A Series of Hymn Workshops
Upcoming Webinar
Next webinar in this series to be announced. Please check back.
Past Webinars
Members of the Circle of Scholars have access to all recorded sessions.
Spirituals
Few forms of music are more plaintive or moving than the Spiritual. Ostensibly a “simple” form of music—a single-line melody that requires neither accompaniment nor formal musical training—the spiritual can be viewed as the powerful, meaningful form for vocal music to arise in the Americas.
Spirituals had a difficult, painful origin, but nonetheless flourished and went on to exert influence over other styles of American music. Today they are rightfully regarded as treasures and are studied and performed at the highest levels.
What's So Great About a Hymnal?
Where’s the hymnal? Increasingly not in the pews. Yet, within the covers of a hymnal we find an endless musical and spiritual treasures. Traditional hymnals are also incredibly user-friendly, once you see how they have been organized across time and how brilliantly they are indexed.
Whether you are making a new friend or renewing an old affection, join me in an exploration of the hymnal: its origins, phases, and impact on history and culture.
The Great English Hymn Tradition
When Ralph Vaughan Williams edited The English Hymnal of 1906, he had three centuries of English hymns to choose from. From folk melodies collected by Ravenscroft, to Amazing Grace, to the Wesley brothers and compositions by Vaughan Williams himself, the English hymns include some of the best known and best loved in many denominations.
Join us for this webinar to learn more about some of your favorite hymns.
Noel
For many of us, Noël is a word splashed in glitter across Christmas cards, banners, and ornaments. But it also means a specific type of French Christmas Carol.
By the 16th century, French manuscripts contain a variety of Christmas songs called Noëls, including many popular secular songs refitted with Christmasy words. There’s early evidence of French families singing Noëls on Christmas Eve, both in the church and on the streets. And composers took the tunes and turned them into dazzling pieces for keyboards, particularly for organ.
A Mighty Fortress: Hymns from the Era of Bach and Handel
From Martin Luther’s 95 Theses (1517) to the end of the Baroque Era (the death of J.S. Bach in 1750), metrical hymns for congregational singing developed into the high art of the German Chorale. They remain some of our most notable hymns and the basis for many cantatas and instrumental works.
Blessed Assurance: 19th-Century American Hymns
We set the stage with some background on hymns of the 18th century in England and America. But our focus is on the trends and tensions that drive the production of a rich 19th-century repertoire, such as Mason’s Nearer My God to Thee, Crosby’s Blessed Assurance, Sankey’s Beneath the Cross of Jesus and many more.
The recording of this webinar is available to all who registered for the session. Also available on demand for $5. Circle of Scholars members may view the session here.
Lowell Mason
Fanny Crosby
Ira Sankey
The Story of Our Early Christian Music
A related topic, this webinar is not technically a part of our series on hymns, but it provides a larger context concerning Christian sacred music from the earliest days of the Church.