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.

As Your Dear Friend Once Welcomed You

As Shadyside Presbyterian Church's Director of Music Ministry, Mark A. Anderson, and I were planning worship during this Lenten Season, back on February 21, we were not finding a hymn that we were happy with, to conclude worship on Sunday April 7.  The Gospel lectionary reading for that morning was John 12:1-8, when Jesus shared a meal at Bethany with his treasured friends Martha, Lazarus, and Mary.  

I said to Mark, "Why don't we sing a hymn that you have written?"  His reply, "John, the other option for the first Sunday in April for a closing hymn would be for you to write a text and for me to write the tune. That might be too much, with everything else on your plate, but keep it in mind for future Sundays. It would be great fun to see what we could do."  

What a gracious and great idea!  

So, that is what we did.  I wrote the words; Mark wrote the music.  And the congregation sang our brand new hymn on Sunday, April 7th.  It was a joy to work on the hymn with Mark, and a joy to hear the congregation sing it.  Here's to more collaborations!

Please contact me regarding use in worship.

"Ah! Holy Spirit Come and Speak”

"Ah! Holy Spirit Come and Speak” a new musical composition with words by the Rev. Dr. John Dalles and music by Wm Glenn Osborn will have its premier at Mary Queen of the Universe in Orlando Florida, on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. as part of the concert: “Come To Us Creative Spirit: A Celebration Of Pentecost”. The concert is presented by the Basilica Choir and Orchestra. Music of Rutter, Mozart, and more, are also on the program.

Dalles has been the pastor and head of staff of the Wekiva Presbyterian Church in suburban Orlando for 21 years; prior to that, he served the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian Church of South Bend, Indiana. Osborne is Director of Music for the Cathedral and Archdiocesan Liturgies at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore, Maryland. Before coming to Baltimore in 2015, he served as Director of Music at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee, Florida.

The two have collaborated on more than a dozen sacred works, including “God, We Would Hear The Angels Sing”, an anthem which is featured on the CD “Christmas With The Basilica Choir”, which you can hear at this link: LISTEN

Community of Christ Hymnal

Yesterday I received a letter from Scott Shorney, the Vice President of Hope Publishing Company thanking me for granting permission to use several of my hymns as part of the new hymnal for the Communiy of Christ. Along with it, Scott sent me an "author's copy" of the new "Community of Christ Sings". It is a beautiful book, well-thought out, and carefully designed.

I am pleased that four of my hymns are included in the hymnal:

- #237 "God, Renew Us by Your Spirit";
- #316 "O God of Love, Grant Us Your Peace";
- #496 "See What Love We Have Been Given"; and
- #639 "God, Bless Your Church with Strength!"

To Love is to be Breakable

TO LOVE IS TO BE BREAKABLE—
Meter: CM (86.86) – Suggested Tune: TALLIS’ ORDINAL
By John A. Dalles – Inspired by Lines by C. S. Lewis

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” – C S Lewis, “The Four Loves”

To love is to be breakable—
So love with all you are,
Commitment unforsakeable
May leave a mark, a scar.

To love is to be bendable—
So love and limber be,
Become the one befreindable—
With lithe humility.

To love is to be vulnerable—
So love with openness,
At risk and truly honorable—
This is the way to bless.

To love is to be changeable—
By all you love each day,
Alive and rearrangeable,
So give yourself away!

Copyright © 2013, John A. Dalles

This hymn text is set as an anthem by Wm. Glenn Osborne and will have its debut on Sunday, November 17 at 4 p.m. in the Knowles Chapel on the Campus of Rollins College in Winter Park at the C. S. Lewis Evensong.

EVERY HOPE WE HAVE IS GROUNDED

Richard Clarke, who has served as the music director of the St. Bartholomew Faith Community in Wayzata, Minnesota since 1994, has recently become a friend through the wonderful connective powers of sacred music. 

Recently, Richard asked me to take a look at a hymn called "All My Hope On God Is Founded" which is a hymn based on two different author's words which were set to music by Henry Howells in memory of his son who had died.  The hymn tune is MICHAEL named in honor of Michael Howells.

MICHAEL is a marvelous hymn tune and one that I did not know until Richard asked me to look at it.  So many thanks to him, for introducing it to me.  I have been working on it ever since he suggested it and had about three of the five stanzas nearly done, and then set it aside.  I awakened early this morning to find that the remaining work was more or less in my head, so finished it around daybreak today.

I have tried to stay close to the intention of the original in this version which, because it uses some lines from the original, I have said is: After “All My Hope On God Is Founded”.

In the writing of the hymn, I saw the connection to the passage from Colossians, so placed the quotation within the subtitle.  I also was very moved by the account of the writing of the tune, by Howells, in memory of his son.  In a way, I fear that treading on so personal an experience might be an intrusion upon grief expressed in faith, but on the other hand, I do feel that a hymn using first person plural instead of first person singular is more appropriate for congregational song. So those changes were part of this new hymn.

Also, I like to see some sense that our faith is at work in what we do, so have tried to incorporate a sense of doing and action in some of the lines, which might not have been expressed as clearly in the original.  I understand the first three stanzas in the original are from Jaachim Neander (1650-1680) and the last two were apparently written by Robert Seymore Bridges (1844-1930).  I hope they will forgive my tinkering with their poetry.

If you find that you like this new hymn text, please contact me regarding permission for its use in your worship.
 

EVERY HOPE WE HAVE IS GROUNDED

Colossians 1:23  "Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.
 

 Text: John A. Dalles, 2013

Tune:  MICHAEL (In memory of his son, by Herbert Howells, 1892-1983)

Meter: 878767

 

 

 Every hope we have is grounded

In God’s grace forever true;

Change may challenge, chance may frighten,

Only God will see us through.

Do not fear; God is here—

Day by day and year by year!

 

 

Fame and fortune, gold and glory,

Tempt us and betray God’s trust;

Yet, with care God plans and fashions

Lasting works of righteousness.

God’s great power, hour by hour,
Is our temple and our tower.

 
God’s great goodness lasts forever—

God’s is brilliant, bold and wise,

God is light and life and splendor,
By God’s word new worlds arise—

Evermore from God’s store,
God creates us to adore.

 

Daily the Almighty Giver
grants us overflowing gifts;
God, our Maker, Guider, Savior,
Leads us forward and uplifts—

By God’s hand, may we stand,
And with joy do God’s command.

One and all, our voices raising,
May we pray “Thy will be done!”
High above all praises praising
Every grace of Christ the Son—

Do not fear; God is here—

Day by day and year by year!

 

After “All My Hope On God Is Founded”

Copyright © John A. Dalles, 2013.

 Permission granted for use in worship to Richard Clarke & the St. Bartholomew Catholic Faith Community, Wayzata, MN