Hymn Blog - May 24, 2009

VU 390 – How Great the Mystery of Faith. Born in London, England in 1936, author Brian Wren now lives in the United States, where he is Emeritus Professor of Worship at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. Author of nine volumes of hymns, plus several books on worship and hymnody, Wren is represented in most contemporary hymn books. There are 18 Wren texts in Voices United and 4 in More Voices.  The tune, OTTERSPOOR, is by Ron Klusmeier (see note for VU 427, below).

MV 187 – We Give Our Thanks. This is a traditional song from Botswana. The original words were translated by the great Taiwanese hymnologist I-to Loh, who is a retired professor of Worship, Church Music and Ethnomusicology at Tainan Theological College & Seminary, also an adjunct Professor of Worship & Church Music at the Southeast Asian Graduate School of Theology. He was the editor of Sound the Bamboo: CCA Hymnal 2000. The simple structure invites improvisation of text, which we have done.

MV 165 – There Is a Time. American Carolyn McDade is well known for her songs of personal and social transformation. We have recently used two other of her compositions, “O Beautiful Gaia” and “Song of Community.” The arrangement is by Lydia Pederson, former music director at Royal York Road United Church, and active member of the Hymn Society.

VU 679 – Let There Be Light. We use the second stanza of this beautiful prayer hymn as our prayer response. Canadian poet Frances Wheeler Davis wrote the text and Canadian composer Robert Fleming wrote the lovely tune CONCORD.

VU 427 – To Show by Touch and Word. This closing hymn was written by Fred Kaan (see May 17 hymn blog) in 1974 and appeared in his collection Break Not the Circle. The tune, LODWICK, was composed for this text by well known United Church musician Ron Klusmeier, who serves the congregation of Knox United Church in Parksville, British Columbia as Minister of Music. A prolific composer, Klusmeier has 17 of his tunes in Voices United and 10 in More Voices.