A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος (hymnos), which means "a song of praise." Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymnbooks.

Origins[link]

Ancient hymns include the Egyptian Great Hymn to the Aten, composed by Pharaoh Akhenaten; the Vedas, a collection of hymns in the tradition of Hinduism; and the Psalms, a collection of songs from Judaism. The Western tradition of hymnody begins with the Homeric Hymns, a collection of ancient Greek hymns, the oldest of which were written in the 7th century BC, praising deities of the ancient Greek religions. Surviving from the 3rd century BC is a collection of six literary hymns (Ὕμνοι) by the Alexandrian poet Callimachus.

Patristic writers began applying the term ὕμνος, or hymnus in Latin, to Christian songs of praise, and frequently used the word as a synonym for "psalm".^[1]

Christian hymnody[link]

Originally modeled on the Psalms and other poetic passages (commonly referred to as "canticles") in the Scriptures, Christian hymns are generally directed as praise and worship to the monotheistic God. Many refer to Jesus Christ either directly or indirectly.

Since the earliest times, Christians have sung "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs", both in private devotions and in corporate worship (Matthew 26:30; 1 Cor 14:26; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; James 5:13; cf. Revelation 5:8-10; Revelation 14:1-5).

One definition of a hymn is "...a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshipper's attitude toward God or God's purposes in human life. It should be simple and metrical in form, genuinely emotional, poetic and literary in style, spiritual in quality, and in its ideas so direct and so immediately apparent as to unify a congregation while singing it".^[2]

Christian hymns are often written with special or seasonal themes and these are used on holy days such as Christmas, Easter and the Feast of All Saints, or during particular seasons such as Advent and Lent. Others are used to instill reverence to the Holy Bible or to celebrate Christian practices such as the eucharist or baptism. Some hymns praise or address individual saints, particularly the Blessed Virgin Mary; such hymns are particularly prevalent in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and to some extent "High Church" Anglicanism.

	"God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" ancient Christmas carol, believed to date from about the 15th century. ... United Kingdom Category:Music in the 15th century
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	"A mighty fortress" Description en:A Mighty Fortress is Our God Traditional Lutheran Hymn, Hedge translation
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A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist or hymnodist, and the practice of singing hymns is called hymnody; the same word is used for the collectivity of hymns belonging to a particular denomination or period (e.g. "nineteenth century Methodist hymnody" would mean the body of hymns written and/or used by Methodists in the 19th century). A collection of hymns is called a hymnal or hymnary. These may or may not include music. A student of hymnody is called a hymnologist, and the scholarly study of hymns, hymnists and hymnody is hymnology. The music to which a hymn may be sung is a hymn tune.

In many Evangelical churches, traditional songs are classified as hymns while more contemporary worship songs are not considered hymns. The reason for this distinction is unclear, but according to some it is due to the radical shift of style and devotional thinking that began with the Jesus movement and Jesus music.

Music and accompaniment[link]

In ancient and medieval times, stringed instruments such as the harp, lyre and lute were used with psalms and hymns.

Since there is a lack of musical notation in early writings,^[3] the actual musical forms in the early church can only be surmised. During the Middle Ages a rich hymnody developed in the form of Gregorian chant or plainsong. This type was sung in unison, in one of eight church modes, and most often by monastic choirs. While they were written originally in Latin, many have been translated; a familiar example is the 4th century Of the Father's Heart Begotten sung to the 11th century plainsong Divinum Mysterium.

Western church[link]

Later hymnody in the Western church introduced four-part vocal harmony as the norm, adopting major and minor keys, and came to be led by organ and choir. It shares many elements with classical music.

Today, except for choirs, more musically inclined congregations and a cappella congregations, hymns are typically sung in unison. In some cases complementary full settings for organ are also published, in others organists and other accompanists are expected to transcribe the four-part vocal score for their instrument of choice.

