Have you ever found old songbooks in your attic or at the bottom of a closet? Hank and I have plenty of them, including quite a few from his father, a pastor and great lover of music. Others came from used book stores or from friends who gave me songbooks they couldn’t bear to toss out when older relatives died. Inevitably these songbooks are yellowed, frayed, or crumbling. Yet their contents attest to a vital heritage of song that is in danger of being forgotten.
Enter Hurrah and Hallelujah!—a new book of 100 traditional songs that Hank and I are about to publish. The credit for the title (which we hope you like) goes to six-year old granddaughter Patti. She came up with a longer string of words for the title, but we limited ourselves to the first two. And, quite frankly, the sentiments of “hurrah” and “hallelujah” characterize a good deal of the book’s contents!
Inside of Hurrah and Hallelujah! you will find a treasure of 100 traditional tunes that will outlive us all. They will, at least, if we keep them alive and pass them on.
Until recently, keeping our heritage of songs alive was a simple matter. It kept itself alive by virtue of continual use. What celebration was complete without song? What holiday could exist without song? And what worship service took place without bountiful song? Little children sang ditties as soon as they could talk. Old folks relished their memories through the songs that shaped their youth. All of this singing, humming, whistling, clapping, and playing created an invaluable legacy of song that gladdened our hearts and taught us our culture. And it still does, if we become aware of it and make it part of our lives.
Three goals guided our compilation of Hurrah and Hallelujah! First, we wanted to create a crisp, newly formatted volume that would be attractive and inviting. Second, we focused on songs with significant musical, literary, stylistic, and aesthetic value, allowing this volume to serve as a key resource for a child’s education and family enrichment. And third, we chose songs that we ourselves love and value.
In addition to sentimental songs of bygone days, story songs, Americana, patriotic tunes, hymns, and spirituals we have included some cumulative songs (counting songs), canons (rounds), and international songs. Many will be familiar but some could be new discoveries for you.
So be on the lookout for Hurrah and Hallelujah! We’ve had a grand time creating it, although there were a few “knock-down, drag-outs” over which songs made it in, and which did not.
We hope that songs still ring in your household and in your life. We all have suffered from the changes in music-making that came about particularly after the Second World War. Modern sensibilities began to chose pushing buttons on a phonograph or radio over singing and making “live” music in the home. Out went the parlor piano; in came the automatic record changer. And we know the rest of the story.
Yet singing has never been an optional activity. It is one of the deepest expressions of our human activity. Poets deem our earliest song to be our first cry at birth. Even as babies, we produce musical sound with astonishing volume and sophistication. Little children sing with a joy and enthusiasm that is difficult to quell (and why would we want to?).
But songs are not just the production of a succession of pitches. Songs result from the union of note and word and transcend what either melody or poetry alone can offer. A heritage of song has been cultivated, promoted, and safeguarded as a treasure of every society in every age. Song has preserved history since the time of the Ancients. It has celebrated our joys and consoled our sorrows. It links us to the wisdom of our forefathers. It has taught us to worship. Nothing is casual or expendable about this legacy of song. Nor ought we be cavalier about receiving it, experiencing it, and passing it on to our children.
So let there be song! Pull out the songbooks you have and use them to teach history, literature, and beauty. Remember the power of song to uplift any and every situation. And when our new songbook comes out in just a few weeks, perhaps it will become part of your library.
Back Cover
This is wonderful! Looking forward to pre-ordering my copy! Congratulations!
This is so exciting! My husband I over the years have discussed the loss of song in our generation and the impact of that loss. We have been intentional about “making a beautiful noise” (though our voices are continually out of tune) when we walk, are in the car, or around the house. We have even gone so far as to place a songbook in every room of the house, even the bathroom, to encourage the gift of song for our children to store up in their heart. Thank you for your hard work of compiling this treasure and not letting the songs go silently in the night but rather awaken and rage into the coming of the light!