New Songs of Celebration Render Congregational Song in the Twenty-First Century

New Songs of Celebration Render explores the essential yet profoundly diverse role congregational song play across cultures and denominations. In his passionate pursuit of congregational song practices the world over, C. Michael Hawn calls all who lead worship to consider the variety and wealth of congregational music available to the church. Hawn brings together renowned practitioners and scholars—including James Abbington, John L. Bell, Emily R. Brink, Kathleen Harmon, Lim Swee Hong, Deborah Carlton Loftis, David W. Music, Greg Scheer, and Pablo Sosa—to reveal their diverse repertoire and practices, allowing readers to find individual experiences mirrored within these pages while also learning new perspectives. A CD featuring music representing this broad range of repertoire is also included.

C. Michael Hawn is the university distinguished professor of church music and the director of the master of sacred music program at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He is the author of Gather Into One and One Bread, One Body. He lives in Dallas, Texas. John L. Bell is a world renowned writer, composer, teacher, and editor of hymnals and song collections. He is a minister with the Church of Scotland and a member of the Iona Community. Pablo Sosa is a critically acclaimed composer, church musician, and worship and song leader. He is a pastor in the Evangelical Methodist Church in Argentina.