Principle Organist Jan Kraybill shares her presentation about the new hymnal, Community of Christ Sings! This will be especially helpful to those who attended a hymnal launch workshop and would like to share the info they learned.

1. BEYOND THE HORIZON:
Community of Christ Sings!
Jan Kraybill
Principal Organist for Community of Christ and
The Dome and Spire Organ Foundation

2. Look beyond the horizon.
What can you imagine?
Ever-more-vibrant musical
expressions of Christ’s mission!
A new day in church music!

4. Hymns of the Saints – 1981
 Primarily 4-part hymnody from European
hymnic heritage
 Some forays into other styles and cultures
 Title reflects content
 Three supplements stretched stylistic
boundaries: 1993, 1999, 2004

5. Community of Christ Sings
 Stylistically wider range, but still plenty of
part-singing
 Title reflects content
 Content reflects two goals set by leadership
 Communicate, reflect, and imagine the
church’s identity, message, mission and beliefs
 Help us all value and appreciate the global
nature of the church
 Hundreds of contributors

6. CCS has much to offer,
contains much to learn
 Languages
 Styles
 Instruments
 Concepts
 Balance

7. Challenge: Creatively embrace the chance
to learn and grow
Devise solutions for your
environment
Reward: Musical and spiritual renewal
Wider sense of community,
faith, church and God

10. 1. “A characteristic of a good leader is
never to doubt the capacity of the people
he’s leading to realize whatever he’s
dreaming.”
 Benjamin Zander, conductor of Boston
Philharmonic Orchestra and Youth
Orchestra, co-author of The Art of Possibility
 “My job is to awaken the possibility in
other people.”
 Definition of success

11. 2. Fall in love with words and poetry
 Ancient forms
 Stanza forms
 Song forms
 Visual and aural beauty of words in
unfamiliar languages
 Concepts, stories, and images used for God,
humanity, community, faith, etc., etc., etc.

12. 3. Research the story behind the music
 Personal contacts
 Hymnary.org
 Hymnals by single authors
 Books
 Web searches
 CCS page layout
Use and share this information

13. 4. Printed page is just shorthand – like
notes for a sermon. Find good aural
models to follow.
 Personal network
 Conferences
 CCS Audio Recording product
 Other recordings, YouTube
 Other web-based archives

14. 5. Join networks of musicians to learn
from and inspire each other
 Dome and Spire Organ Foundation – for
more than just organists!
 Piano Club – for more than just pianists!
 The Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada –
for more than just hymns!
 The American Guild of Organists
 Choristers’ Guild

15. 6. “Translate” for your environment and
your people
 What can we do?
 What speaks to us?
 What is the definition of success for us?
 What do we need to ensure this success?
 Insert music into every aspect of your
congregation’s life
 CCS indices as tools

16. 7. Be open – embrace the opportunity to be
a beginner
 New instruments
 New languages
 New ways of doing things
 Guided mastery – self efficacy
 Patience
 Create a community of unselfconscious
beginners who learn and rejoice together

17. 8. Look for your next horizon!
Here are mine from this 5+ year project:
 Theological umbrella
 Vocative particle
 O MOTU: audio, technological, Finale,
database
 Guitarists’ community, guitar chords
 Guitar playing