Musician, historian to lead singing service

• By RELMA HARGUS
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jul 5, 2008 - Page: 1D - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Even with a collection of hymnals numbering close to 500, Paul Powell had more difficulty than he anticipated putting together a hymn sing that follows the life of Christ.

“There are lots of Christmas and Advent hymns and Holy Week and Resurrection ones, but not a whole lot in between,” Powell said.

He should know. In addition to the hymnals he owns, Powell is editor of the “Dictionary of North American Hymnology,” an index of nearly all the hymns and hymnals published in the United States and Canada from 1640 to 1978.

More than a million hymns are featured in the index.

Powell has written extensively for the Hymn Society’s journal, “The Hymn,” and served as the society’s director of research for six years.

He and the Rev. Jeff Day, temporary supply pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Ponchatoula, developed a “call and response” format for a 7 p.m. Wednesday program at the church focusing on four major periods in Jesus’ life.

Then, Powell chose the hymns, spanning 1744 to 1986, for the hymn sing.

He will bring some rare and modern hymnals from his collection.

In addition to playing the piano and leading the congregation in singing, he will provide background information about the hymns and their writers, who represent all of the mainline Protestant traditions.

“This man brings a rich experience of bringing to the fore what is behind the great hymns,” Day said.

“It seems to me that this is one way of building, or rebuilding, the reputation of these great themes and composers,” he said.

The tunes come from classical, gospel, shape-note and contemporary traditions and Powell said he also plans to vary the singing within the program, such as altering between men and women and between one side and another.

“Amazing Grace” will be sung to two alternating tunes, the one traditionally used and the tune used in Isaac Watts’ hymn “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.”