Fort Street Presbyterian Church, in Detroit, Michigan - 175th Anniversary

1849 = 175 Years

Fort Street Presbyterian Church, in Detroit, Michigan, is an absolutely impressive church. In 2024 they are celebrating their 175^th anniversary.  My work with the church began with Pastor Garrett Longmann.  From the conversations we had together, emerged a new hymn for them. 

The anniversary hymn I created for them is called: “Christ, Who Once Beckoned”.  I sent it to them on November 15, 2023. 

Garrett got back to me on November 16^th. He told me that they have a new music director Patrick Kuhl, and that Patrick would respond directly regarding the new hymn.

  I had an email from Patrick on November 21, 2023, saying that he approves and plans to use the hymn to the familiar tune i suggested, JERUSALEM.

 

These gorgeous photos of this incredible church building were made by Helmut Ziewers for Historic Detroit. 

A New Hymn for Hamilton Union Presbyterian Church

Hamilton Union 1824 – 200 years.

Celebrating 200 years, the Hamilton Union Presbyterian Church is located in Guilderland, New York.  

Carol Scott is Choir Director and Organist. We began planning the anniversary hymn a few months ago.  From its inception, we envisioned that Carol would write a new tune to go with my new anniversary text.  

Thereafter, I wrote and sent to Carol “With Tenderness, You Shaped The Past”. Carol liked the hymn, and plans to write the new tune for it.

Also, as you can see from the photograph of the interior of the sanctuary, this congregation sings from the correct blue 1990 Presbyterian Hymnal.  Good for them!

Wekiva Presbyterian Church - Live Worship Webcast History

Back in mid-2004, while serving as the senior pastor of Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Longwood, Florida, and while dreaming about new initiatives for the church, an idea began to form in my mind...

I was trying to think of how we might reach others who for one reason or another were not able to be with us in person on a Sunday morning  

Now, I knew that TV broadcast was one way, but the cost of setting up such a ministry seemed out of the realm of possibility.  

I also remembered fondly from my Pittsburgh roots that the Rev. Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr had initiated regular radio broadcasts of worship at Shadyside Presbyterian Church, during his tenure there - the first church anywhere to do so.  It would be great to do as he did (a minister I have long considered among the very finest ever).  But, again, the cost of a weekly radio broadcast seemed daunting.

Fortunately, my thoughts moved from the past to the present day.  

One was hearing that businesses were having meetings virtually, rather than in person.  If a business meeting could happen via computer, I wondered if perhaps worship meetings on Sunday morning would be able to do the same.

I don't pretend to be technically savvy but I know someone who is very much so....  David Larson who is the youngest Charter Member of Wekiva Presbyterian Church.  So sometime in the summer, I asked him if he would be willing to look into the possibility of our doing worship on the internet each Sunday.  Dave liked the idea, and said he would research it.

After having done so, he told me that it wasn't possible.  That the technology wasn't there.  

I was naturally disappointed, but of course understood.  So I put that idea completely out of my mind.

Fast forward a few months later.  One fine day, Dave telephoned me.  After we had said our hellos, without further ado, he said, "We can do it!"  

I - having forgotten about my earlier request - said, "Do what?"

Dave explained that he had done more research.  That a member of his staff had a brother in Puerto Rico who had managed to do live worship in his church there, for a special occasion, and that fortuitously, Dave's office and computer hardware were just within the proper distance to allow the webcast to be sent there and then broadcast on the internet from there. 

He asked me to visit him at his office so he could explain it in more detail.  Which I did.  And which he did.

You know those visuals of a rocket scientist at a huge blackboard working out an intricate equation?  It was like that.  A huge whiteboard was in Dave's conference room.  While I sat watching, he started at the left, and began making his way to the right.  Numbers. Diagrams.  Arrows. They filled the board.  It was totally impressive.  

And I was t totally lost, after the first few markings Dave wrote...

When he got to the far end of the whiteboard, he turned around toward me grinning, and said, "There you have it!"

I could tell he was expecting a wise and informed response.  What I did manage to say was this, pointing first to the left end of the board: "So you video the worship service there..." and then pointing to the far right of the board, "And the worship service appears on people's home computer, there."

"Exactly!" Dave said.  With a huge smile.  

So we had the plan. 

Being Good Presbyterians, we took the plan to the Session of the church for their approval. 

And we set the first Sunday in January 2005 as our launch date.  Which went off as it should have, and began a live worship webcast that Wekiva had continued each week, up to today - and on to the future.  

It is good that what was brand new then has become a universal aspect of churches everywhere, now.  I am glad to have been a part of its inception.  

