New Hymn Competition Announced
As part of the ongoing Together in Song project of The Australian
Hymn Book Pty Ltd, an International Hymn Competition is announced. The terms
and conditions of the Competition are included in the Guidelines below.
Entries close 5pm Australian Eastern Standard Time
31 July 2013.
Please distribute this
announcement far and wide to any people and networks you think may be
interested.
CALL FOR ENTRIES
The Australian Hymn Book Pty Ltd is delighted to announce its first
international hymn competition as part of its work of gathering the finest
congregational songs for its growing Together
in Song collection. The competition has two entry levels, either of
which may be selected by an individual competitor: General and Specific.
Level 1: General
The General Level competition is seeking texts that re-imagine Pauline
theological emphases / allusions / metaphors / images, expressing them as song
texts that are accessible to, and understood by, twenty-first century
worshippers.
[As an historical model, note how
in his hymn ‘And can it be’ (#209 in Together
in Song) Wesley employed the following emphases / allusions in
meaningful ways for congregations of his time: Verse 1: Col 1.19-21, Eph 1.7;
Verse 2: 1 Peter 1.6-12; Verse 3: Phil 2.6-8; Verse 4: Acts 12.6-11; Verse 5:
Rom 8, Phil 2.9 and 3.9, Heb 4.16, and 1 Cor 9.25]
Level 2: Specific Pauline Text(s) Focus
This competition level is planned to focus on Pauline texts, which deal
with Paul's notion that believers must experience a ‘crucifixion’ or ‘death’ of
their old selves, before they can be fully reconciled with God.
The aim of this part of the competition is to elicit faith-based
responses to one or other of the quoted texts. Each response will form a
‘story’.
The ‘story’ should (a) ‘unpack’ the meaning of the text and (b) convey a
sense of why the text is important to the author.
Texts for Consideration:
* 1 Corinthians 2.2 *Galatians 6.14 *Romans 6.6
*Colossians 3.3
[As an historical model, Charles Wesley re-imagined Colossians 3.3 in
the text of his hymn "Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine". The
Appendix includes the Text.]
Guidelines
1. Content
Level 1: Open to any Pauline theological
content of the applicants’ own choosing (see above explanation)
Level 2: Hymn to focus on one of the ‘Texts
for Consideration’ (see above)
2. Form
Entries will be in the form of a congregational song,
either Hymn or Contemporary Song style.
3. Categories
Submission may be one of two categories, reflect Pauline
content as outlined above and have a minimum of three (3) stanzas in English.
Category #1: New Text and Tune
- Original melody and text
- Mel ody in
metric balance with the text
- Style either:
(i) traditional 4-part harmony
with SATB, or
(ii) contemporary single-line
melody for unison congregational singing, with basic keyboard accompaniment for
solo line,and guitar chords.
Category #2: New Hymn Text for an
Existing Tune
- Original text that is in metric balance with chosen
tune
To be eligible, submission(s) must meet all the
requirements for the respective category. (NB New tunes for the winning entry
may be sought in the future).
4. New Work
Hymns previously published or currently entered in
other contests should not be submitted. It is permissible, however, to have a
local congregation or other group sample your hymn before submitting it.
5. Contemporary Application
Entries are to avoid archaic language, such as
"Which wert, and art, and evermore shall be", and non-inclusive
language, such as "O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother".
6. Copyright
Copyright of the winning hymn text/s and music will
become the property of The Australian Hymn Book Pty Ltd.
7. Use of Entries
The entries may be used:
(a) at celebratory Hymn Competition Services or
Conference
(b) on the Together in Song World Wide Web site with
copyright approval for prescribed usage
(c) in future Together in Song publications
(d) on accompaniment discs
8. Submission Information
Entry is open to all who are neither employees nor their
relatives of The Australian Hymn Book Pty Ltd, nor competition judges nor their
relatives.
Entrants should specify whether they are entering
Level 1 or Level 2 of the Competition. They should either (a) provide four
copies of each hymn, which should not include the entrant’s name; or (b) submit
scanned hymn by email.
Entrants have the option of submitting a CD/mp3 track
with vocal lines.
All entrants should provide a cover letter with their
full name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, and the title of
the entry or entries. All entries will be acknowledged within two weeks of
receipt.
9. Closing date and address for
submission
All entries must be submitted by 5pm on 31 July 2013 to:
The Australian Hymn Book Pty Ltd
International Hymn Competition
10. Judging
The judges will arrive at their decision by 30 September 2013 , and
their decision is final. The winning entries will be announced after the
winners have been notified. Only one winning entry is anticipated in each
level, but the judges may decide to split the prize among several co-winners.
The judges also reserve the right not to select any entry as a winner. Each
entrant will receive notification of the contest winners and a copy of the
winning entries.
11. Prize(s)
Winning prizes at each of the two levels will be AUD
1,200.
APPENDIX
Methodist
Hymn Book #457
|
Thou Shepherd of Israel and mine,
Thou joy and desire of my heart;
For closer communion I pine,
I long to reside where thou art.
The pasture I languish to find
Where all, who their Shepherd obey,
Are fed, on the bosom reclined,
And screened from the heat of the day.
|
Jesu,
meine Freude
|
|
Ah, show me that happiest place,
The place of thy peoples abode;
Where saints in an ecstasy gaze,
And hang on a crucified God.
Thy love for a sinner declare,
Thy passion and death on a tree;
My spirit to
To suffer and triumph with thee.
|
2
Corinthians 5.2
Philippians
3.12-14
Ephesians
3.18-19
Galatians
2.20
2
Timothy 2.11
Philippians
1.29
|
|
Tis there with the lambs of thy flock,
There only I covet to rest;
To lie at the foot of the rock,
Or rise to be hid in thy breast.
Tis there I would always abide,
And never a moment depart;
Concealed in the cleft of thy side,
Eternally held in thy heart.
Let me hide myself in thee.
|
Ephesians
1.4-6
Jesu,
meine Freude
Rock
of ages, cleft for me
|
Got to be honest - I actually thought that 'The General Level competition is seeking texts that re-imagine Pauline theological emphases / allusions / metaphors / images, expressing them as song texts that are accessible to, and understood by, twenty-first century worshippers' might be the start of a rather unusual parody. Might actually give it a go, though, and put my composition degree to some use!
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