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150th Anniversary >
A
New Hymn For the Church
Louisville
Seminary’s Gift to the Church
“There
Is a Dream that Thrills God’s Heart”
 In
celebration of 150 years of building up the body of Christ,
Louisville Seminary commissioned a new hymn for the church:
There Is a Dream that Thrills God’s Heart.
The
text, written by Thomas H. Troeger,
is based on Ephesians 4, the foundation of Louisville Seminary’s mission
statement. While the hymn text portrays the ethos and vision
of the school, it was the Seminary’s intent that the
hymn be ecumenically appropriate for congregational singing
and worship.
As
a starting point in the commissioning process, the Hymn Committee
chose the tune, “Bray”, an indigenous melody from
the Kentucky Harmony collection. As he fit the text
to the tune, Troeger remarked that the “tune captures
the best qualities of vital congregational song. It is accessible,
but with enough musical interest to bear repeated singings.
There is a clear melodic structure, and a rhythmic vitality
achieved by the way the quarter note patterns break into eighth
notes and dotted eighths before the final phrase. The music
reflects some of the artistic character of the region, and
thus reminds us that even though the good news of Jesus Christ
is for the whole world, its expression takes particular form
in different places and cultures.”
Renowned
organist Bruce Neswick, Canon
for Music at St. Philip’s Cathedral and former Assistant
Organist-Choirmaster for the Girl Choristers at Washington
National Cathedral, arranged the new hymn in four parts and
as an anthem.
There
Is a Dream that Thrills God’s Heart will debut
on October 25, 2002, at a hymn festival celebrating the Church’s
statement of faith. Neswick has written the program around
the Nicene Creed, and he will lead the music and accompanying
hymns. The event will also feature the Louisville Seminary
Choir and members of the St. Paul United Methodist Church
choir.
The
event is free. However, seating is limited, so tickets will
be required. They may be requested after September 1, 2002,
by calling 800.264.1839, extension 460, or by e-mail at 150th@lpts.edu.
The
Hymn Committee
Dr.
Thomas Goetz
Seminary Organist and Choir Director and Adjunct Professor
of Music
Director of Music Ministries at
St. Paul United Methodist Church, Louisville, KY
Ms.
Alice Gunter
Special Events Coordinator/Project Secretary,
Office for Seminary Relations
Dr.
James W. Lewis
Executive Director, The Louisville Institute and
Adjunct Professor of American Religious History
Ms.
Michelle Melton
Director of Communications
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