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Books by Nancy L Graham
Lexington Fortress Press, 2023
Biography of Erik Reginald Routley Preface Erik Routley made important cont... more Biography of Erik Reginald Routley
Preface
Erik Routley made important contributions in so many areas that writing this book has required a constant refocusing to keep this his biography and not a summation of his legacy. The story here is about the life of Erik Routley. It is not about Oxford, Westminster Choir College, the United Reformed Church, music and theology, or even detective novels. He, like most of us, was a product of his upbringing and education. Erik was happily married and fathered three children. He had a dog and a cat. He put up with car problems, housing repairs, financial worries, and was concerned about the well-being of his wife, Margaret, and the futures of Nicholas, Patrick, and Priscilla. Erik wasn’t raised a Calvinist, but he learned the Shorter Catechism and understood that his duty and delight was to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
The intensely private Dr. Routley was enigmatic and beyond labels. He could not even be defined by nationality; though he happily lived in Great Britain for nearly 58 years and never gave up his citizenship, he led a rich life in Princeton for the last seven. His colleagues in the UK, saw a Reformed churchman, preacher, and writer with a deep understanding of hymns. Though he was a member of the RSCM, an organist, and composer, those pursuits always took place outside of his ministerial and tutorial obligations. In the US, his grateful audiences saw him as a superb and remarkable musician and hymnologist who happened to be an ordained minister. At Princeton Theological Seminary and Westminster Choir College, Routley found the chance to work in an academic environment, supporting students who wanted to learn what he wanted to teach: hymnody and liturgy, as well as his theological assertion that musicians and preachers are collaborative artists in service to the Gospel. In both countries it was his self-deprecating ebullient optimism, ready wit, distain of lazy mediocrity, subtle compassion, and profound faith that made people listen. But it was his straightforward and pragmatic approach to life, his biting criticism, and casual editing that prompted many in Britain to begrudge his move to the US, and the Americans to resent what they saw as an arrogant judgement of their culture. This book will attempt to reconcile these perceptions into one unique figure, flawed, yes, but extraordinarily important.
Erik largely tells his own story here. Prolific in every aspect of literary output, it was widely known, in that letter-writing age, that Routley easily shared his thoughts in correspondence and that he famously typed an immediate response to every letter. In the Foreword to the revised Panorama of Christian Hymnody, Alan Luff ponders the existence of these letters and in the case of those with John Wilson, their relevance to 20th century hymnody. Finding those letters was where I started, and, fortunately, they were not difficult to uncover. Routley saved few personal documents but, thankfully, his close friends, John Wilson, Geoffrey Beck, and Caryl Micklem did. Palace Green Library at Durham University holds over 400 letters to John W. Wilson in the Fred Pratt Green Collection. Micklem and Beck letters are with the Routley Papers at Talbott Library as well as private collections. The voices of many colleagues provide anecdotal details in interviews collected in the Unites States and England by Nancy Wicklund Gray from 1997 to 2004. Throughout the book I use ‘Erik’ when he's involved with a personal or informal situation, and ‘Routley’ when the narrative deals with his professional capacities. Material quoted from letters retains the same grammatical usage and spelling as the original. The Bibliography lists the sources read or consulted, but in the case of journals, the entire citation is in the appropriate footnote.
Routley’s Mansfield has disappeared and so has his Westminster Choir College; Congregationalism is barely recognizable, and the URC is a struggling denomination. Yet, Routley’s assessment of the music of theology and the theology of music was developed through whatever these institutions had to offer, and his conclusions are prophetic and timeless. I don’t think that Routley would be dispirited or discouraged by these changes but energized to see what great thing comes next.