There's a sequel to the story, which I will add at some time in the future.  

Bethesda MD Congregation will Celebrate Its Anniversary with a John Dalles Hymn...

If you live in metropolitan DC you may already recognize the Hermon Presbyterian Church.  It is the quintessential white frame church with a center tower at the doorway, that you will see depicted in many illustrations, especially at Christmas time.  It looks like a child's drawing of "The way churches are supposed to look".

If you are looking for a small church worship and community and you're in the DC area, you should visit. The congregation has a full mission ministry, and is a very welcoming place.

They are about to celebrate a milestone anniversary, and I am glad to be part of it, even if remotely, by having written an anniversary hymn for them to sing.  

It is great to be able to be with the church in spirit, if not in person, for their special day.  Here is how the new hymn came into being:

I worked with Andrew Corson, who is a church Elder and who grew up in the church. In response to my request for idea starters, Andrew provided Hermon’s beautiful and thoughtful Welcome Statement, as well as some photos of the current restoration work being done on the church.  Andrew indicated that they like singing  ROCK OF AGES, A MIGHT FORTRESS, and GOD OF AGES. So I selected from those ROCK OF AGES, to which I wrote their new anniversary hymn called: “God of Blessings, On This Day…” and emailed it to him in early December.  I'm looking forward to hearing how the congregation enjoys singing it.

 

Coronation Anthem by Handel Updated for Use on Easter Day.

One of the happy connections that hymn writing has proved me is the connection with Wendy Bamonte, the music director at the Lake Grove Presbyterian Church in Oswego, Oregon.  Wendy is very energetic and creative.  She has been planning for Easter 2024, and as a result of her planning, she contacted me with what I consider to be a delightful request.

She loves the anthem "Zadok the Priest" which George Friedrich Handel wrote as a Coronation Anthem.  But of course, the lyrics to the original - which are scripturally based - deal specifically with the crowning of a new monarch.  Indeed, the most recent occasion on which the anthem was heard worldwide was for the coronation of Charles III.  

(You can hear a wonderful rendition of the original by the choir of Westminster Abbey on YouTube.)

"Zadok the Priest" was written in 1721 for the Coronation of George II. The original lyrics were based on I Kings 1:38-40. when Zadok the Priest anointed Solomon as King of Israel. The passage has been sung since the 900s at British coronations, set by a number of composers, until Handel wrote the definitive version that has been sung at coronations ever since George II's.  At that first presentation of the anthem, the choir of Westminster Abbey actually sang it at a wrong part of the service.  It is nice to know that even on great occasions of state, these matters that sometimes challenge worship planners on a Sunday morning, happen.  

Wendy asked me to modify the lyrics, so that the anthem could be sung at Lake Grove on Easter Day, 2024.  It was a lovely request, and I enjoyed fulfilling it for her.  She tells me that the anthem with my new words will debut this coming Easter.  I will be sure to worship with them via the web to hear the premier.

New Psalm Contest - Two Honorable Mentions!

New Psalm Contest - Two Honorable Mentions!

You may remember that earlier in this year, composer Glenn Rudolph and I submitted two new psalms for congressional singing to the 2023 New Psalm Contest, which is sponsored annually by the Church of the Servant in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Recently we received word that not one, but both of them, were given honorable mention by the team of judges.  The hymns are available to be seen and heard on the church's website.

The Congregational Church of Westborough, Massachusetts - A New Hymn

The Congregational Church of Westborough, Massachusetts - A New Hymn

I am happy to share that recently I completed hymn for the 300th anniversary of the Congregational Church of Westborough, Massachusetts.  They will be having a big celebration on February 11, 2024, and this hymn will be part of it.

An interesting fact about this congregation is that for many years, the bell in their steeple was one that had been made by Paul Revere.  That same bell now resides in the belfry of old South Church in Boston.  The photograph you see is from the cover of a book that was written for the history of the church 25 years ago.  

The new hymn emerged as follows...

The planning began in conjunction with Catherine "Cathie" Achorn, who is the chairperson of their 300^th Anniversary Committee.  Thereafter, there were ongoing emails with Tom Morgan, their church historian, as well as with Cathie.  Cathie sent me the 275th anniversary church history book.  Tom sent a link to the lecture he gave about the history of the houses of worship in Westborough.  From this great information, I wrote a hymn called “Three Hundred Years of Faith” for them.  I sent the hymn on November 26, 2023 which they thereafter approved the next day. 

Their motto for the anniversary is: "300 Years of Faith, Hope, and Service".  That served as the inspiration for my hymn, which is entitled: "300 Years of Faith!"

