Excerpts from Chris Fenner’s appearance on the Sande Rose radio show in Detroit, with co-hosts Teresa Acton and Richard Nichols. Chris answers burning questions: What is a hymn? Why is hymnology important? Why is African American hymnology important? Does hymnology include living composers? Chris also talks about his connection to the establishment of the music program at Hampton University.

Discover more:

Sande Rose Show (YouTube)

Hymnology Archive

D.J. Bulls is worship and communications minister at Glenwood Church, Tyler, Texas, choir director at Tyler Legacy High School, and owner of fearless4you music. In this episode, we discuss his favorite hymn, “Be with me, Lord, I cannot live without thee,” by Thomas Chisholm and Lloyd Sanderson, his current approach as a church music director, his work on Timeless: Ancient Psalms for the Church Today, especially his setting of Psalm 123, and his massive hymnal collection.

Discover more:

https://timelesspsalter.com/

https://www.fearless4you.com/

Musician and hymn writer Dan Damon talks about his latest album, Needed Time: Spirituals (a collaboration with bassist Kurt Ribak), and his previous album, I Offer You My Life: A Tribute to Ruth Duck (a collaboration with Felicia Patton).

Discover More:

https://dandamonmusic.com/

https://ruthduck.com/publications/

https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/spirituals

https://www.hopepublishing.com/hymn-writers/

Gospel composer and musician A. Jeffrey LaValley shares the story behind his best-known song, “Revelation 19:1 (Hallelujah, salvation and glory),” speaks to his adaptation of “The Lord is my light and my salvation” by Lillian Bouknight, and talks about the role of hymns in his life, especially in relation to his album Hymns (2016).

Learn more:

https://www.discogs.com/artist/2966557-The-New-Jerusalem-Baptist-Church-Choir

https://amzn.to/4sVRd43

The longtime music director and pastor of Trinity All Nations Church in Chicago talks about his music and his legacy, including his songs “I’ve got a feeling everything’s gonna be alright” and “Are You Ready,” recorded with Albertina Walker and James Cleveland.

In this episode, we explore the long recorded history of “Precious memories,” starting with the original version by John B.F. Wright, then the gospel choir adaptation by Roberta Martin and Georgia Jones. Includes performances by the McDonald Quartette (1932), the Roberta Martin Singers with Norsalus McKissick (1947), four evolving approaches to the song by Rosetta Tharpe (1947, 1956, 1964, 1968), culminating in the performance by Aretha Franklin and James Cleveland (1972).

Dan Kreider is music director at Grace Immanuel Bible Church and founder of HymnWorks, which produces hymnals. Together we discuss one of his favorite hymns (“Faith of our fathers, taught of old”), he explains how he got started in hymnal publishing, he discusses his work on the Getty Music Sing! Hymnal, and he describes his newest project called American Hymnody.

Filipino-Canadian pastor Brian Najapfour joins me to discuss the life and hymns of British pastor Joseph Hart.

Joseph Hart on Hymnology Archive:
https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/joseph-hart

Brian’s Najapfour’s Blog:
https://biblicalspiritualitypress.org/

Brian Najapfour’s book about Joseph Hart (Amazon):
https://amzn.to/4aX19n2

Chris Fenner discusses the life and musical works of early American composer William Billings with guest Dr. Leonard Raybon (Tulane University), including Dr. Raybon’s choral arrangements of hymns, and his work on the Sacred Nine Project.

Learn more:
https://www.sacrednine.com/
https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/william-billings

Chris Fenner talks with Sam Rose about their backgrounds in singing hymns, and they discuss a couple of their favorite hymns, “Be thou my vision” and “My shepherd will supply my name.”