Hymn Tune Writing Month

[artsyhonker]

Some people do something called "NaNoWriMo": National Novel Writing Month, in November.

I had the thought yesterday that I might do something similar but with hymn tunes. The idea is to write thirty of them in thirty days.

This post is a placeholder for collecting texts and doing bits of planning...

If you've written a hymn text and released it under a Creative Commons license, please feel free to leave it in comments, or link to it there. If there's an existing public domain hymn text that has a rubbish tune and you think it could do with another, please do likewise.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Alex Klages has some hymn texts here:

http://alexklages.tumblr.com

[artsyhonker]

That was me, but my phone wasn't logged in.

There are also these by Ally Barrett:
http://reverendally.wordpress.com/reverendallys-hymns/

[turkeyplucker]

Have this one:

All God's creation bless the Lord eternal;
Angels, Archangels, Powers and Dominations,
Waters of heaven, bless the Lord eternal;
Praise him for ever.

Sun, moon and starlight, bless the Lord eternal;
Showers, dew and breezes, summertime and winter,
Fire, heat and burning, bless the Lord eternal;
Praise him for ever.

Cold, dews, and hoar-frost, ice and snow and vapours,
Daylight and darkness, thunderclouds and lightning,
High hills and mountains, bless the Lord eternal;
Praise him for ever.

Earth and its green things, wells and seas and rivers,
Great whales and fishes, birds and beasts and cattle,
All men and women, Israelite and gentile,
Praise him for ever.

Priests in his service, spirits of the righteous,
Holy and humble, bless the Lord eternal;
Three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace,
Praise him for ever.

Praise God the Father, praise the sole-begotten,
Praise God the Spirit, Trinity co-equal,
As since creation, bless the Lord eternal,
Praise him for ever.

I wrote it with a chant tune in mind - nice, but a bit niche. Most of the alternatives in the metre are neo-Gallican, which I'm not keen on; it just about works with Cloister, but the cæsura is really in the wrong place (the long lines always split 5/6).

[artsyhonker]

I like this. The line "Three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace" struck me as slightly incongruous... the whole thing is a bit "Franciscan, Franciscan, Franciscan, Franciscan, Franc--RANDOM SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE, Doxology". Was there a particular reason for this? I'm curious rather than critical...

[turkeyplucker]

It's the Benedicite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedicite), the 32nd and last verse being, in the BCP version, "O Ananias, Azarias and Misael, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever." The whole thing is from the Greek (I think) version of Daniel 3, but isn't in the Hebrew, so it's relegated to the apocrypha in protestant bibles.

[artsyhonker]

Of course.

*shuffles awkwardly*

*doesn't do BCP Mattins much these days*

[marnanel]

This is actually the most recent hymn text I've written, but it may not be entirely serious.

As we see in your creation
creeping things upon the earth,
show us, with the caterpillar,
how to reach a second birth.

As the spider spins her cobweb
patiently to catch a fly,
grant us means to share your message
in the lives of passers-by.

As you granted limbs aplenty
to the peaceful millipede,
make our feet upon the mountains
swift to reach a world of need.

As the beetle digs the dunghill
seeking where its food is stored,
teach us that this world is refuse
set against our loving Lord.

[artsyhonker]

Fun :) As the tunes, not the words, are part of AcWriMo, I think I can still use it: other 8787 words will fit, after all!

Not quite finished

[dougchaplin.wordpress.com]

This one's not quite finished, but you're welcome to have a go

From the Jordan to the desert,
from the crowd to barren place,
Spirit-driven, Satan-tempted,
Lord, you sought the Father’s grace:
show us now your pow’r, in weakness,
presence in the empty space.

Out of Egypt with God’s people,
freedom brings its testing stress:
what is right and what is truthful,
how the name of God confess?
Jesus, be our journey’s leader,
guide us through the wilderness.

Lack of food for empty stomach,
offered only cold hard stone;
scripture used to tempt and strengthen;
easy route to grasp the throne:
Bread of life, and Word incarnate
help us worship God alone.

In the search for loving justice,
in the quest for truth and right,
Jesus walk beside, before us,
hold your Cross of love in sight;
keep us in your Father’s presence,
guide us to your risen light.

Re: Not quite finished

[artsyhonker]

Thanks -- I like this.

From Alex Klages

[(Anonymous)]

Even if I haven't specifically stated Creative Commons on my texts, assume for your purposes that they are.-Alex

Re: From Alex Klages

[artsyhonker]

Lovely, Alex -- many thanks.

Re: From Alex Klages

[artsyhonker]

For my notes: also ask Kelly Klages (work at http://kellyklages.wordpress.com/ )

Re: From Alex Klages

[(Anonymous)]

And my wife's blog-- http://kellyklages.wordpress.com