Around the time I began composing Anglican psalm chants for my Modern Psalter, I found myself also writing a hymn or two – complex and difficult works, not approachable by any common church choir or their congregation. These first hymns (some of which still appear in this book in altered forms) waited patiently on my hard drive until August 2015, when I completed my psalter. That book had become a pet project, a symbol of my religion, and a constant personal challenge, but it was finished – and in many ways, it seemed to demand a sibling. And so, with some trepidation, I returned to hymns. My work continued another year. This hymnal is comprised of entirely new settings of public domain hymn texts. Although I attempted to avoid those texts which are traditionally associated with a specific tune, I did break this rule twice. On Hymn 1: an old choir friend once quipped, “How could a hymnal not begin with ‘Holy, holy, holy’?” On Hymn 35: I don’t imagine my music could ever match Vaughan Williams, but I wanted the last hymn to be something special all the same. Although these hymns are largely too difficult for a cappella performance, every piece has been written in strict four-part voicing with clear and effective voice leading, and could just as easily be performed in unison with organ accompaniment. As well, those sections of service music where plainchant is commonly used have been freely harmonized, retaining the plainchant in the melody. This book is best taken as a collection of individual works. The hymns and service music are highly idiosyncratic and unexpected, sometimes following esoteric turns of harmony and rhythm. Still, this book exists as my own personal expression of faith with a functional purpose, and I am proud of the music contained within. This hymnal owes a great deal to Vincent Persichetti (1915-1987), whose Hymns and Responses for the Church Year gave me the initial idea of composing a complete hymnal, and reassured me that a ‘serious’ composer could (and should) bother themselves with a commonplace, practical book of music.
