Living Church of God
Hymn Project
Questions?
For more information about submissions, please contact Jonathan McNair at [email protected].
One way we honor God is by praising Him in song.
The Scriptures give us the words of many songs composed by David and his musicians, as well as by Moses and others. We have also been blessed with the legacy of some of these songs set to music, primarily the work of Mr. Dwight Armstrong. More recent hymns were added by others during the latter years of Mr. Herbert Armstrong’s life. We sing many of these hymns every week in our congregations around the world.
With our recent reliance on streaming technology, including our musical praise of God, it seems appropriate to update our hymn recordings using the most recent recording technology. As part of this effort, Mr. Weston has approved including additional hymns that have been written by talented musicians in the Living Church of God. As we read in Psalm 98:1, it gives glory to God to “sing to the Lord a new song!”
Hymn Project Update:
Over 150 songs were submitted to be included in our new hymnal!
It’s really encouraging to see the interest in this project, and the talent reflected in so many of our members. A variety of songs were submitted. Some included full scores, while others simply had a melody line with some lyrics.
As we endeavored to select the songs that would work best in our new hymnal, here are the main points that were considered:
- Singability: Will the melody be easy to sing for the majority of the congregation?
- Musicality: Does the music have a pleasing sound? Does the flow of the music make sense?
- Poetry: Do the lyrics flow well and coherently?
- Content: Are the lyrics scripturally sound and the subject matter appropriate for services?
- Overall Style: How well does the genre and style of this hymn fit the style of our hymnal and our congregational singing service at church?
Obviously, we will not be able to include every submission in our new hymnal. In fact, some seemed more appropriate for a special music piece than for our hymnal. If you submitted a hymn – thank you! Whether your hymn is selected for the hymnal or not, thank you for taking the time and making the effort to contribute!
Ready to Compose?
If you would like to submit a hymn for possible inclusion in our updated collection, have a look at the following submission guidelines!
Submissions should be in the traditional format that we use for congregational singing, typically with two to four verses in a four-stanza framework. A song written for congregational singing is arranged differently than a song performed for special music. For example, some of the songs in our current hymnal were initially written for special music and later modified for congregational hymns.
Submitted hymns should be based closely upon scriptural passages. Much “Christian music” today expresses religious feeling but does not reflect the words of the Bible.
Lyrics should be well-formed and pleasing to the ear, maintaining the clear, powerful style of the written word of God.
Melodies should be clear, simple and singable. The melody should be something the congregation would be able to quickly learn and easily remember.
Ready to Submit?
Follow the steps below to send us your work!
Prepare Your Hymn
Score
Please submit notation of your hymn. There is a variety of music writing software available to help.* Here are a few options if you don’t already have a favorite:
- Noteflight (Online music notation software – Free or subscription versions available)
- MuseScore (Free, downloadable notation software)
- Finale (Downloadable notation software for serious composers)
*We will accept handwritten scores if they are easy to read.
Text Only
Not ready to compose a melody? That’s okay! We are also accepting text only submissions. Simply write your best hymn poetry (lyrics) and send it in! We’ll try to use it if possible.
If you plan to only submit text for your hymn, please use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Pages (Mac). Please don’t send us a scan of a handwritten text.
Audio Submissions
Please submit an audio recording along with your notation. You can send us an audio file in conjunction with your score, or with your text to give us an idea of what you want it to sound like.
Export Your Piece
Once you have finished composing, writing your hymn text, and/or recording, it’s time to export your piece into the right file format.
- Scores and Text Documents: Export as PDF*
- Audio: Export as MP3
*Sending your piece as a PDF will ensure that we can read your file.
Review Submission Checklist
Make sure you have completed these steps before your hit submit!
- Read the Submission Guidelines
- Prepare your score, text, and/or audio recording
- Proof your work!
- Ensure your submission is in the correct file format
- Include your own name within your document or in the file name
- When you’re ready submit your file(s) to the OneDrive link below!
Upload Your Files!
Once you are ready to submit your piece, please upload your file(s) to this OneDrive link. We are excited to receive your submission!