Nancy L. Graham
Mobile, Alabama
January 2023
ExtendEducation, 2020
https://extendeducation.co.uk/our-resources/social-cultural-anthropology-testprep-workbook-sl-hl/
Enlivening the Faith, June Boyce-Tillman, ed, Peter Lang, Ltd, 2019
Every Thursday night for nearly twenty years, a diverse group of 30-100 people gather for worship... more Every Thursday night for nearly twenty years, a diverse group of 30-100 people gather for worship and a meal in a midtown Memphis church. The service is short and loosely follows the Presbyterian litugy: an opening hymn, a sentence or two of confession and prayer, and an acclamation of pardon are followed by a statement of peace and symbolically passing this peace through the handshakes of those assembled. The second section begins with another hymn and contains a scripture selection and short sermon. After a third hymn, an invitation is issued to a communion table with the Eucharist taken by intinction. The irregularity of this service, is that it is not comprised of members of the host church, but primarily filled with the men, women, and children of the streets of Memphis. The leaders of the service are all volunteer lay persons, with an ordained minister who presides over the communion. If there is no minister available, the the service proceeds with more prayers and songs, but no communion. Stereotypes of the homeless are a difficult challenge to surmount, even with well-meaning leadership. For many years the hymns were selected from the denominational hymnal in the pews, led by the accompanist at the piano with his/her back to the audience. These hymns were chosen nearly at random, and, though willing, very few attendees even attempted to sing. The service was flat and a place for the street folk to come into for warmth in winter or relief from the brutal Memphis heat and humidity during the long summer. The congregation represents the least ones that Jesus spoke of and consequently demands more respectful attention from the worship leaders in order to release the spirituality buried in their souls. Out of desperation, a change in liturgy and music presentation was suggested and applied about three years ago. Using the sensitive words of liturgies from the Iona Community, participatory readings and prayers were inserted and call and response and echo songs replaced the wordy verses and complex hymn tunes. For the singing, the musician stands in front of the worshipers and leads the hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs with an unaccompanied, face-to-face manner using physical gestures and expressions to encourage a corporate synergy. No hymnals, no paper, no projections. As with many 'simple' modifications, a more focused preparation of the singing is required, but the results are abundantly fruitful. The group now sings in community with the host church resulting in an almost palpable spirituality. Though the weather is still a factor, the people return, week after week, and look forward to sharing their voices. Digital technology effectively changed Christian worship services from provincial cultural events to ones of global impact and inclusion. The directives of the Roman Catholic services stemming from the Second Vatican council of the early 1960s led to major changes of the music within the services of all sects and denominations. An important difference is that the organ and the piano are no longer the assumed instruments of choice for accompanying congregational singing. After fifty years of incendiary conflict over music within the churches, worship
Identifying the roots of African American spirituals and other religious folk music has intrigued... more Identifying the roots of African American spirituals and other religious folk music has intrigued academics, hymnologists and song leaders since this genre came to the public eye in 1867. The conversation on origins has waned and waxed for over eighty years, sometimes polemical, sometimes compromising. They Bear Acquaintance looks at this discussion through the output of various well-regarded researchers of the twentieth century. The effects of cultural distinctions, immigration patterns and class structure have all left their imprint on the anatomy of the music. No one living has ever heard a spiritual performed in an authentic setting, so misconceptions abound. Pre-dating the American Civil War and achieving global attention in the Civil Rights movement, the spirituals soften the edges of difficult situations, and speak gently, yet poignantly, to human struggles. The book also pinpoints new material from a wide range of sources in the twenty-first century that will preserve and affirm this music for many years to come.
150 African American spirituals set in concordance with the readings of the Revised Common Lectio... more 150 African American spirituals set in concordance with the readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. This is an excellent tool for incorporating spirituals into a worship service. References and sources are included.
Papers by Nancy L Graham
Range of information resources quiz. Graham, Nancy and Gwinnett, Beth (2006) Range of information... more Range of information resources quiz. Graham, Nancy and Gwinnett, Beth (2006) Range of information resources quiz. [Teaching Resource]. ... Department: Library Services. Projects: BRUM Project. Keywords: Information skills, research skills, information resources. ...