To illustrate Protestant usage, in the traditional services and liturgies of the Methodist churches, which are based upon Anglican practice, hymns are sung (often accompanied by an organ) during the processional to the altar, during the receiving of the Eucharist, during the recessional, and sometimes at other points during the service. These hymns can be found in the United Methodist Hymnal. The Doxology is also sung after the tithes and offerings are brought up to the altar.

Contemporary Christian worship, as often found in Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism, may include the use of contemporary worship music played with electric guitars and the drum kit, sharing many elements with rock music.

Other groups of Christians have historically excluded instrumental accompaniment, citing the absence of instruments in worship by the church in the first several centuries of its existence, and adhere to an unaccompanied a cappella congregational singing of hymns. These groups include the 'Brethren' (often both 'Open' and 'Exclusive'), the Churches of Christ, Mennonites, Primitive Baptists, and certain Reformed churches, although during the last century or so, several of these, such as the Free Church of Scotland have abandoned this stance.

Eastern church[link]

Eastern Christianity (the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches) have a very rich and ancient hymnographical tradition.

Eastern chant is almost always a cappella, and instrumental accompaniment is rare. The central form of chant in the Eastern Orthodoxy is Byzantine Chant, which is used to chant all forms of liturgical worship. Exceptions include the Coptic Orthodox tradition which makes use of the sistrum, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which also uses drums, cymbals and other instruments on certain occasions.

The development of Christian hymnody[link]

Thomas Aquinas, in the introduction to his commentary on the Psalms, defined the Christian hymn thus: "Hymnus est laus Dei cum cantico; canticum autem exultatio mentis de aeternis habita, prorumpens in vocem." ("A hymn is the praise of God with song; a song is the exultation of the mind dwelling on eternal things, bursting forth in the voice.")^[4]

The Protestant Reformation resulted in two conflicting attitudes to hymns. One approach, the regulative principle of worship, favoured by many Zwinglians, Calvinists and some radical reformers, considered anything that was not directly authorised by the Bible to be a novel and Catholic introduction to worship, which was to be rejected. All hymns that were not direct quotations from the Bible fell into this category. Such hymns were banned, along with any form of instrumental musical accompaniment, and organs were ripped out of churches. Instead of hymns, biblical psalms were chanted, most often without accompaniment, to very basic melodies. This was known as exclusive psalmody. Examples of this may still be found in various places, including the "free churches" of western Scotland.

The other Reformation approach, the normative principle of worship, produced a burst of hymn writing and congregational singing. Martin Luther is notable not only as a reformer, but as the author of many hymns including Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God), which is sung today even by Catholics, and Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (Praise be to You, Jesus Christ) for Christmas. Luther and his followers often used their hymns, or chorales, to teach tenets of the faith to worshipers. The first Protestant hymnal was published in Bohemia in 1532 by the Unitas Fratrum. Count Zinzendorf, the Lutheran leader of the Moravian Church in the 18th century wrote some 2,000 hymns. The earlier English writers tended to paraphrase biblical texts, particularly Psalms; Isaac Watts followed this tradition, but is also credited as having written the first English hymn which was not a direct paraphrase of Scripture.^[5] Watts (1674–1748), whose father was an Elder of a dissenter congregation, complained at age 16, that when allowed only psalms to sing, the faithful could not even sing about their Lord, Christ Jesus. His father invited him to see what he could do about it; the result was Watts' first hymn, "Behold the glories of the Lamb."^[6] Found in few hymnals today, the hymn has eight stanzas in common meter and is based on Revelation 5:6, 8, 9, 10, 12.^[7]

Relying heavily on Scripture, Watts wrote metered texts based on New Testament passages that brought the Christian faith into the songs of the church. Isaac Watts has been called "the father of English hymnody," but Erik Routley sees him more as "the liberator of English hymnody," because his hymns, and hymns like them, moved worshipers beyond singing only Old Testament psalms, inspiring congregations and revitalizing worship.^[8]

Later writers took even more freedom, some even including allegory and metaphor in their texts.

Charles Wesley's hymns spread Methodist theology, not only within Methodism, but in most Protestant churches. He developed a new focus: expressing one's personal feelings in the relationship with God as well as the simple worship seen in older hymns. Wesley wrote:

Where shall my wondering soul begin?

