{"id":43675,"date":"2019-10-25T13:07:38","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T17:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=43675"},"modified":"2019-10-25T13:17:23","modified_gmt":"2019-10-25T17:17:23","slug":"voices-together-emus-benjamin-bergey-on-the-new-mennonite-hymnal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2019\/voices-together-emus-benjamin-bergey-on-the-new-mennonite-hymnal\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Voices Together\u2019: EMU\u2019s Benjamin Bergey on the new Mennonite hymnal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the new Mennonite worship and song resource <em>Voices Together <\/em>is released next fall, Eastern Mennonite University professor of music <strong>Benjamin Bergey \u201911<\/strong> has a hope: that this collection \u201cdraws people to worship, to learn more about God and themselves, and to be drawn into closer discipleship with Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hymnal\u2019s more than 1,000 pages containing 750 songs and 200-plus worship resources seeks to \u201crepresent the theological breadth of the church,\u201d said Bergey, who chairs the project\u2019s tune and accompaniment subcommittee and is editor and compiler for the accompaniment edition. With the new hymnal, Mennonites everywhere will be able to \u201ctake a risk and try something new.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"highlight highlight-right\"><a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/crossroads\/2011\/02\/24\/those-famous-mennonite-harmonies\/\">Read more about singing and hymns in the Mennonite tradition<\/a>.<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p>Over a decade ago, Mennonite Church Canada, Mennonite Church USA and MennoMedia\u2019s predecessor Mennonite Publishing Network began surveying worship and music leaders about the need for a new hymnal. The hymnal supplements <em>Sing the Journey <\/em>and <em>Sing the Story <\/em>had been released in 2005 and 2007, but by the time MennoMedia publishes <em>Voices Together<\/em> next fall, the previous <em>Hymnal: A Worship Book<\/em> will have been in pews for 28 years \u2013 five years more than had passed between it and its preceding <em>The Mennonite Hymnal.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>No small task<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Voices Together <\/em>committee of 13, led by general editor and project manager Bradley Kauffman, had no small task: \u201cWhat are the songs that will sustain our faith in 2020, 2030 and 2040?\u201d its website asks, under the question \u201cWhy <em>Voices Together<\/em>? Why now?\u201d on the FAQ page. \u201cWhat words and images connect us with each other and with God now and into the future?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The committee has worked to balance myriad competing factors, opinions and preferences. \u201cIt is truly a humbling experience to seek to listen to as many voices across the United States and Canada, as well as around the world, to discern the current worshiping practices as well as allow the spirit to work through this new collection for the next generation,\u201d Bergey said. \u201cAt the end of the day, we take very seriously the rich legacy of hymnody that has come before us, with the direction of the church and God\u2019s work among us today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bergey\u2019s subcommittee was responsible for \u201ceverything from key, scoring, time signature, harmonization, what kind of accompaniment to use if any, and ultimately how to clarify the music on the page,\u201d he said. Among the questions they considered:<em> How can contemporary worship music be included in notated form? How can hymns be made more accessible for those unfamiliar with notation?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the hymnal, the release will feature an app, a projection edition, more chord symbols and additional resources. Contents will include 12 works of <a href=\"http:\/\/voicestogetherhymnal.org\/2019\/02\/18\/hymnal-visual-art-chosen\/\">visual art<\/a>, more global music, thoughts and poetry, old songs with updated text, \u201cmany familiar, beloved and even memorized things,\u201d and \u201cwonderful\u201d new tunes and styles, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Voices Together<\/em> will have \u201cmore work by Mennonite writers, artists, composers, and songwriters than any previous collection,\u201d Bergey said, selected from the 2,200 voluntary submissions from writers, artists and musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u2018Directly equipped\u2019 at EMU<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a student at EMU, Bergey majored in vocal performance and church music. Those studies \u201cdirectly equipped\u201d him for not only his teaching and direction of the orchestra, University Choir and Chamber Singers, but also his role with the new hymnal, he said. His mentor was, after all, <strong>Ken Nafziger<\/strong> (now professor emeritus) who was an editor for <em>Hymnal: A Worship Book<\/em> (1992) and its two supplements, <em>Sing the Journey <\/em>(2005) and <em>Sing the Story <\/em>(2007).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have learned so much from him from hymnology, to leading congregational song, to theology,\u201d Bergey said. \u201cHe has been an important figure in Mennonite church music, and it has been an honor to learn from him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though Bergey did not study directly under her, he also said that Mary Oyer, one of Nafziger\u2019s mentors, was \u201csomeone whose ethnomusicological study, consummate knowledge of church music and hymns, and legacy of congregational song leading has had a major impact on my life\u2026. She was one of the earliest women in this type of role, and has shared so many wonderful stories of putting a hymnal together. She has been a role model to many in this type of work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a work with far-reaching potential, he knows: \u201cI hope that it will be met with curiosity and an open mind,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope everyone can find a home and heart song in <em>Voices Together<\/em>. I hope all find their voice within <em>Voices Together<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When the new Mennonite worship and song resource Voices Together is released next fall, Eastern Mennonite University professor of music Benjamin Bergey \u201911 has a hope: that this collection \u201cdraws <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2019\/voices-together-emus-benjamin-bergey-on-the-new-mennonite-hymnal\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about &#8216;Voices Together\u2019: EMU\u2019s Benjamin Bergey on the new Mennonite hymnal<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[266,7931,5589,17562,8845,5642,5183,265],"tags":[17694,8361],"feature":[17427,17426,17241],"class_list":["post-43675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-arts","category-bible-and-religion","category-digest","category-emu-at-lancaster","category-faculty-and-staff","category-music","category-seminary","tag-benjamin-bergey","tag-ken-nafziger","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - 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