Lecture, New Brunswick Theological Seminary. March 9, 2022, 2022
Nancy Graham, the 2021-2022 Poppen-Young Fellow in Reformed Worship at the Reformed Church Center... more Nancy Graham, the 2021-2022 Poppen-Young Fellow in Reformed Worship at the Reformed Church Center, is writing a biography on Routley and his massive work in the fields of Biblical studies, liturgics, theology, and hymnody. Her work on the fellowship is a small piece of that, looking at the Englishman’s involvement with the RCA hymnal, one of his last large projects, and his impact on congregational song in the US. She will present results of her research on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 11:00 am in the program “What We Still Owe Erik Routley.” A response to her presentation will be given by James Hart Brumm, Director of the Reformed Church Center and General Editor of the Historical Series of the Reformed Church in America, who has written and presented extensively on Reformed hymnody and Routley’s work.
Songs have long been the means for people to create and celebrate their identity; it's a human th... more Songs have long been the means for people to create and celebrate their identity; it's a human thing, according to hymnwriter John Bell. as any singer knows, the act of singing the song produces a spiritual connection with the surrounding situation be it the open air, a classroom or a house of worship. During this time of pandemic anxiety and confusion, singing has been effectively banned as a colossal conduit for infection. There's been much discussion, anger and disbelief with the constraints placed upon this social and singular method of communicating. The body of this paper deals with this aspect of humanity and its agency. Though we are inactive at the moment, none of the means for effective social connection to spirituality through singing have changed. The evolution and development of music-making and its relationship to language and the metaphysical have puzzled and challenged researchers of all scientific disciplines. Darwin's observations on music-making deal mostly with the sounds of a variety of species made during what humans would term highly emotional times, i.e.danger, mating, care of the young. He suggests that a deep principle of inherited associations enable musical tones to call up strong emotions of a long past age, however vague or indefinite. Darwin proposed that the evolution of singing and that of language were closely related. He thought that speech evolved from singing. Within the modern sciences, Studies in music-making have been numerous, but hardly conclusive. In A Million Years of Music, Gary Tomlinson states, "Musicking came about via capacities that enabled the formalization of protomusic, protolanguage, and protodiscourse. The
Christian Congregational Music Conference Local and Global Perspectives Ripon College Cuddeson, O... more Christian Congregational Music Conference
Local and Global Perspectives
Ripon College Cuddeson, Oxford
July 2019
Congregational interaction through singing is, by now, a fairly traditional part of a Christian worship service. Singing is first and foremost sound, and printed and projected text are imperfect media for transmission (Alice Parker). A challenge to spirituality in Christian churches is that their congregations tend not to sing. The dilemma today lies in encouraging non-musicians to join in the song. Many urban churches hold services for homeless and street people. Just getting to church is as much as many in this type of congregation can manage. These people are marginalized in nearly every way possible. Organs, instruments, and hymnals are reminders of their vocal disenfranchisement. Stereotypes of the homeless are a difficult challenge to surmount, even with well-meaning leadership. Such barriers to singing in community can stymy the valuable human connection for these under-resourced worshipers. An alternative arrives through paperless music. Paperless music is not a genre of music, but a teaching style and a way of singing. Certain types of compositions are more suited for this teaching method, and some retooling of technique is necessary for the leader. Songs with simple melody taught phrase by phrase, layered songs with two or more parts, rounds and canons, call-and-response and echo songs work well. This last type is the easiest to teach as the leader sings a line and the congregation repeats it back.
This paper will focus on the techniques, repertoire, and success of this style of delivery.
Foundation Theology, 2015
This is a concise look at the reception history of African American spirituals from 1867 through ... more This is a concise look at the reception history of African American spirituals from 1867 through 2015. It stems from research into the origins of the genre in relation to the many influences in the United States from the early colonial period and the challenges encountered in their preservation. As with any other oral history, legend and myth abound. Objectivity is fleeting and is often clouded by racism and emotion. Scholarly attention, scarce since the Civil Rights Movement, has begun to untangle the threads of provenance.
This traces origins of spirituals. Myths, emotion, nostalgia and reception history are explored.
Features 150 African American spirituals found in mainstream English language hymnals. These are... more Features 150 African American spirituals found in mainstream English language hymnals. These are set to the readings of the Revised Common Lectionary, Years A,B, and C.