How shall I all to heaven aspire?

A slave redeemed from death and sin,

A brand plucked from eternal fire,

How shall I equal triumphs raise,

Or sing my great deliverer's praise.

	Battle Hymn of the Republic The Battle Hymn of the Republic, performed by Frank C. Stanley, Elise Stevenson, and a mixed quartet in 1908.
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Wesley's contribution, along with the Second Great Awakening in America led to a new style called gospel, and a new explosion of sacred music writing with Fanny Crosby, Lina Sandell, Philip Bliss, Ira D. Sankey, and others who produced testimonial music for revivals, camp meetings, and evangelistic crusades. The tune style or form is technically designated "gospel songs" as distinct from hymns. Gospel songs generally include a refrain (or chorus) and usually (though not always) a faster tempo than the hymns. As examples of the distinction, "Amazing Grace" is a hymn (no refrain), but "How Great Thou Art" is a gospel song. During the 19th century the gospel-song genre spread rapidly in Protestantism and, to a lesser but still definite extent, in Roman Catholicism; the gospel-song genre is unknown in the worship per se by Eastern Orthodox churches, which rely exclusively on traditional chants (a type of hymn).

The Methodist Revival of the 18th century created an explosion of hymn writing in Welsh, which continued into the first half of the 19th century. The most prominent names among Welsh hymn-writers are William Williams Pantycelyn and Ann Griffiths. The second half of the 19th century witnessed an explosion of hymn tune composition and choir singing in Wales.^[9]

Along with the more classical sacred music of composers ranging from Mozart to Monteverdi, the Catholic Church continued to produce many popular hymns such as Lead, Kindly Light, Silent Night, O Sacrament Divine and Faith of our Fathers.

Many churches today use contemporary worship music which includes a range of styles often influenced by popular music. This often leads to some conflict between older and younger congregants (see contemporary worship). This is not new; the Christian pop music style began in the late 1960s and became very popular during the 1970s, as young hymnists sought ways in which to make the music of their religion relevant for their generation.

This long tradition has resulted in a wide variety of hymns. Some modern churches include within hymnody the traditional hymn (usually describing God), contemporary worship music (often directed to God) and gospel music (expressions of one's personal experience of God). This distinction is not perfectly clear; and purists remove the second two types from the classification as hymns. It is a matter of debate, even sometimes within a single congregation, often between revivalist and traditionalist movements.

American developments[link]

African-Americans developed a rich hymnody from spirituals during times of slavery to the modern, lively black gospel style. The first influences of African American Culture into hymns came from Slave Songs of the United States a collection of slave hymns complied by William Francis Allen who had difficulty pinning them down from the oral tradition, and though he succeeded, he points out the awe inspiring effect of the hymns when sung in by their originators.^[10]

Thanks to Thomas Symmes^[who?] a new idea of how to sing hymns spread throughout the churches in which anyone would sing a hymn any way they felt led to; this was opposed by the views of Symmes colleagues^[who?] who felt it was "like Five Hundred different Tunes roared out at the same time."^{[citation needed]} William Billings, a singing school teacher, created the first tune book with only American born compositions. Within his books, Billings did not put as much emphasis on "common measure"^{[clarification needed]} which was the typical way hymns were sung, but he attempted "to have a Sufficiency in each measure"^{[clarification needed]}. The Boston Handel and Haydn Society aimed at raising the level of church music in America, publishing their "Collection of Church Music".^[when?] In the late 19th century Ira D. Sankey and Dwight L. Moody developed the relatively new subcategory of gospel hymns.^[11]

Hymn metres[link]

The metre indicates the number of syllables for the lines in each stanza of a hymn. This provides a means of marrying the hymn's text with an appropriate hymn tune for singing. In practice many hymns conform to one of a relatively small number of metres (syllable count and stress patterns). Care must be taken, however, to ensure that not only the metre of words and tune match, but also the stresses on the words in each line. Technically speaking an iambic tune, for instance, cannot be used with words of, say, trochaic metre.

