Starmaker... Starmaker...

For those of you who know I write hymn texts, I wonder if you know about Sally Ann Morris? Sally Ann Morris is a tremendously talented composer of hymn tunes. She lives and works in North Carolina. In 1990, she discovered the joy of composing hymn tunes, and since that time has written about 100, most of which appear in two collections from GIA Publications, "Giving Thanks in Song and Prayer" (1998) and "…to sing the Artist’s praise…" (2009).

GIA is also the publisher of my collection of hymn texts "Swift Currents and Still Waters" (2000) and yesterday they sent me a copy of Sally's newest publication: "...to sing the Artist's praise..."

I was so glad to receive it, because inside is a tune she calls STARMAKER which she wrote to go with my hymn, "Starmaker! Starmaker! We See Your Stars". The music is a beautiful interpretation of my text--and I am simpley delighted about it. Sally's new book has many other wonderful tunes, to words by people as far ranging as Hugh Thomson Kerr (one of my Presbyterian heroes) to Tom Troegger and Mary Louise Bringle" who are on the forefront of modern hymnody. So it is a treat to be in their company in Sally's new book.

At the bottom of the hymn, Sally writes these words: "This is one of those texts you read and you just start singing and you can't help it!"

Isn't that a marvelous comment!

And here is an update... Judy and I were delighted to have dinner with Sally at the Life Member Dinner at the 2010 Annual Conference of The Hymn Society in Birmingham this July.

If you have anything to do with worship planning at your church--please find "...to sing the Artist's praise..." You will be blessed!  

More about Sally Ann Morris: She has hymn tunes (and a Mass setting) in Gather Comprehensive II , the New Century Hymnal of the United Church of Christ, The Hymnal 21 in Japan, the 2005 Hymnal of the Church of Scotland and in other collections, hymnal supplements and recordings. Other publications include hymn and choral anthems by The Pilgrim Press, and in the forthcoming 2010 catalog of ECS Publishing. She appears frequently as a guest artist, clinician, composer, cantor and conductor in churches nationwide, and at national conferences including The Presbyterian Association of Musicians Worship and Music Conferences at Montreat, NC, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, and The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. Sally serves as Director of Music Ministries at Parkway Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, NC.