Voices Found

The hunt goes on... Las Heulgas Codex facsimile.  It was a big hunt: more voices to find,  more studying to do. I had to look beyond the  cloister. I  needed a world class research library. Graciously,   God did provide !  Not far  from  Bryn Mawr  is the Van Pelt Library of the University of Pennsylvania.  With  Bryn Mawr and Haverford  introductions, the stellar Penn  music faculty and first rate music librarians  offered encouragement, consultation,  and extensive library support.   My first astonishing find was a facsimile edition of the Las Heulgas Codex, a  manuscript    dated  around 1300.  It is a treasure trove of Medieval music compiled by the  sisters of the convent Las Heulgas in Spain. They organized and compiled much existing music,  transcribing those chants into what was then modern notation.  As they worked in their scriptorium, it is ...

January 17, 2023 January 17, 2023 1995  At Bryn Mawr College: the hunt is up!  As an undergraduate at  Bryn Mawr College, I practically lived in the Music Library.  Since I found  little music by women in the hymnal1982, I went to the library to hunt.   With characteristic generosity, Bryn Mawr, along with Haverford College, offered extensive library support.  So, back in my familiar haunt, I found  songs of  Hildegard of Bingen, 12th century Abbess and Saint.  The Reverend Paulette Schiff sang Hildegard's Kyrie as a solo  during worship.  Soon a group of volunteers gathered to sing. We loved her antiphon, Laus Trinitati or "praise to You Holy Trinity." Hildegard's feminine song of the Trinity soared in this chant  affirming our quest for the feminine Divine.  We were all excited to bring this ancient voice to life in the Lady Chapel. Then, bursting out of the convent, our  Hildegard chants were presented ...

  First steps 1994 Gathered as "The Women's Group," we seekers began to study and worship together at  St. Mark's  With permission from the Rector, we worshipped regularly in the Lady Chapel with an inclusive language liturgy.  The Reverend Paulette Schiff presided and, since I was studying organ with the organist, Wesley Parrott, she asked me to offer music.  To encourage feminine voices, I looked for hymns by women in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982.  There I found less than 10 hymns with music by women, a few more with words, harmonizations, or descants by women.  In all, far less than even 10% of the over 720 hymns in the official hymnal.  We had to look further.

 January 10, 2023 Finding our voices 1974 Bishops Daniel Corrigan, Robert DeWitt and Edward Wells II ordained 11 women as Episcopal priests: Merrill Bitner, Alla Bosarth-Campbell, Alison Cheek, Emil Hewitt Carter Heyward,Suzanne Hiatt, Marie MoorefieldJeannettePiccard, Betty Schiess, Katrina Swanson, and Nancy Wittig 1994 Bishop Barbara Harris preached at the 20th anniversary celebration of their ordination, at the Cathedral Church of Our Savior in Philadelphia. Despite the experience of 20 years of female  priestly ministry, many laywomen still felt left out of Episcopal worship.  Episcopal liturgy and music were still dominated by masculine voices.  In Philadelphia, some women gathered at the Church of St. Mark's, Locust St. to find women's voices in liturgy and song.  That women's group's theme was "Finding our voices." And so the story begins. 

  January 6, 2023 Epiphany. Daybreak over the Atlantic Arise and shine! Have just been reading the lessons for Epiphany selected by Will Gafney in her Women's Lectionary year W.  Her translations are quite wonderful, quite inspiring with feminine imagery.  I have been singing "Arise and shine, " Voices Found #146.  This women's lectionary is so much needed.  Many pieces from Voices Found will enhance our worship together.

January 4, 2023 It's the Eleventh Day of Christmas and the Poinsettias still bloom.  Christmas is not over and palms are still lighted.  The beauty of the 12 days is that we can keep ornaments up and  sing about the Incarnation.  Voices Found lifts up in song songs the brave woman who gave birth in a stable. We sing:                         Voices Found #37 "Mary borned a Baby"  traditional African-American Spiritual                     Voices found  #39 "Eternity touched hands with time" by Rae E. Whitney                                                     Conditor alme siderum plainsong mode 4                     Voices Found #35 "Star-child, earth child" ...

 January 2, 2023 Voices Found. Interesting numbers. NUMBERS 111 the number of named women included in the Hebrew Scriptures.   ~10% the percentage of women included in lectionaries of the liturgical churches 720 the number of hymns included in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982 ~10% the percentage of women composers and poets in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982 166 the number of songs and hymns in Voices Found: Women in the Church's Song 100% the number of hymns and songs by women poets and composers in Voices Found We need the Women's Lectionary year W and following.