C.S. Lewis and his times, published in Foundation Theology, 2007
Conference Presentations by Nancy L Graham
In 2021, any distinctions between denominational or geographical hymnodies in the Englishspeaking... more In 2021, any distinctions between denominational or geographical hymnodies in the Englishspeaking world are barely perceptible. Cultural origins are often only obvious by the names of the hymnwriters and composers. If a given Christian community wants to modify its worshiping hymnody, contemporary resources easily enable these changes. But in the second half of the 20 th century, passionate and divisive arguments concerning suitable music in worship were prominent in all congregations. Fortunately, after sixty years of experimentation and often volatile quarrels, new norms have developed. This roundtable will look at the Dunblane Music Consultations from 1962-1969 and their role as a catalyst to the breadth of 21 st century hymnody. The oft-used phrase "hymn explosion" stems from these unique meetings with clergy and musicians and their persistent conviction to find original hymnody that was appropriate to their times. Most of the information here is neither new nor original, but I present it as a revisiting of an important and relevant element of contemporary hymnody that has slipped into history.
I.A.H Publications, Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Hymnologie (IAH) eV, 2017
A look at the contributions of George Pullen Jackson, JHK Nketia, cross reference from Africa, Wi... more A look at the contributions of George Pullen Jackson, JHK Nketia, cross reference from Africa, Willie Ruff, Jim Opala, Don Yoder and Pennsylvania spirituals and author's own research
Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakelands Ranch, Florida Introducing the hymns of the volume through... more Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakelands Ranch, Florida
Introducing the hymns of the volume through singing and history
Adult Retreat, Idlewild Presbyterian Church, February 2012 Sources of the spirituals and using... more Adult Retreat, Idlewild Presbyterian Church, February 2012
Sources of the spirituals and using them in Christian Worship
March 2005 Trinity College, Oxford University Centre for Reception History of the Bible Women... more March 2005 Trinity College, Oxford University
Centre for Reception History of the Bible
Women of the New Testament in Music
Drafts by Nancy L Graham
Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland July 2022
Lexington Fortress Press, 2023
Biography of Erik Reginald Routley Preface Erik Routley made important cont... more Biography of Erik Reginald Routley
Preface
Erik Routley made important contributions in so many areas that writing this book has required a constant refocusing to keep this his biography and not a summation of his legacy. The story here is about the life of Erik Routley. It is not about Oxford, Westminster Choir College, the United Reformed Church, music and theology, or even detective novels. He, like most of us, was a product of his upbringing and education. Erik was happily married and fathered three children. He had a dog and a cat. He put up with car problems, housing repairs, financial worries, and was concerned about the well-being of his wife, Margaret, and the futures of Nicholas, Patrick, and Priscilla. Erik wasn’t raised a Calvinist, but he learned the Shorter Catechism and understood that his duty and delight was to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
The intensely private Dr. Routley was enigmatic and beyond labels. He could not even be defined by nationality; though he happily lived in Great Britain for nearly 58 years and never gave up his citizenship, he led a rich life in Princeton for the last seven. His colleagues in the UK, saw a Reformed churchman, preacher, and writer with a deep understanding of hymns. Though he was a member of the RSCM, an organist, and composer, those pursuits always took place outside of his ministerial and tutorial obligations. In the US, his grateful audiences saw him as a superb and remarkable musician and hymnologist who happened to be an ordained minister. At Princeton Theological Seminary and Westminster Choir College, Routley found the chance to work in an academic environment, supporting students who wanted to learn what he wanted to teach: hymnody and liturgy, as well as his theological assertion that musicians and preachers are collaborative artists in service to the Gospel. In both countries it was his self-deprecating ebullient optimism, ready wit, distain of lazy mediocrity, subtle compassion, and profound faith that made people listen. But it was his straightforward and pragmatic approach to life, his biting criticism, and casual editing that prompted many in Britain to begrudge his move to the US, and the Americans to resent what they saw as an arrogant judgement of their culture. This book will attempt to reconcile these perceptions into one unique figure, flawed, yes, but extraordinarily important.
