 - 209, there are other hymns listed in the Church Year Index (page 661), including:All Hail the Power (tunes: Coronation, Diadem, Miles

Entry on HymnWiki.org

2009-05-11T21:45:00.009-05:00

Christian Life Hymnal, 2006This is a hymnal edited by Eric Wyse, a Tennessee church musician employed by an Anglican church, and published by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. in 2006. It is not denominational in focus.It contains 641 numbered items, of which the first 607 are hymns or songs and the remainder are service music. The collection features fewer recent hymns and fewer one-stanza "Praise

A CAPPELLA CONGREGATIONAL SINGING

2009-05-07T19:24:00.025-05:00

I recently wrote a paper on a cappella singing in church - something I feel is very important. In THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL, all but a handful of the hymns are in 4 part harmony, which makes them much easier to sing a cappella. In fact, all of the modern worship songs are scored that way, rather than melody and accompaniment. Hearing "As the Deer," "On Eagle's Wings," or

"THE RISEN CHRIST" HYMN #189

2009-04-29T18:46:00.013-05:00

One of the modern hymns included in The Christian Life Hymnal is "The Risen Christ", written by Phil Madeira & Keith Getty. While it is appropriate any time of the year, in this season of Easter it is especially fitting. Not only is the melody singable, memorable, and interesting, but the lyric is Trinitarian in form, with the final verse a Trinitarian Doxology.Verse 1 invokes the Holy Spirit ("O

AN OLD FASHIONED HYMN SING

2009-04-18T16:15:00.013-05:00

This testimonial came in recently from my good friend Paul Ferrin - Paul has been active in church music for many years, publishing choral and piano arrangements for many publishers. He was a Minister of Music for many years at Bethel Church in San Jose, CA and now lives in Colorado Springs. Here's what he had to say about the hymnal:My wife, Marjorie and I are privileged to host "Old Fashioned

Here's what people are saying about the ACCOMPANIST EDITION (reviews from ChristianBook.com)

2009-04-14T12:40:00.006-05:00

Customer ReviewsAverage Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5 out of 5 stars Reviewed by HOLLY BAIRD (Zurich, Montana), January 01, 2009I definitely agree with the other 5 star reviews of this accompaniment edition! I would like to add that the music is written in very easy to understand format, without complicated score, which is helpful when one needs to pick up a new tune quickly. I highly recommend to

ANOTHER REVIEW...

2008-10-31T00:07:00.011-05:00

Great review on the CBD website on the hymnal:5 out of 5 stars Reviewed by Grace Bible Baptist Church (Accokeek, MD), October 24, 2008There are several reasons we chose and why you should choose The Christian Life Hymnal. The most important reason is these hymns are true to God's Word. Each hymn gives a scripture reference that inspired or backs up it's message. Frankly, I am amazed at the value

Accompanist Edition goes to press

2008-02-22T17:35:00.006-06:00

I have just finished the final proof of the ACCOMPANIST EDITION for THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL and it is headed to press. Once I know the date it is available I'll post it here. The Accompanist edition is 8 1/2" x 11" , 5 hole punch, with larger typeset, and guitar/bass chords for every hymn. It also includes a guitar chord grid (finger position for every chord) and modulation charts to and from

REVIEW: The Living Church 15 July 2007

2007-07-25T16:18:00.003-05:00

Review in THE LIVING CHURCH (An Independent Weekly Supporting Catholic Anglicanism):THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNALHendrickson Publishers. Pp 668. $9.95ISBN 1565639529Every hymnal errs in one direction or another. And there is no perfect hymnal (except, apparently, according to some people in the pew, the one that has just been replaced by the latest model!) The Christian Life Hymnal is no exception.

Welcome to THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL blog

2007-01-11T17:07:00.002-06:00

About THE CHRISTIAN LIFE HYMNAL...CLASSIC HYMNS INSPIRED THROUGH THE CENTURIES - BROUGHT TOGETHER IN ONE EXTRAORDINARY MODERN HYMNAL.The Christian Life Hymnal is a work of outstanding breadth and depth, brought to you by Hendrickson Worship, a division of Hendrickson Publishers, known for premium scholarly publications for the academic biblical studies community and quality books, Bibles, and