The metre is often denoted by a row of figures besides the name of the tune, such as "87.87.87", which would inform the reader that each verse has six lines, and that the first line has eight syllables, the second has seven, the third line eight, etc. The metre can also be described by initials; L.M. indicates long metre, which is 88.88 (four lines, each eight syllables long); S.M. is short metre (66.86); C.M. is common metre (86.86), while D.L.M., D.S.M. and D.C.M. (the "D" stands for double) are similar to their respective single metres except that they have eight lines in a verse instead of four.^[12]

See also[link]

• Carol
• Chorale
• Contemporary worship music
• Doxology
• Hymn Society in the United States and Canada
• Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland
• List of Chinese Hymn Books
• List of Hymnals
• List of Roman Catholic hymns
• Metrical psalter
• Psalm
• Sacred Harp
• Shape note
• Vedic Chant

References[link]

External links[link]

The links below are restricted to either material that is historical or resources that are non-denominational or inter-denominational. Denomination-specific resources are mentioned from the relevant denomination-specific articles.

• "The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada". http://www.thehymnsociety.org/index.html. 
• "The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland". http://www.hymnsocietygbi.org.uk/. 
• "Examples of Byzantine Music for Hymns". http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/music/Index.html.  — 2000 pages of hymns in both staff and neumatic notation
• "HistoricHymns.com". http://www.historichymns.com.  — Site with extensive hymn searching tools

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Maxwell Boyce MBE (born 27 September 1945) is a Welsh comedian, singer and former coal miner. He rose to fame during the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in the mining communities of South Wales. Having sold more than two million albums in a career spanning four decades, and playing to full houses all around the world, Boyce is one of the most successful and enduring entertainers in Welsh history.

Early life[link]

Max Boyce was born in Glynneath. He has always lived there, but his family were originally from Ynyshir in the Rhondda Valley. A month preceding Boyce's birth, his father died in an explosion in the coal pit where he was working.^[1] At the age of fifteen, Boyce left school, went to live with his grandfather, and followed his father's footsteps by working in a colliery "for nearly eight years".^[2] In his early twenties, he managed to find work in a factory instead, but his earlier mining experiences were to influence his music considerably in later years.

Boyce first learned to play the guitar as a young man, but he showed no particular flair for the instrument,^[3] nor an actual desire to become a performer. In his own words: "[I had] no desire at all to be anything. I had a love of poetry, and eventually started writing songs without any ambition to build a career. It just happened. I started writing songs about local things and it evolved."^[1] Nevertheless, in time he became competent enough to perform at local eisteddfodau, one of the earliest known recordings of his work being "O Na Le", a folk tune in Welsh that Boyce played at the Dyffryn Lliw eisteddfod in 1967.^[4]

In the early 1970s Boyce undertook a mining engineering degree at the Glamorgan School of Mines in Trefforest (now the University of Glamorgan),^[5] during which he began to pen tunes about life in the mining communities of South Wales. He started out performing in local sports clubs in around 1971, where his original set began to take on a humorous element, interspersed by anecdotes of Welsh community life and of the national sport, rugby union.^[1]

Music career[link]

The first recording of Boyce's songs was made at the Valley Folk Club in Pontardawe in 1971 by Cambrian Records, which subsequently released an LP called Max Boyce in Session. This album included several tracks that were to later become his signature tunes, including "Hymns and Arias", "Duw it's Hard" and "Slow - Men at Work". The record sleeve of this album includes the following prediction:

In the same year, he also recorded Caneuon Amrywiol ("Miscellaneous Songs"), a collection of Welsh folk songs under the same label. Nevertheless, Boyce remained virtually unknown beyond the music clubs of the South Wales valleys for the time being, where he continued to perform.

