Hymnal Update: May 2010

The Sumphonia hymnal is coming along. The new hymnal is entitled Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. If all continues to go well, it will be printed in late 2010.

Presently, the Table of Contents lists 820 titles. It includes 550+ hymns familiar enough to be regarded as "core hymns" by the brethren; these hymns were identified as a result of an Internet survey offered to the brotherhood at large. In addition to these core hymns, the TOC includes contemporary songs that have a likelihood of longevity, hymns that were written by the brethren and passed a review panel, and hymns written in the New English Renaissance style. Finally, the TOC includes older hymns of the folk, Anglican, and gospel genres.

Of these 820 hymns, nearly all the text files have been edited, copyedited, and proofed. In addition, nearly all of the music has been entered. Presently, 115 hymns, including both text and music, are being edited and prepared for review.

The production schedule calls for composition of galleys to begin in the summer of 2010 and galley proofing to begin in the late fall of 2010. Indexing began in the fall of 2009 and is expected to continue through August of 2010.

We ask the readership to be patient with us as we work hard to complete this publication. We are excited about every aspect of this publication, and we believe your wait will have been worth it. The content is balanced to include hundreds of familiar hymns, along with what might be considered "the cream of the crop" in new hymns; several of the familiar hymns include rediscovered verses. Also, the new hymnal follows a layout scheme known as "phrased notation," which helps the singer grasp the message of the hymn. And it has new metrical and topical indices.

If you have questions regarding any aspect of this hymnal, please contact any one of the five editors. Additionally, it might be helpful to see a 78-page prototype of this hymnal (The Sumphonia Hymn Supplement), which is available either from us, Truth Bookstore or the Florida College Bookstore.