Sponsored by C. Michael Hawn, FHSHomeretta Ayala
The Challenges of Integrating Multicultural Music in Predominantly White Churches in Baltimore, MarylandAs cities and churches grow more diverse, it is essential to acknowledge and incorporate multicultural music to reach all of God's people. Baltimore, Maryland, is a city rich in diversity, with various ethnic communities, including those of Italian, Greek, African American, African, Hispanic, and Jewish descent. However, many churches in the area remain predominantly white. While these churches often recognize the importance of music, they frequently limit themselves to the traditional hymns found in their congregational hymnals, overlooking the vast array of multicultural music available. There are several challenges associated with integrating multicultural music, especially in congregations that are not ethnically diverse. At first glance, many may fail to see the necessity of diverse music when it does not reflect the demographic makeup of the congregation, allowing the status quo to persist. To truly see Christ from the perspectives of all people and to understand God through the experiences of those who are culturally different, it is vital to include a variety of ethnic music, regardless of the congregation's composition. This study employs qualitative data gathered through surveys and interviews to explore the experiences and perceptions of key stakeholders including ministers, choir members, and congregational members from fifteen predominantly white Protestant churches in Baltimore including Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran denominations. It examines the challenges of integrating multicultural music into these churches and identifies best practices currently to reach all of God’s people. It is by seeing the beauty of God through diverse people, that one understands the heart of God.
Jean Cuanan-Nalam
Problems in Translating an English Hymn into Cebuano and Vice VersaThe translation of hymns in the Philippines has been deeply influenced by religious missions, particularly through Spanish and American efforts to spread Christianity. One significant example is the 1936 publication of
Ang Himnario Evanghelico, which contained 200 Cebuano translations of English hymns. These translations primarily employed the formal equivalence method, which seeks to preserve structural and linguistic integrity. However, linguistic disparities between English and Cebuano have posed challenges in maintaining the hymns' theological and lyrical essence.
Hymn translation is notably more complex than literary translation due to the constraints of music, including syllabic structure, meter, and rhythm. English, a language with predominantly monosyllabic words, contrasts sharply with Cebuano’s polysyllabic nature, making direct translation difficult. This study examines two Trinitarian hymns: the English
Come Thou, Almighty King, translated into Cebuano as
Tabangi Na Kami (Help Us Now), and the Cebuano
Among Magbubuhat (Our Creator), translated into English by Roy Mark Berame.
The study begins with a historical overview of Cebuano hymn translation and an analysis of English and Cebuano linguistic structures. It then evaluates the translations based on syllabification, unnatural stresses, and modifications from the original text. Using Robert Martin’s translation accuracy criteria—identifying added, omitted, or eroded words—the study assesses how these changes impact the hymns' theological and lyrical integrity. The findings reveal that translating from Cebuano to English presents fewer structural issues compared to the reverse process.
Ultimately, this paper argues that syllabic structure significantly influences hymn translation when using the formal equivalence method. Translating English hymns into Cebuano is more problematic due to the constraints imposed by polysyllabic words, underscoring the need for careful linguistic adaptation to maintain both musicality and meaning.
Katrina Liao
From Concert Hall to Church: The History of Hymns Derived from Classical WorksSeveral hymn tunes originated from secular sources such as the melodies of classical concert works. Five popular hymn tunes follow this trend. The melody of “See, the Conquering Hero Comes!”, a chorus from Handel’s oratorio
Judas Maccabeus, is now the hymn tune MACCABEUS (“Thine is the Glory”). Haydn’s commissioned Austrian national anthem, a theme he also employed in one of his string quartets, has become AUSTRIA (“Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”). The “Ode to Joy” melody from the finale of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is known as HYMN TO JOY (“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”). Sibelius originally wrote his orchestral tone poem
Finlandia to protest Russian rule, but its famous melody is now the hymn tune FINLANDIA (“Be Still, My Soul”). Finally, Holst first repurposed his Jupiter melody from
The Planets suite into a British national song called “I Vow to Thee, My Country.” Hymn writers wrote sacred texts for this hymn tune, THAXTED, such as “O God Beyond All Praising” and “We Praise You and Acknowledge You.”
In each case, these composers wrote these classical works in response to a political scenario or event in their time. Thus, the music, in its original context, contains nationalistic overtones. Yet later church musicians and hymnodists deemed the melodies from these works fitting for worship. How then, can these political, nationalistic melodies be sung in worship? This paper analyzes how secular music is given sacred purposes, examining the history of these five classical works and how their melodies became hymn tunes. The author concludes that, despite the melodies’ original purposes, it is acceptable to use these nationalistic melodies as hymn tunes in worship. The hymnodists captured the classical composers’ powerful, beautiful music and channeled it into passionate, robust hymns. This pattern reveals the redemption and repurposing of the secular melodies into sacred music for God’s glory.
