Hymnal and Children’s Songbook Revisions - open call
In the Summer of 2018 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints released a statement that a new hymnal and children’s songbook were being planned and furthermore they were asking for input from the public on suggestions and submissions of works to be considered for inclusion. The deadline for comments and submissions was July 1st 2019, just 10 days ago. But jumping back to when I heard the news about a year ago, I was immediately excited and intrigued and although I had not at that moment composed a full church song, I had written many other songs and had for many years considered the idea of composing sacred music. It was not just a passing thought for me but I expected and hoped that I would at some point in my life have the necessary inspiration and ability to compose music that is equal to the sacred role that hymns fill in our lives. It’s an intimidating thought, to try to create music that is like a prayer for all who sing, perform, or hear it, Hymns that deeply affect how we feel and think as we go to worship on Sunday and partake of the holy sacrament. It’s something that you want to get right, which scared me, and that is partially why I, for a time, put off composing hymns even though I had the desire to do so.
The prospect of a new hymnal was just the motivation I needed to get over the fear of imperfection. I made a goal for myself that I would compose something, and I actively thought about that goal as time went by. I attempted to write some musical themes that might be appropriate, and I came up with a few good and interesting melodies but they didn’t feel like they fit my expectation exactly. More time went by, Summer past and Fall was halfway through and I didn’t have anything that I thought was usable. I was more accustomed to writing music in various other styles, and this kind of musical inspiration continued to come to me but it didn't feel like a hymn so I kept on searching. Part of the excitement in getting a newly revised hymnal is that there may be some unexpected new sounds in it, I was being open minded about musical style but still I didn't yet have the right ideas.
Then in early November as I was considering the lyrical themes that I might want to write about, I got very inspired to write a song about President Nelson’s charge to the youth to join the Youth Battalion, and I started getting musical ideas to go along with it immediately after. These ideas were just phrases and fragments but it was enough for me to know that I had found the right direction and the right seed of an idea that could turn into the type of song that I was hoping to write. The melody then came to me as I was playing the guitar one November day, I copied it down and saved it so that I could complete the lyrical verses later and join them together. The lyrics did not come quickly after that, which is normal for me as a songwriter, so I didn’t worry. The melodies often come quicker and easier but I need to put in the work to get all the lyrics and finish off the arrangement. After the right inspiration I know I’ve got a good idea but it always takes a lot of work to get it into a completed song.
I kept that song in a half completed state for a few more months, I didn’t have any additional breakthroughs and I hadn’t really worked as hard at it as I needed to to finish it. Then in the Spring, while sitting in Stake Conference, I got a strong impression; it wasn’t the lyrics I needed or even any specific song idea but it was a strong feeling and reminder that said in my head “You need to finish and submit music to the church!”. I had plenty of other things going on in my life that could have continued to take my time and energy but at that point I knew I should move my musical endeavors up the priority list.
There were a few late evenings after that when I focused only on achieving my goal, and very quickly I started to get ideas for the lyrics and even musical ideas for other songs. I finished two songs as a result of that focused effort and I submitted them before going on a vacation that my wife and I had been planning for quite some time. Even though the deadline was a few months away, I wanted to make sure I got the songs submitted before I left because I wasn’t sure how much I could do after my vacation.
Click the image below to get the sheet music for "The Youth Battalion".
It turns out that shortly after coming home from vacation, I was in the mood to work on music, and after working on a few musical ideas that were not hymn related, I felt uninspired, like I was lacking direction. When prayerfully considering all the musical projects I could work towards I was again overcome with the same feeling I had gotten in Stake Conference but this time it said “You need to finish and submit more music to the church!”. The deadline was fast approaching, just a few weeks away at this point and I was happy with what I had already submitted but I dove in with all I had to see what else I could come up with to submit. It started coming to me immediately, I sat at the piano through the afternoons and evenings and worked out melodies and chords that I was so pleased with and which energized me. I didn’t know if I would be able to finish lyrics and arrangements for them but leading up to the deadline I was able to get 3 more songs completed and submitted much to my excitement.
So here we are with the songs submitted and the deadline past, I loved this experience. It was very inspiring and a lot of work which expanded my musical abilities and fulfilled a goal that I have had for myself for many years. The hymnal revision was the motivation to get me going and so I am very thankful for the opportunity it provided. I am also very excited to see and hear what selections will be included in the hymnal and songbooks, I know many thousands must have been submitted and the hymns that will be selected I’m sure will be inspired gifts to all of us.