Lake Grove Presbyterian Church in Oswego, Oregon

Lake Grove Presbyterian Church in Oswego, Oregon, will be celebrating it Centennial in 2024.  

I have written them a new hymn that the will sing to help mark the occasion.  This is the first of several new works that I have written for them. It is entitled: 

“We Join in Celebration…” to be sung to ANGELS STORY, to be sung as part of their anniversary celebrations on September 8, 2024. 

Soon I will be posting about the new lyrics I created for their Easter 2024 worship service.  Great to have this connection with a wonderful congregation!

Hymn for First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, New York

Hymn for First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, New York

I am delighted  to announce that I recently completed a hymn for the First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown New York.  The church is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Here is how the writing of the hymn happened:

I first talked about it with the church's minister, the Rev Robert (Bob) Hagel. Thereafter, I worked in conjunction with Paige Hardison, who is the church's Director of Music, Chancel Choir, and Bells.  Paige consulted with their church organist and I began work on their hymn, set to a familiar tune. When it was ready, I sent it to Paige.  The hymn title being:  “We Know Some Names” which was approved in mid November 2023.

A New Hymn for the First Church of Weymouth's Four Hundredth Anniversary (1623-2023)

 Here is a remarkable story.  In Weymouth, Mass., you can worship on any given Sunday, with a congregation that began in 1623.  Just three years after Plymouth Rock!  It boggles the mind, that this congregation has been gathering for worship every Sunday since then, and is considered to be the oldest church in the USA offering continuing weekly worship.

As you might guess, a church this old also must have some interesting stories to tell about its many years of faithfulness. And you would be correct.  Regarding their history, nothing stands out for me as much as the association with the Smith family.  As in Abigail Smith Adams, who grew up in this congregation before marrying John Adams (in the church parsonage) and becoming the second First Lady of the United States, a celebrated letter writer, and one of the chief definers of the role of First Lady.  Her father was the pastor of the church, and its longest tenured minister - serving a total of 46 years.  Awesome as that is, there is more to tell about Rev. Smith.  Indeed, he was one of the first people anywhere to read the newly written Declaration of Independence to a gathered crowd, in this case, from the pulpit of the church which is still in use, to this day.

I love this kind of history.  And so I am glad to say that the church has given me the responsibility of writing their 400th Anniversary Hymn.  It is written, and in the hands of the church's music director, Jane, who has written a brand new tune to go with my words.  Exciting indeed.

The church has been celebrating its 400th all year long, and had a special concert several weeks ago.  

I enjoyed working on this new hymn with Jane Cleary, who is the music director and also a long time part of the congregation.  Here is how it unfolded...  I sent Jane a list of questions to consider as we began our work.  Jane sent me a nice informational email answering many of the questions and adding additional helpful details.  From it, I was immediately inspired to write their hymn “Four Hundred Years Before Us”.  When it was done, I sent the first draft to Jane.  Jane loved it.  Better yet, she composed a brand new hymn tune to go with it, which she completed on October 28, 2023. 

Anniversary Sunday is still on the horizon, December 10th of this year.  The hymn will have its debut on that day in worship.  I am so honored to be a part of their amazing and wonderful 400 years in this way.

175th Anniversary Hymn - Trinity United Church of Christ, East Petersburg, PA

 

Trinity United Church of Christ, in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania (Lancaster County) is celebrating its 175th Anniversary tomorrow in worship.  I have mentioned previously that they commissioned me to write a hymn for their anniversary.  

I grew up in East Petersburg, and while we were not members of this congregation, we have many friends who were and are, and have happy associations with the church.  So I was particularly pleased to be asked to write their hymn.

The church is justly famous for its warm hospitality and well-known for its beautiful stained glass window shown here:

Here is a look at the bulletin for the Anniversary Sunday (tomorrow).  The worship service is streamed on Facebook.  The hymn will be sung for the first time, as the conclusion of worship.

Update:

Here are several photos from the anniversary worship service, showing the church's pastor Chris Rankin and one of the sanctuary windows.  The camera never showed the congregation, otherwise I would include that as well.

South Church - 300th Anniversary Hymn by John A. Dalles

 This past Saturday evening saw a festive celebration concert at the South Church in Bergenfield New Jersey.  They were celebrating a remarkable anniversary - 300 years!  Imagine, the church was begun long before we had the Declaration of Independence.  Indeed, a decade before the birth of Founding Father George Washington. 

