Pullen and The Alliance of Baptists Represented in New Song Collection
Believing the holy act of singing together shapes faith, heals brokenness, transforms lives, and renews peace, The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada has encouraged, promoted, and enlivened congregational singing for over 100 years.
To commemorate its century of meaningful work, the Society has released a new publication: Storehouse of Song: Singing Community, Hospitality, Solidarity. This collection of 130 hymns was curated to include transformational songs that demonstrate the “commitment to a narrative free of any trace of white supremacy, and free of the harm of all other exclusionary narratives.”
With these important commitments in mind, I was delighted to discover that Pullen's hymn, "Raise Up New Hope," is included in the collection! Commissioned by Pullen in 2009 from world-renowned hymn writer Shirley Erena Murray, the hymn was inspired by the life and work of our congregation. Although Shirley accepted relatively few commissions, she was moved by Pullen's history and witness and agreed to write the hymn, creating—in her words—"some of the most explicit" hymn poetry she had ever written. Paired with my tune, OUR OWN VOICE, I am grateful that the Society’s new resource will extend the hymn more widely as it encourages congregations to a life of justice-love.
The Alliance of Baptists is also represented in this relatively small but significant collection. My hymn text, "From Wisdom Emerging," selected in the Alliance's 25th Anniversary Hymn Search, and Mary Louise Bringle's commissioned hymn for the Alliance's 30th Anniversary, "Commonwealth Is God's Commandment," are both included.
The collection (linked below) is available as a free download and may be shared widely. Authors, composers, and publishers have generously made these works freely available for use during an initial period, after which they will continue to be available through standard copyright permissions and licensing.
https://thehymnsociety.org/resources/storehouse-of-song/
-Larry E. Schultz, Minister of Music
