Writing Your Own Hymns
There are so many hymns already. Why would
anyone want to write more?
Hymns are like prayers; Christians will continue to
write hymns just as Christians will continue to pray. Here's a hymn
by William Cowper:
My singing is a prayer, O Lord
A prayer of thanks and praise;
In music, Lord, I worship thee;
Thy beauty fills my days.
I give my talents, Lord, to thee,
My mind and heart and voice,
For thou alone art worthy, Lord;
In thee I do rejoice.
Accept the worship of my heart,
Accept my music, too:
Help me to live always for thee,
Lord, keep me strong and true.
O bless me, Lord, and help me sing
Thy love so full and free;
And bless all those who listen, Lord,
Help them to worship thee.
Another insight can be found in an article by Carol
Doran and Thomas Troeger (“Writing hymns as a theologically informed
artistic discipline,” The Hymn, Journal of the HSUS&C,
Carol Doran and Thomas H. Troeger, April 1985, p. 7-11, used
by permission):
Again and again . . . we discover how people respond with power
to what is beautiful. We are not talking here about aesthetes
thrilling to a precious experience, but a heartfelt response of
people glimpsing something of the wonder of God through the rhapsodic
prose of inspired human expression.
. . . beauty is one of the transcendental realities of God and
a primary means by which God draws us to what is true and good.
... we aim to expand [the landscape of the heart]. Afterall,
is that not why we love singing hymns? -- because when we give
ourselves to God in songful praise we see visions of how much
more God made us to be than we are, and in that moment of eternal
perspective we are opened to being the agents of God's justice
and love.
Interviews with Hymn Writers
Interviews with Tune Writers
Interviews with Hymn Writers on Music in Worship
Interviews with Church Musicians
WEB Pages/Sites by Successful Contemporary Hymn Writers
Some Practical Suggestions for Writing Hymns
Timothy
Dudley-Smith (from “What Makes a Good Hymn Text,”
The Hymn, Journal of the HSUS&C,
Timothy Dudley-Smith, January 1985, p. 14-18, used by
permission).
- It must be true to divine revelation in Scripture.
- It must be true to the generality of Christian experience.
- It must spring from some "artistic impression" -- some inner
vision.
Hymn writing is more akin to the practical arts
rather than existing as an artform. A hymn writer is more akin
to an artisan (architect, potter) than an artist.
- It must achieve some standard "technical merit"
-- that is, of execution. And, it must have something to distinguish
it from the half-million or so hymns written thus far.
1. Structure: a pattern of ordered thought.
2. A balance between subjective and objective.
3. A meter suited to its theme.
4. A need for a climax -- something to end the hymn.
5. Good syntax -- (smoothness, complete thoughts within each
line).
6. Good "sound techniques" such as assonance, alliteration
and rhyme.
Brian
Wren (from “Making Your Own Hymn,” Journal
of the
HSGB&I, Bulletin 142 (Vol. IX, May 1978),
Brian Wren, p. 21-38).
- simple to understand
- use language that is near to normal speech
- a memorable 1st line
- use few adjectives, and those that are used are irreplaceable.
- avoid archaic words and phrases; sentimental words;
rare or technical words;
- avoid too much inversion for the sake of rhyme: “Henceforth
thy going out and in God keep for ever will”
- Be critical of your words as spoken (don't be seduced
by the tune). [More on this one later -- DL]
- Be your own most severe critic.
Gracia
Grindal. See Lessons in
Hymnwriting - (Copyright © 2000 by Gracia Grindal
and published by The Hymn Society in the United States
and Canada, Boston, MA 02215. Call 1-800-THE HYMN; 1-800-843-4966).
This is a GREAT resource. You owe it to yourself to call
the Hymn Society and order a copy. Here is the Table of
Contents along with some assignments: [permission requested]
Introduction
Paraphrasing
Form
Peculiar Meter
Caseura, Alliteration, and Rhyme
Rhetorical Schemes
Images and Figures of Speech
the Commonplace in Hymns
Assignments:
Choose a Psalm and paraphrase it into any poetic
form you like.
Take your Psalm and paraphrase it into these meters:
LONG METER (8.8.8.8), COMMON METER (8.6.8.6), SHORT
METER (6.6.8.6).
Now paraphrase your psalm into some “peculiar”
poetic form (a meter which is not contained in your
hymnal).
[Other assignments follow which are based on more
complex poetic considerations.]
Some Exercises in Writing Hymns
Try writing an additional stanza to an existing hymn:
In Christ there is no East or West
All things bright and beautiful
Try setting a short passage of scripture in metered, rhymed
verse. Psalms work well (see Metrical
Psalmody).
