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Table of contents

Chapter 10

The 2008 Christian Science Hymnal Supplement

“Coming this November, for the first time in 76 years, a new Hymnal Supplement!” That announcement appeared in the October 2008 Christian Science Journal. Don Adams, Walter Jones, and Judy Wolff, then Trustees of The Christian Science Publishing Society, spearheaded the Supplement work. They wanted to inform readers that the approaching publication would contain fresh, new hymns, based on a sustained demand for new music.¹

Late in 2007 the Trustees had authorized John Sparkman, Manager of General Publications at the Publishing Society, to contact several Christian Scientist musicians, inviting them to become members of the Supplement Committee.

The Trustees commissioned the committee to develop a roster of hymns with key characteristics:

• metaphysically sound and healing
• contemporary and youthful
• easy to sing
• global
• diverse
• gender-neutral when possible
• beautiful and inspiring²

From January to April 2008 members met in Boston over four weekends, working with great enthusiasm for this new project. They considered several hundred submissions—some from Christian Scientists around the globe and others found in American and international hymnals.

The committee made a point of including well-known tunes such as NEW BRITAIN (“Amazing Grace”) and BROTHER JAMES’ AIR. The traditional African melody SIYAHAMBA was a significant addition, as was the 1623 tune LASST UNS ERFREUEN, long a staple of Protestant churches and to which was set Violet Hay’s poem “Lo! they that follow after good.” Of the 33 hymns eventually included, 17 were brought in from other denominational hymnals—eight traditional tunes and nine contemporary melodies. The remaining 16 selections were composed by other Christian Scientists. Eleven were set to new music composed for texts already in the 1932 Hymnal (five by Mary Baker Eddy and six by other poets).

The Supplement Committee also gave careful attention to the vocal range of the hymns, in order that present-day congregations would be comfortable singing them. In the 1920s and 1930s, besides singing in church and choral ensembles, people often gathered informally in their homes. With anthem books, hymnals, and popular songs, they would make singing the focus of an evening’s entertainment. As a result, voices of that time were more supple than today’s and capable of handling church hymns that demanded large vocal ranges, such as LONDONDERRY (Hymn 412). By the early twenty-first century, people were more accustomed to listening to professional singers than to making their own music. Accordingly, the committee worked diligently to keep the singing ranges within a single octave (C to C), occasionally allowing a melody to go a step above or below that range.

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Some of the products sold by The Christian Science Publishing Society relating to the 2008 Hymnal Supplement.

The Trustees expressed appreciation for the diligent work of the 1980s Hymnal Revision Committee, acknowledging that “while no new publication resulted at that time, we have reviewed that body of work and are enormously grateful for the dedication and inspiration of that committee. In fact, one of its members serves on the current Hymnal Supplement Committee. The healing steps already taken are blessing our efforts today.” ⁴

Christian Science teacher and composer Fenella Bennetts led the hymn sing, along with Mother Church soloist Julia Wade. They prefaced each hymn with brief background information. The chosen selections offered a sampling of what the Supplement contained, some with fresh melodies for existing texts, others completely new to Christian Science congregations. Composers Désirée Goyette, Peter Allen, and Susan Mack accompanied their respective pieces. A choir of 30 singers led the audience, helping everyone navigate the new tunes. When the attendees sang the last hymn, “Hal-le, Hal-le, Hal-le-lujah,” many clapped and moved spontaneously to its joyous Caribbean rhythms.⁵

Because the Supplement embraced musical styles from different cultures, many Christian Science branch churches held regular hymn sings after it was issued. This followed the example set when the 1932 Hymnal appeared. As congregations were becoming acquainted with the new hymns, a Journal article by Peter Allen, “The Singing Church,” encouraged Christian Scientists to become more comfortable with these hymns as new, healing musical companions:

The 1932 Christian Science Hymnal and the new Supplement have much in common. Like the 1932 Hymnal, the Supplement contains several traditional four-part hymns …. [It] also contains hymns [which] introduce musical and poetic styles that have come into wide use in church music since 1932…. Above the melody line are chord symbols [see Photo A] …. [These accommodate] musicians, such as guitarists, who use chords more often than standard notation…. [A]t the beginning of Hymn No. 446, [one sees the word] “Gospel,” followed by a notation telling the accompanist to “swing” the rhythm by making the 1/8 notes like triplets [see Photo B]. Introducing this new musical style into Christian Science hymnody does many things. It opens the door to a greater variety of musical expression; it encourages us to leap forward into present-day musical vocabulary; and it makes welcome those who are comfortable singing in this style. If we allow it to happen within our hearts, hymns in gospel style give us a fresh way to express God’s joy.⁶

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