Presentation Transcript
Hymnody, Prosody,and Counterpoint :Hymnody, Prosody,and Counterpoint Introduction to the Course
The Current State of Affairs :The Current State of Affairs Hymns represent a body of Christian poetry and music that is not only beautiful and a part of our heritage, but vast and largely untapped. To ignore them is a shame.
The hymn is steadily decreasing in prevalence, treated largely as a concession to the “old guard”
What is the future of hymnody?
This decline is in part due to:
Misunderstanding (lack of knowledge)
Inexperience (lack of expertise)
Carelessness (lack of effort)
Our Objectives for Today :Our Objectives for Today Theoretical knowledge
Understanding and appreciating hymns
Examining the inner workings of a hymn
Practical expertise
Applying the hymn in worship today
Learning two primary creative metaphors
Your Speaker :Your Speaker http://earth.prohosting.com/ssngai1/music.htm
Instrumental background
22 years of piano and voice
Recent musical bio
Conductor/Director, Testimony A Cappella; Producer, “Echoes”
President, Stanford University Singers
Rookie of the Year, Stanford Chamber Chorale
Music Consultant (three albums), Lamb Music, San Diego, CA
Recent literary bio
Poetry and linguistics essays in several publications
Editor, OEDILF poetry project
Your Speaker :Your Speaker Worship experience
Pianist, Cantonese CongregationBread of Life Church, Torrance, CA
Worship Leader and composer,Peninsula Bible Church, Palo Alto, CA
Traditional Worship Team,Lord’s Grace San Diego, San Diego, CA
Hymn aficionado
Specialty is hymn performance
Started attending worship services when they were 100% hymns
Witnessed their decline in worship
While worship leader in Palo Alto, led hymns-only sets
Started writing new material for hymns
Eventually started writing weekly hymns tailored to sermon messages
History of this workshop
Stanford, CA, 2003
Torrance, CA, 2005
San Diego, CA, 2009
Those Words in the Title… :Those Words in the Title… Hymnody
From hymnoidia (?µ???d?a) = hymnos (?µ???) + aeidein (ae?de??), to sing hymns
Hymnwriting; the hymns of a time, place, or church
Prosody
From prosoidia (p??s??d?a) = pros (p???) + oide (??d?), (arranging text) for songs
The study of versification and metrical structure
Counterpoint
From contrapunctus, from punctus contra punctum = note against note
Combination of independent melodies into a single harmonic texture in which each retains its linear character
What is a Hymn? :What is a Hymn? Merriam-Webster: a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service
Working definition: several stanzas of rhyming Christian poetry set to music
Two components
Each with subcomponents…
Hymn Components in Context :Hymn Components in Context 0 2 3 4 5 6 8b 7 8 9