With a new, global hymnbook on the horizon, Latter-day Saints are currently buzzing about what will be added and what might be lost. We tend to view the current “green book” (1985) as the definitive standard of our musical worship, but in reality, the solemn, organ-centric sound we associate with Sacrament meeting is a relatively recent invention—and one man is largely responsible for it. In a fascinating new interview over at the Latter-day Saint history blog, From the Desk, biographer Shelby Fisher introduces us to Tracy Y. Cannon, the tabernacle organist and committee chair who, in 1948, radically steered the Church away from its pioneer folk roots and toward the “dignified, refined” aesthetic of the Protestant mainstream.
The “Homegrown” Failure of 1927
Fisher explains that before Cannon fully took the reins, the Church’s musical identity was somewhat chaotic. The 1927 hymnal attempted to unify the Saints. Still, it leaned heavily on “homegrown talent” and music for choirs rather than congregations (as might be expected from a committee composed mostly of Tabernacle Choir staff). The result? A collection of texts that were often “difficult to sing and poorly executed.”
The General Music Committee was not necessarily discerning with the 1927 hymnal. Many of the texts they collected were difficult to sing …
Many bishops balked at the cost … and simply ignored the committee’s suggestion to purchase the new hymnal. Instead, they continued working with whatever books they had been using [like the Songs of Zion].
(As a side note, the 1927 hymnal was the original green hymnal, and some anecdotes I’ve heard indicate that the 1985 hymnal was green because of it.)
The Radical Pivot of 1948
The most significant turning point came with the 1948 hymnal. Under Cannon’s leadership, the committee made a “radical decision” to stop looking inward for talent and start looking outward.
This was in direct opposition to the approach they took in 1927 when they sought to cultivate “homegrown talent.”
The impulse to look to the musical traditions of other denominations can be traced directly to both Tracy Cannon and Alexander Schreiner … Both men had studied in Europe and gained an appreciation for the refined, harmonic elegance of the Lutheran and Anglican traditions.
This is why our current hymnal feels so “classical.” Cannon wanted to professionalize the liturgy, moving the Saints away from bouncy Sunday School ditties toward the majesty of Bach and Handel. He effectively standardized the organ as the musical voice of the Church. A lot of our current hymnody is derived from this 1948/1950 hymnal.
The End of an Era?
Interestingly, Fisher suggests that the upcoming hymnbook might signal the waning of Cannon’s influence. While Cannon championed the organ, the new collection includes “fluid pianistic textures” and even guitar chords, embracing a diversity of musical styles that Cannon likely would have resisted.
For more on Cannon’s legacy, the “unsingable” hymns of the past, and how a rural schoolteacher named Leroy Robertson got his big break for $25, head on over to the Latter-day Saint history blog, From the Desk, to read the full interview about Tracy Y. Cannon with Shelby Fisher.
While you’re there, check out the updated Brigham Young page!
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