Erik largely tells his own story here. Prolific in every aspect of literary output, it was widely known, in that letter-writing age, that Routley easily shared his thoughts in correspondence and that he famously typed an immediate response to every letter. In the Foreword to the revised Panorama of Christian Hymnody, Alan Luff ponders the existence of these letters and in the case of those with John Wilson, their relevance to 20th century hymnody. Finding those letters was where I started, and, fortunately, they were not difficult to uncover. Routley saved few personal documents but, thankfully, his close friends, John Wilson, Geoffrey Beck, and Caryl Micklem did. Palace Green Library at Durham University holds over 400 letters to John W. Wilson in the Fred Pratt Green Collection. Micklem and Beck letters are with the Routley Papers at Talbott Library as well as private collections. The voices of many colleagues provide anecdotal details in interviews collected in the Unites States and England by Nancy Wicklund Gray from 1997 to 2004. Throughout the book I use ‘Erik’ when he's involved with a personal or informal situation, and ‘Routley’ when the narrative deals with his professional capacities. Material quoted from letters retains the same grammatical usage and spelling as the original. The Bibliography lists the sources read or consulted, but in the case of journals, the entire citation is in the appropriate footnote.
Routley’s Mansfield has disappeared and so has his Westminster Choir College; Congregationalism is barely recognizable, and the URC is a struggling denomination. Yet, Routley’s assessment of the music of theology and the theology of music was developed through whatever these institutions had to offer, and his conclusions are prophetic and timeless. I don’t think that Routley would be dispirited or discouraged by these changes but energized to see what great thing comes next.
Nancy L. Graham
Mobile, Alabama
January 2023
ExtendEducation, 2020
https://extendeducation.co.uk/our-resources/social-cultural-anthropology-testprep-workbook-sl-hl/
Enlivening the Faith, June Boyce-Tillman, ed, Peter Lang, Ltd, 2019
Every Thursday night for nearly twenty years, a diverse group of 30-100 people gather for worship... more Every Thursday night for nearly twenty years, a diverse group of 30-100 people gather for worship and a meal in a midtown Memphis church. The service is short and loosely follows the Presbyterian litugy: an opening hymn, a sentence or two of confession and prayer, and an acclamation of pardon are followed by a statement of peace and symbolically passing this peace through the handshakes of those assembled. The second section begins with another hymn and contains a scripture selection and short sermon. After a third hymn, an invitation is issued to a communion table with the Eucharist taken by intinction. The irregularity of this service, is that it is not comprised of members of the host church, but primarily filled with the men, women, and children of the streets of Memphis. The leaders of the service are all volunteer lay persons, with an ordained minister who presides over the communion. If there is no minister available, the the service proceeds with more prayers and songs, but no communion. Stereotypes of the homeless are a difficult challenge to surmount, even with well-meaning leadership. For many years the hymns were selected from the denominational hymnal in the pews, led by the accompanist at the piano with his/her back to the audience. These hymns were chosen nearly at random, and, though willing, very few attendees even attempted to sing. The service was flat and a place for the street folk to come into for warmth in winter or relief from the brutal Memphis heat and humidity during the long summer. The congregation represents the least ones that Jesus spoke of and consequently demands more respectful attention from the worship leaders in order to release the spirituality buried in their souls. Out of desperation, a change in liturgy and music presentation was suggested and applied about three years ago. Using the sensitive words of liturgies from the Iona Community, participatory readings and prayers were inserted and call and response and echo songs replaced the wordy verses and complex hymn tunes. For the singing, the musician stands in front of the worshipers and leads the hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs with an unaccompanied, face-to-face manner using physical gestures and expressions to encourage a corporate synergy. No hymnals, no paper, no projections. As with many 'simple' modifications, a more focused preparation of the singing is required, but the results are abundantly fruitful. The group now sings in community with the host church resulting in an almost palpable spirituality. Though the weather is still a factor, the people return, week after week, and look forward to sharing their voices. Digital technology effectively changed Christian worship services from provincial cultural events to ones of global impact and inclusion. The directives of the Roman Catholic services stemming from the Second Vatican council of the early 1960s led to major changes of the music within the services of all sects and denominations. An important difference is that the organ and the piano are no longer the assumed instruments of choice for accompanying congregational singing. After fifty years of incendiary conflict over music within the churches, worship