This all changed towards the end of 1973. Boyce had competed, unsuccessfully, on the television talent show Opportunity Knocks, shortly before record label EMI heard his first album, Max Boyce in Session, and came to see him in concert. EMI offered Boyce a two-album contract, and arrangements were made to make a live recording of his upcoming concert at Treorchy Rugby Club. This performance, which took place on 23 November 1973, was given in front of an audience who received their tickets free of charge, after these failed to sell for fifty pence.^[7] Nevertheless, Boyce's performance was warmly received by the crowd, as can be heard in the final recording. The resulting album, Live at Treorchy, brought Boyce into the public eye, and it soon went gold.

His next album, We All Had Doctors' Papers, was another live album, recorded this time at Pontarddulais Rugby Club. This was released in late 1975 and, unexpectedly, it reached the #1 position on the UK Albums Chart for the week ending 15 November.^[8] This recording has the distinction of being the only comedy album to ever top the UK Albums Chart.^[9] Boyce released several albums over the next few years, receiving further gold discs for The Incredible Plan in 1976, and I Know 'Cos I Was There in 1978.^[1]

This early pinnacle in Boyce's career coincided with the dominance of the Welsh rugby team in the Five Nations Championship during the 1970s. His songs and poems were real-time reflections on this unfolding history, often invoking the names of Welsh rugby greats such as Barry John, Gareth Edwards and Dai Morris. Songs such as "Hymns and Arias" soon became popular with rugby crowds, a fact which has played a significant part in his ongoing popularity.

His rise to fame was confirmed by an appearance on the long-running biographical series This Is Your Life on 22 February 1978.^[10] He had gone to watch Glynneath RFC play against Hawick Trades RFC, and was surprised by the host of This Is Your Life, Eamonn Andrews, at the end of the match whilst being interviewed.^[11]

Television and other side projects[link]

As Boyce's popularity became established throughout Wales and the United Kingdom, he became involved in many side projects, including three books, several television series and televised concerts, and three multi-part television specials produced by Opix Films.

Boyce's spoken and sung poetry was first collected in Max Boyce: His Songs and Poems in 1976, with an introduction by Barry John. The comic illustrations that accompany the poems were drawn by his friend Gren Jones of the South Wales Echo (who had also illustrated the cover of We All Had Doctors' Papers). This publication was followed up with a similar collection, I Was There!, in 1980.

In 1982, Boyce went to the United States to be filmed participating at a training camp held by the Dallas Cowboys in California. The resulting four-part series, Max Boyce Meets The Dallas Cowboys was screened by Channel 4 in November that year. He returned to America in early 1984 to try his hand at being a cowboy in the rodeos of the Midwestern United States. The result of his bull riding and rodeo clown antics was Boyce Goes West, which also became a four-part series that went to air in June 1984. In the following year, Boyce took part in the World Elephant Polo Championships near Kathmandu, Nepal, with an all-star team sponsored by the jewellers and watch-makers Cartier. Not surprisingly, his team, consisting of Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Billy Connolly and Cartier chairman Alain Perrin, only managed to score a single goal during the tournament.^[12] To the North of Katmandu was released in 1986.^[13] These made-for-television adventures in America and Nepal, as well as many other anecdotes of his worldwide touring throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, became the focus of an autobiography, Max Boyce in the Mad Pursuit of Applause, which was first published in 1987.

In 1991, Boyce entered the world of theatre by taking on the title role of "Jack" in Jack and the Beanstalk alongside Ian Botham. Debuting in the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford, the show went on to play in other centres including Cardiff, Norwich and Edinburgh.^[11]

Recent years[link]

Max Boyce has enjoyed a resurgence in his career since the late 1990s. At Christmas time in 1998, BBC Wales screened An Evening With Max Boyce, which broke Welsh viewing records.^[1] In the following year, he performed at the opening ceremonies of the 1999 Rugby World Cup in the Millennium Stadium, and of the Welsh Assembly. Not long after, Boyce was included on the 2000 New Year Honours list, and received an MBE from Prince Charles in a ceremony at Cardiff Castle on 15 March that year. According to Boyce, "He (the Prince) said he was surprised it took them so long" to accord him this honour.^[14]

Boyce's greatest musical success in recent years was his 2003 tour of Australia, coinciding with the Rugby World Cup which was being hosted there at the time. He held concerts in Adelaide and Melbourne, but the highlight was his sold-out performance at the Sydney Opera House, which was later released on DVD as Max Boyce: Down Under.

