{"id":41096,"date":"2020-11-16T06:24:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T11:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.timesandseasons.org\/?p=41096"},"modified":"2020-11-15T20:31:40","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T01:31:40","slug":"another-update-on-the-new-hymnbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2020\/11\/another-update-on-the-new-hymnbook\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Update on the New Hymnbook"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, the Church released some new updates about the new hymnbook and children\u2019s songbook<\/a>.\u00a0 The short and sweet version is that we\u2019re still several years away from the books being published and that the process and the books themselves are evolving (both due, at least in part, to the sheer volume of material that is being evaluated for inclusion and current world circumstances).\u00a0 We\u2019ll look into the specifics in a minute (and I\u2019d love to have some discussion about what you think about the projects from what we know), but first I\u2019ll take a moment to link this to previous discussions I\u2019ve posted about the new hymnbook (which, in turn, link to the previous news releases on the Church\u2019s site):<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The New LDS Hymnbook: Changes and Possibilities (discussion about original announcement June 2018)<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Updates on the New Hymnbook (discussion from the last time we received new information about the hymnbook and children\u2019s songbook May 2019)<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. \u201cCome, Thou Fount of Every Blessing\u201d Throughout the Restoration (discussion about the history and likelihood of the titular hymn being included in the new hymnal)<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Spanish Hymns and the Future Hymnbook (discussion about which hymns original to the Spanish hymnals of the Church may be included in the new hymnal)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The sheer amount of material that is being evaluated is overwhelming.\u00a0 According to the new article on the Church\u2019s site, over 16,000 original hymns, songs, and texts were submitted for consideration.\u00a0 About 55% of these submissions were for the hymnbook (so roughly 8,800) and the other 45% being submissions for the children\u2019s songbook (roughly 7,200).\u00a0 This is an increase over the 1985 hymnbook, which had around 6,000 hymns that were submitted for consideration and which was not created at the same time as the current Children\u2019s Songbook.[1]<\/a>\u00a0 A General Authority advisor to the new hymnbook committee stated that while they are grateful for these contributions, \u201cin the end, we will be able to publish only a small portion of them.\u201d[2]<\/a>\u00a0 If early informal reports that I heard are accurate, the initial target size of the new hymnbook was intended to be around 200-250 hymns, meaning that if it were entirely composed of new hymns, less than 3% of the 8,800 would make it (and that\u2019s not accounting for any hymns carried over from the current hymnbook and other sources outside of the submissions).<\/p>\n

    To whittle the results down, the submissions were sent out to over 100 musicians and text experts around the world, who evaluated them based on the official criteria Church music.\u00a0 From previous news releases, we know that those criteria are that \u201csacred music of the Church should: 1) Increase faith in and worship of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. 2) Teach the core doctrine of the gospel with power and clarity. 3) Invite joyful singing at home and at church.\u00a0 4) Comfort the weary and inspire members to endure in faith.\u00a0 5) Unify members throughout the Church\u201d.[3]<\/a>\u00a0 Based on the evaluations of this larger group, \u201cthe top 2 to 3 percent of the submissions then move on to the Hymnbook and Children\u2019s Songbook committees.\u201d\u00a0 The official committees (composed of 9 and 7 members for the hymnbook and children\u2019s songbook, respectively) will then review them and work towards a consensus on which hymns and songs they will submit for final review by Church leaders (first to advisors to the committees and members of each general presidency, then ultimately the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve).<\/p>\n