Identifying the roots of African American spirituals and other religious folk music has intrigued... more Identifying the roots of African American spirituals and other religious folk music has intrigued academics, hymnologists and song leaders since this genre came to the public eye in 1867. The conversation on origins has waned and waxed for over eighty years, sometimes polemical, sometimes compromising. They Bear Acquaintance looks at this discussion through the output of various well-regarded researchers of the twentieth century. The effects of cultural distinctions, immigration patterns and class structure have all left their imprint on the anatomy of the music. No one living has ever heard a spiritual performed in an authentic setting, so misconceptions abound. Pre-dating the American Civil War and achieving global attention in the Civil Rights movement, the spirituals soften the edges of difficult situations, and speak gently, yet poignantly, to human struggles. The book also pinpoints new material from a wide range of sources in the twenty-first century that will preserve and affirm this music for many years to come.
150 African American spirituals set in concordance with the readings of the Revised Common Lectio... more 150 African American spirituals set in concordance with the readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. This is an excellent tool for incorporating spirituals into a worship service. References and sources are included.
Range of information resources quiz. Graham, Nancy and Gwinnett, Beth (2006) Range of information... more Range of information resources quiz. Graham, Nancy and Gwinnett, Beth (2006) Range of information resources quiz. [Teaching Resource]. ... Department: Library Services. Projects: BRUM Project. Keywords: Information skills, research skills, information resources. ...
Lecture, New Brunswick Theological Seminary. March 9, 2022, 2022
Nancy Graham, the 2021-2022 Poppen-Young Fellow in Reformed Worship at the Reformed Church Center... more Nancy Graham, the 2021-2022 Poppen-Young Fellow in Reformed Worship at the Reformed Church Center, is writing a biography on Routley and his massive work in the fields of Biblical studies, liturgics, theology, and hymnody. Her work on the fellowship is a small piece of that, looking at the Englishman’s involvement with the RCA hymnal, one of his last large projects, and his impact on congregational song in the US. She will present results of her research on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 11:00 am in the program “What We Still Owe Erik Routley.” A response to her presentation will be given by James Hart Brumm, Director of the Reformed Church Center and General Editor of the Historical Series of the Reformed Church in America, who has written and presented extensively on Reformed hymnody and Routley’s work.
Songs have long been the means for people to create and celebrate their identity; it's a human th... more Songs have long been the means for people to create and celebrate their identity; it's a human thing, according to hymnwriter John Bell. as any singer knows, the act of singing the song produces a spiritual connection with the surrounding situation be it the open air, a classroom or a house of worship. During this time of pandemic anxiety and confusion, singing has been effectively banned as a colossal conduit for infection. There's been much discussion, anger and disbelief with the constraints placed upon this social and singular method of communicating. The body of this paper deals with this aspect of humanity and its agency. Though we are inactive at the moment, none of the means for effective social connection to spirituality through singing have changed. The evolution and development of music-making and its relationship to language and the metaphysical have puzzled and challenged researchers of all scientific disciplines. Darwin's observations on music-making deal mostly with the sounds of a variety of species made during what humans would term highly emotional times, i.e.danger, mating, care of the young. He suggests that a deep principle of inherited associations enable musical tones to call up strong emotions of a long past age, however vague or indefinite. Darwin proposed that the evolution of singing and that of language were closely related. He thought that speech evolved from singing. Within the modern sciences, Studies in music-making have been numerous, but hardly conclusive. In A Million Years of Music, Gary Tomlinson states, "Musicking came about via capacities that enabled the formalization of protomusic, protolanguage, and protodiscourse. The
Christian Congregational Music Conference Local and Global Perspectives Ripon College Cuddeson, O... more Christian Congregational Music Conference
Local and Global Perspectives
Ripon College Cuddeson, Oxford
July 2019
Congregational interaction through singing is, by now, a fairly traditional part of a Christian worship service. Singing is first and foremost sound, and printed and projected text are imperfect media for transmission (Alice Parker). A challenge to spirituality in Christian churches is that their congregations tend not to sing. The dilemma today lies in encouraging non-musicians to join in the song. Many urban churches hold services for homeless and street people. Just getting to church is as much as many in this type of congregation can manage. These people are marginalized in nearly every way possible. Organs, instruments, and hymnals are reminders of their vocal disenfranchisement. Stereotypes of the homeless are a difficult challenge to surmount, even with well-meaning leadership. Such barriers to singing in community can stymy the valuable human connection for these under-resourced worshipers. An alternative arrives through paperless music. Paperless music is not a genre of music, but a teaching style and a way of singing. Certain types of compositions are more suited for this teaching method, and some retooling of technique is necessary for the leader. Songs with simple melody taught phrase by phrase, layered songs with two or more parts, rounds and canons, call-and-response and echo songs work well. This last type is the easiest to teach as the leader sings a line and the congregation repeats it back.