I was glad to be part of the celbration.  There was music from various periods n the church's 300 year history.  There were instrumentalist, pianists, soloists, and organist, as well as the church choir.  And as the finale of the evening, the congregation sang the 300th Anniversary Hymn that I had written for them. They sang it with verve.  It was wonderful to hear them.

I wish I could have been there - but thankfully, I could participate remotely on line.  

New 225th Anniversary Hymn Sung at Sycamore Presbyterian Church on October 15th, 2023

 "God is Forever Near" is the name of the hymn that I wrote for Sycamore Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati Ohio.  

The Sunday before last, I tuned in to their online Sunday Morning worship service and it was almost like being there in person.  

The service was lovely in every way.  Much of it was written by and presented by the children of the church - which on an anniversary Sunday is a perfect way to highlight the present and future of the congregation.  

The sermon by the associate pastor Rachel was right on target, focusing on Jesus' words, "Let the children come unto me."  

There was lots of good music, and the hymn I wrote for them was the concluding hymn of the morning.  The congregation sang it with what I can only call gusto, so I believe they were enjoying singing it as much as I enjoyed hearing it.  

What a treat!

 

"Whosoever On the Night of Christ's Nativity" Anthem to Be Published by MorningStar Publishing

Breaking news...

Word was just received that the well-known sacred music company MorningStar will be publishing an anthem that I wrote in collaboration with Glenn Rudolph.  The piece is entitled. “Whosoever on the Night of Christ’s Nativity”.

It is an anthem for Christmas Eve.  My words were inspired by an anonymous quotation.  Here's the quotation.  My words will have to wait for the anthem's publication...

This Christmas Eve Hymn was inspired by the following anonymous quotation:

Whosoever on the night of the nativity of the young Lord Jesus, in the great snows, shall fare forth bearing a succulent bone for the lost and lamenting hounds, a wisp of hay for the shivering horse, a cloak of warm raiment for the stranded wayfarer, a bundle of brushwood for the shivering widow, a garland of bright red berries for one who has worn chains, a dish of crumbs with a song of love for all huddled birds who thought that song was dead, and various lavish delicacies for such children’s faces that peer from lonely windows, to them shall be offered and returned gifts of such an astonishment as will rival the hues of the peacock and the harmonies of heaven; so that though they live to the great age when they go stooping and querulous because of the nothing that is left of them, yet shall they walk upright and remembering, as those whose hearts shine like blazing stars, in their chest.

-          Author unknown, 

Glenn took my lyrics in hand and crafted the music to go with it.  As I like to say, Glenn is the George (music) and I am the Ira (words).  It is a joy to share in this - and a treat that it will be published.  

The anticipated publication date is April 2024, in time to promote it for use at Christmas 2024.

I have another piece published by MorningStar, called "God of Wonder" with music by Donna J. Butler.

Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania 50th Anniversary Hymn

I should have shared this some time ago. In 2020 in fact....

In anticipation of the 50th Anniversary of their founding at Shadyside Presbyterian Church the Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania held a hymn search to help mark the occasion.  At the time, I was very much enjoying my time of serving as the Interim Senior Minister at Shadyside, and I decided to write something for the hymn search.  For two reasons.  First, I admire their work.  Second, the celebratory event was already on the calendar for the spring of 2020 to be held in the Parish Hall of Shadyside Presbyterian Church where it all began.  And it made me think how cool would that be if my song were selected and sung right there where I was currently serving. 

So that is what I did.  

I completed the hymn on December 20, 2019. As these hymn searches go, one sends in the submission in such a way that there is no indication on the submission who the author is.  Off it went, and then all I had to do was wait until the judges had made their decision.

As I waited, something else happened...  

The spring of 2020 will forever be remembered for it.  Covid-19.  The coronavirus pandemic.  When it hit, it hit hard, and churches were put in a tough position.  Do we stop having in person worship or not?  The US government did not give us any guidance in that matter.  I guess they were afraid of later church and state type lawsuits.  So each church in every community had to wrestle with the decision.  We at Shadyside reluctantly decided that out of the utmost concern for our members and guests, we would curtail in person worship, and do online worship only.  We also closed the building to all other activities.  As you can guess, in such a busy church, there were many many activities that were therefore scratched from the calendar in the months ahead.  

And yes, along with weddings, and concerts, and meetings, and classes, we had to cancel that 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania.

Then one fine day the phone rang.  

And it was the person charged with contacting the winner of the hymn search, to tell them that news...  Or I should day to tell me that news, that my submission had been selected by the judges.  Great news! But as you can imagine, I was disappointed that the convergence of the event at Shadyside, and the hymn by Shadyside's pastor, just couldn't occur.