    In addition to the 16,000 original hymns and songs submitted, the committees are reviewing many other potential candidates for the music collections.\u00a0 These include the 550 hymns included in the Church\u2019s current hymnbooks and the 354 songs in the children\u2019s songbooks, along with hundreds of other hymns and songs, including \u201cmusic published in the Church magazines over several decades, as well as sacred music currently used in other Christian faith traditions,\u201d according to Steve Schank, Church music manager and chairman of both committees.\u00a0 The Church Newsroom article went on state that this last category includes \u201cbeloved hymns and songs from several cultures, countries and languages \u2026 as well as songs from different faiths that coincide with the teachings of the Church.\u201d\u00a0 The examination of these hymn and songs is being informed by the results of the general survey through which Church members submitted suggestions and feedback (apparently resulting in nearly 50,000 suggestions drawn from members in 66 countries) and feedback from senior leaders of the Church, who are \u201cvery interested and involved in this project and, in many instances, have given detailed and meaningful counsel regarding both the content and process of the revision,\u201d according to Schank.\u00a0 In addition, testing and research are being used to better understand the needs of Church members.[4]<\/a>\u00a0 If this process is similar to the previous hymnbook, this testing probably includes field testing hymns with congregations and fireside groups, then asking for them to evaluate (though that approach has likely been hampered by the pandemic).[5]<\/a>\u00a0 While progress has been made in making selections from this massive amount of resources and feedback, there is still a ways to go.<\/p>\n

    Beyond the process of selecting hymns, there is also further work with considering revisions to the hymns and songs and deciding how to best present them.\u00a0 According to Schank, the goal of any revisions is to better align the hymns with the criteria, generally resulting in \u201cmodest improvements, such as changing a single word or phrase to make language more culturally sensitive or doctrinally correct, or lowering the key of the music to accommodate easier singing.\u201d[6]<\/a>\u00a0 This is pretty common in the Church\u2019s history\u2014for example, only 18 hymns in the 1985 hymnbook made it through from the previous hymnbook without any changes.\u00a0 Once in a while, it does result in more drastic changes, such as when the hymn \u201cA Mighty Fortress Is Our God\u201d was included in the 1948 hymnbook\u2014they kept the EIN FESTE BURG tune and half of the first verse, but jettisoned the remaining three and a half verses in favor of a half verse of brief theological summaries of Jesus\u2019s work,[7]<\/a> but cases like that are rare.\u00a0 As far as presentation, apparently \u201ca new font for lyrics has also been created\u201d as part of aligning with the \u201cChurch\u2019s visual identity efforts\u201d (I will say that I\u2019m intrigued to see what a font looks like that is specifically designed to match the Church\u2019s branding). [8]<\/a>\u00a0 And, of course, there are the legal difficulties of making sure that they have copyright contracts worked out so they can publish the hymns worldwide that will affect timelines and decisions about which hymns are included in the future.<\/p>\n

    Finally, the Church Newsroom article mentions that the project continues to evolve and change in response to worldwide events and the ongoing changes within the Church in recent years.\u00a0 Adri\u00e1n Ochoa (another General Authority advisor) noted that \u201cthe two-hour block and the home-centered, Church supported model for worship and learning\u201d were not initially anticipated when the project started and that these changes \u201cas well as adaptations to our work necessitated by the coronavirus situation, will affect both the outcome and timing of the new collection.\u201d[9]<\/a>\u00a0 The indications are that these situations are causing a prioritization towards making the new music collections more easy to use in the home.<\/p>\n

    The bottom line is that it will be a while yet before we will be seeing the new hymnbook and children\u2019s songbook and that the projects continues to develop and evolve with the Church and with events in the world.\u00a0 As a musician in the Church, I highly anticipate the new music collections and have high hopes for what the committees and quorums involved decide to do with it, but I understand that they want to do the job well, and that takes time.\u00a0 The other take-away I get from this is that the hymns I submitted will most likely not make the cut (given the amount of competition they are up against and the desire to make the hymnbook more international in nature).<\/p>\n

    All of that being said, what do you think about the news with the hymnbook and songbook?\u00a0 What are your thoughts, concerns, and hopes for the process and its outcome at this point?<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Footnotes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    [1]<\/a> See \u201c6,000 Hymns Were Submitted for 1985 Hymnbook,\u201d\u00a0 The Tabernacle Choir Blog<\/em>, 2 April 2015, https:\/\/www.thetabernaclechoir.org\/articles\/6000-hymns-were-submitted-for-1985-hymnbook.html#:~:text=Each%20Sunday%2C%20members%20of%20the,from%20the%20book’s%20beloved%20pages<\/a>. Accessed 11 November 2020.<\/p>\n