Hymn Writing Competitions
Submissions to New Hymnals
New
hymnal slated for 2009. A new hymnal for Baptists—and
other Christian traditions—is slated for release in 2009.
A collaboration of the Townsend-McAfee Institute and Mercer University
Press, the hymnal project will be led by an editorial team of church
musicians who will work with ministers of music, music professors,
pastors and lay leaders in its creation. Heading up the editorial
team are John Simons and Stanley Roberts, both of the Townsend-McAfee
Institute, and Milburn Price, dean of the School of Performing Arts
at Samford University. Baptist layman Thomas McAfee, chairman and
president of Hallmark Systems, will serve as project chairman. Simons,
associate professor of music at Mercer and director of the Townsend-McAfee
Institute, said the hymnal will include great hymns of the Christian
faith, new hymns, spiritual songs, worship music from other cultures,
service music, worship readings, creative worship medleys and worship
planning tools. As a worship resource, the hymnal will include online
updates, CD-ROM database information, production downloads, orchestrations
and instrumental charts. For more information about the new hymnal,
contact Simons at (478) 301-2748 or simons_je@mercer.edu.
Lessons
in Hymnwriting - Gracia Grindal (published by The Hymn
Society in the United States and Canada, Boston, MA 02215. Call
1-800-THE HYMN; 1-800-843-4966)
Articles on Hymn Writing in Academic Journals
“Hymn-Writing for the Twenty-first Century,” Journal
of the HSGB&I,
Bulletin 222 (Vol. XVI, January 2000), Andrew Pratt, p.
17.
“My Hymn-Writing Journey,” The Hymn, Journal of the
HSUS&C, Fred Kaan,
July 1996, p. 13.
“The hymns in Lutheran Worship. Hymn writing and translating,”
Lutheran worship. St. Louis : Concordia Pub House, 1993,
p.488-499.
“For Whom the Bell Toils. [writing "new hymns"; interview
by Emily R Brink of John Bell],” Reformed Worship , Vol.
no 27 (Mr 1993), p. 23-25
“Helps for Aspiring Hymn Writers,” The Hymn, Journal
of the HSUS&C, E.
Margaret Clarkson, April 1991, p. 26.
“What Makes a Good Hymn Text,” The Hymn, Journal of
the HSUS&C, Timothy
Dudley-Smith, January 1985, p. 14.
“Writing Hymns as a Theologically Informed Artistic Discipline,”
The Hymn, Journal of the HSUS&C,
Carol Doran and Thomas H. Troeger, April 1985, p. 7.
“Approaches to Hymn Writing,” The Hymn, Journal of
the HSUS&C, E. Margaret
Clarkson; Carl P. Daw, Jr., April 1984, p. 78.
“Approaches to Writing Hymn Tunes,” The Hymn, Journal
of the HSUS&C, Hampton,
Marshall, Reynolds, Schalk, April, 1984, p. 75.
“Pitfalls in Hymn Writing,” The Hymn, Journal of the
HSUS&C, Gracia Grindal.,
April 1984, p. 82.
“Basic tools for Hymn Writers,” The Hymn, Journal of
the HSUS&C, Austin
Lovelace., April 1984, p. 75.
“Writing Hymn Texts and Tunes: Interviews with Brian Wren
and Peter Cutts,” The Hymn, Journal of the HSUS&C,
April 1984, p. 71.
“What Hymnal Committees Look For,” The Hymn, Journal
of the HSUS&C, Batastini,
Glover, Revell, Vajda, April, 1984.
“Genesis of a Hymn,” Journal of the
HSGB&I, Bulletin 138 (Vol. IX, Sept. 1978), Brian
Wren, p. 39.
“Making Your Own Hymn,” Journal of the
HSGB&I, Bulletin 142 (Vol. IX, May 1978), Brian
Wren, p. 21.
“The Hymn Today: I. The Challenge of the Words,” Journal
of the HSGB&I,
Bulletin 138 (Vol. VIII, January 1977), Brian Wren, p.
197.
“The Hymn Today: II. The Challenge of the Music,” Journal
of the HSGB&I,
Bulletin 138 (Vol. VIII, January 1977), John Wilson, p.
205.
“Language: A Lost Craft Among Hymnwriters,” The Hymn,
Journal of the HSUS&C,
Gracia Grindal, 27:43, April 1976.
“Hymns for the Times,”Journal of the
HSGB&I, Bulletin 142 (Vol. VIII, February 1975),
Raymond Hall, p. 95.
“Hymn writing today,” The Hymn, Journal of the HSUS&C,
Fred Pratt Green, October 1971, p. 118-120.
Looking at the Hymn Tunes: The Objective Factors,
by John Wilson. First appeared as an “Occasional Paper”
of the HSGB&I.
Published by The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, Boston,
MA 02215.
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