This paper will focus on the techniques, repertoire, and success of this style of delivery.
Foundation Theology, 2015
This is a concise look at the reception history of African American spirituals from 1867 through ... more This is a concise look at the reception history of African American spirituals from 1867 through 2015. It stems from research into the origins of the genre in relation to the many influences in the United States from the early colonial period and the challenges encountered in their preservation. As with any other oral history, legend and myth abound. Objectivity is fleeting and is often clouded by racism and emotion. Scholarly attention, scarce since the Civil Rights Movement, has begun to untangle the threads of provenance.
This traces origins of spirituals. Myths, emotion, nostalgia and reception history are explored.
Features 150 African American spirituals found in mainstream English language hymnals. These are... more Features 150 African American spirituals found in mainstream English language hymnals. These are set to the readings of the Revised Common Lectionary, Years A,B, and C.
C.S. Lewis and his times, published in Foundation Theology, 2007
In 2021, any distinctions between denominational or geographical hymnodies in the Englishspeaking... more In 2021, any distinctions between denominational or geographical hymnodies in the Englishspeaking world are barely perceptible. Cultural origins are often only obvious by the names of the hymnwriters and composers. If a given Christian community wants to modify its worshiping hymnody, contemporary resources easily enable these changes. But in the second half of the 20 th century, passionate and divisive arguments concerning suitable music in worship were prominent in all congregations. Fortunately, after sixty years of experimentation and often volatile quarrels, new norms have developed. This roundtable will look at the Dunblane Music Consultations from 1962-1969 and their role as a catalyst to the breadth of 21 st century hymnody. The oft-used phrase "hymn explosion" stems from these unique meetings with clergy and musicians and their persistent conviction to find original hymnody that was appropriate to their times. Most of the information here is neither new nor original, but I present it as a revisiting of an important and relevant element of contemporary hymnody that has slipped into history.
I.A.H Publications, Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Hymnologie (IAH) eV, 2017
A look at the contributions of George Pullen Jackson, JHK Nketia, cross reference from Africa, Wi... more A look at the contributions of George Pullen Jackson, JHK Nketia, cross reference from Africa, Willie Ruff, Jim Opala, Don Yoder and Pennsylvania spirituals and author's own research
Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakelands Ranch, Florida Introducing the hymns of the volume through... more Peace Presbyterian Church, Lakelands Ranch, Florida
Introducing the hymns of the volume through singing and history
Adult Retreat, Idlewild Presbyterian Church, February 2012 Sources of the spirituals and using... more Adult Retreat, Idlewild Presbyterian Church, February 2012
Sources of the spirituals and using them in Christian Worship
March 2005 Trinity College, Oxford University Centre for Reception History of the Bible Women... more March 2005 Trinity College, Oxford University
Centre for Reception History of the Bible
Women of the New Testament in Music
Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland July 2022