    [2]<\/a> \u201cCommittees Thank Members for \u2018Overwhelming\u2019 Response to Hymnbook Revision Efforts,\u201d Newsroom<\/em>, 10 November 2020, https:\/\/newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org\/article\/committees-express-gratitude-for-overwhelming-member-response-to-hymnbook-revision-efforts<\/a>, accessed 11 November 2020.<\/p>\n

    [3]<\/a> Eleanor Cain Adams, \u201cCommittees and Strategic Goals Announced for Hymnbook and Children\u2019s Songbook Revisions,\u201d Church News<\/em>, 9 May 2019, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/church\/news\/committees-and-strategic-goals-announced-for-hymnbook-and-childrens-songbook-revisions?lang=eng<\/a>, accessed 11 November 2020.<\/p>\n

    [4]<\/a> \u201cCommittees Thank Members for \u2018Overwhelming\u2019 Response to Hymnbook Revision Efforts,\u201d Newsroom<\/em>, 10 November 2020, https:\/\/newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org\/article\/committees-express-gratitude-for-overwhelming-member-response-to-hymnbook-revision-efforts<\/a>, accessed 11 November 2020.<\/p>\n

    [5]<\/a> See Michael Hicks, Mormonism and Music: A History <\/em>(Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1989), 144<\/p>\n

    [6]<\/a> Quoted in Eleanor Cain Adams, \u201cCommittees and Strategic Goals Announced for Hymnbook and Children\u2019s Songbook Revisions,\u201d Church News<\/em>, 9 May 2019, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/church\/news\/committees-and-strategic-goals-announced-for-hymnbook-and-childrens-songbook-revisions?lang=eng<\/a>, accessed 11 November 2020.<\/p>\n

    [7]<\/a> Compare the traditional translation listed on Wikipedia<\/a> with the Church\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    [8]<\/a> \u201cCommittees Thank Members for \u2018Overwhelming\u2019 Response to Hymnbook Revision Efforts,\u201d Newsroom<\/em>, 10 November 2020, https:\/\/newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org\/article\/committees-express-gratitude-for-overwhelming-member-response-to-hymnbook-revision-efforts<\/a>, accessed 11 November 2020.<\/p>\n

    [9]<\/a> \u201cCommittees Thank Members for \u2018Overwhelming\u2019 Response to Hymnbook Revision Efforts,\u201d Newsroom<\/em>, 10 November 2020, https:\/\/newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org\/article\/committees-express-gratitude-for-overwhelming-member-response-to-hymnbook-revision-efforts<\/a>, accessed 11 November 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last week, the Church released some new updates about the new hymnbook and children\u2019s songbook.\u00a0 The short and sweet version is that we\u2019re still several years away from the books being published and that the process and the books themselves are evolving (both due, at least in part, to the sheer volume of material that is being evaluated for inclusion and current world circumstances).\u00a0 We\u2019ll look into the specifics in a minute (and I\u2019d love to have some discussion about what you think about the projects from what we know), but first I\u2019ll take a moment to link this to previous discussions I\u2019ve posted about the new hymnbook (which, in turn, link to the previous news releases on the Church\u2019s site): The New LDS Hymnbook: Changes and Possibilities (discussion about original announcement June 2018) Updates on the New Hymnbook (discussion from the last time we received new information about the hymnbook and children\u2019s songbook May 2019) \u201cCome, Thou Fount of Every Blessing\u201d Throughout the Restoration (discussion about the history and likelihood of the titular hymn being included in the new hymnal) Spanish Hymns and the Future Hymnbook (discussion about which hymns original to the Spanish hymnals of the Church may […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10397,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music-and-poetry","category-news-politics"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41096"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41102,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41096\/revisions\/41102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}