Oh, by the way, the hymn is called: “May We Walk the Way of Jesus”, and it is sung to the familiar hymn tune: CROSS OF JESUS. Let me know if you would like to receive a copy of it.... since we are back to normal, and can gather as usual for worship now, in 2023.

New Work with Glenn Rudolph

As you may recall, I have been creating new hymns and anthems with Pittsburgh sacred music composer Glenn Rudolph for many years.  Looking back, I think the first piece we did together was around 2000, but I will double check to be sure.  Some of these new pieces have been published and are available for church musicians to select and present in their congregations.

Not long ago, Glenn asked me if I would write the text for a new anthem he was writing.  Based on an old and beloved tune, but modified and adapted by Glenn for our present age.  I was glad to give it a go.

Sometimes, working on hymns, it takes a lot of time, trial and error, and fine tuning to get the hymn text into a singable form that I am pleased with.  That is part of the creative process, and something I enjoy doing.  I anticipated this request would go something like that.  But I was happily surprised.  This hymn text practically wrote itself. In a very brief period of time.  Did I feel particularly inspired?  Yes indeed.  And the result not only worked, it was also "as it was meant to be".

At least I thought so.  And then, I sent it to Glenn to see what he thought of it.  His immediate answer back was: "Perfect!"

Isn't it great wen a plan comes together like that?  

So, here's the thing.  Glenn tells me that BEFORE he seeks publication for a new piece, he shares it with friends and colleagues, so they have a first chance preenting it, and also they can give some good feedback on how it was received, both by the choir presenting it and the congregation that received it.  He has done that.  And encouraged me to do the same.  So I sent it out, and have had some encouraging replies from friends who are anticipating presenting it in the near future.  As I learn when they will do so, I will update this post, so you can have a chance to hear it.

The anthem is called "Rejoice! Salvation's Come!" and it begins with the line "Why am I thankful every day?"  the tune is known to those who know the old old hymn "The Gate Ajar for Me" - except Glenn has giving it a new extra verve.  When I heard it, I told him he has a hit on his hands.  At least, that is my conviction.

Stay "tuned" for updates as they come!

New Hymns for Churches Celebrating Special Anniversaries

I have completed several new anniversary hymns for congregations marking special milestones.

The Sycamore Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, is marking their 225th anniversary - remarkable isn't it - in a Sunday Morning worship celebration on Sunday, October 15, in less than two weeks from now.  Rev. Ross Reddick is their pastor and they have a robust and warm fellowship.  You can watch their worship that day on line, or see it later in their archive of recent services.

Trinity United Church of Christ in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania is marking its 175th anniversary in 2023.  At the request of the church’s pastor, Chris Rankin, I wrote a hymn for the church entitled “Now Hear God’s Word for Us This Day”, which is sung to the tune JERUSALEM.  East Petersburg is my hometown (where I lived from 1971 to 1982). Although we were members of Highland PC in Lancaster, Trinity UCC played a special part in my formative years, and I have a great fondness for them. (And a first hand knowledge of their past 50 or so years of their 175!).  This hymn will have its debut on Sunday, October 29th; you can worship with them on line to hear it, or consult their worship archives thereafter.  

 

South Presbyterian Church is marking 300 years in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Since 1723 this congregation has been a source of inspiration and strength for the community and a landmark in the local landscape.  As part of their yearlong celebration, I crafted  a new anniversary hymn text, called ”We Praise You God This Day”; it is sung to the familiar hymn tune VRUECHTEN, which is a tune beloved by the congregation and reflects their heritage.  Rev. Osvaldo 'Osy' Nuesch is the church's pastor.  The hymn will first be sung at a celebratory anniversary concert - as the finale - on Saturday, October 21, with the webcast starting at 7 p.m.  You can see it via the church website.

 

The Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, Pennsylvania will mark its 300^th anniversary in 2024.  For the Derry congregation, I have penned a hymn called “Bourne By the Waters, Braving the Waves”, which is sung, as the anniversary committee requested, to the tune of the “Skye Boat Song”, thus connecting to their Scots Irish Presbyterian roots.  Rev. Stephen McKinney-Whitaker is their pastor.  The hymn will first be sung the first Sunday in April 2024.  The congregation anticipates singing the hymn throughout their anniversary year.   

 

“These churches each have a remarkable and laudable history.  I am glad to lift up aspects of their congregations’ life in a hymn that is theirs alone, that they can sing during their anniversary celebration and in the years to come.”

Currently, I am at work on several other pieces for churches who are marking special anniversaries in the coming year.