Boyce continues to make headlines in the British press. On 29 May 2006 Max Boyce headlined at a concert in Pontypridd to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad fy Nhadau.^[15] In August 2006, Boyce hit out against the stereotypical use of the word "boyo" in the media, following its resurgence in reference to Welsh Big Brother contestant Glyn Wise.^[16] His renewed popularity is reflected in the success of a Max Boyce tribute band, "Boycezone", who have raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity, by including some of Boyce's best-known songs in their repertoire.

Boyce returned to Treorchy in early 2011 to perform a show at the Parc and Dare Theatre, shown on St David's Day on BBC1 Wales. He was joined onstage by guests including Boyd Clack, and the audience featured such Welsh icons as Gareth Edwards.

Harry Secombe is one of the most famous of comedians from Wales. His reputation however rests with his singing and Neddy Seagoonery. Sir Geraint Evans possessed considerable talent for comedy and made us laugh in the roles of Falstaff and Leporello, but his career depended every move on his voice. Until Max Boyce, I can think of no-one who has become famous outside Wales for his Welshness.

— Jack Waterman, The Listener, 1979^[17]

Personal life[link]

Boyce has a wife and children, who live away from the public eye in his hometown of Glynneath, in South Wales.^[18] Max continues to play an active role within this community, having been in recent years the president of Glynneath RFC.^[19] and the Club President of Glynneath Golf Club, where the "Max Boyce Classic" is held every two or three years.^[20]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Max Boyce in Session: 1971 · Cambrian Records
• Caneuon Amrywiol: 1971 · Cambrian Records
• Live at Treorchy: 1974 · EMI (re-released on CD in 1995) (gold)
• We All Had Doctors' Papers: 1975 · EMI (gold)
• The Incredible Plan: 1976 · EMI (gold)
• The Road and Miles: 1977 · EMI
• I Know 'cos I was There: 1978 · EMI (gold)
• Not that I am Biased: 1979 · EMI
• Me and Billy Williams: 1980 · EMI
• Farewell to the North Enclosure: 1980 · EMI
• It's Good to See You: 1981 · EMI
• Troubadour: 1987 · EMI

Compilation albums[link]

• Croeso Cambrian – Dyffryn Lliw Eisteddfod: 1973 · Cambrian Records (one track - "O Na Le")
• Perlau Ddoe: 15 November 1999 · Sain Recordiau Cyf (one track - "Fel'na Mae")
• Max Boyce: 25 July 2005 · EMI
• The Very Best of Max Boyce: 26 September 2005 · EMI

Videography[link]

DVD album[link]

• Max Boyce: Down Under: 2004 (2003 concert from the Sydney Opera House, Australia)

Filmography[link]

Television series/films[link]

• Poems and Pints (14 episodes): 21 December 1972 – 28 February 1978 · BBC Cymru
• Max Boyce
  • Series One (four episodes): 25 February – 18 March 1977, Fridays at 10.45pm · BBC1
  • Series Two (four episodes): 27 January – 17 February 1978, Fridays at 10.50pm · BBC1
• Max Boyce And Friends (three episodes): 4 May – 18 May 1983, Wednesdays at 9.25pm · BBC1
• Boyce Goes West (four episodes): 21 June – 12 July 1984, Thursdays at 8.30pm · BBC1
• It's Max Boyce (four episodes): 3 December – 30 December 1984, Mondays at 7.40pm · BBC1

Television specials[link]

• Max Boyce Entertains: 28 February 1976, 11.05pm · BBC1
• How Green Was My Father: 1 March 1976, 10.40pm · BBC2
• Max Boyce (specials of the television series):
  • 21 December 1977, 9.25pm · BBC1
  • 27 December 1978, 10.45pm · BBC1
  • 15 November 1979, 10.30pm · BBC1
  • 15 May 1980, 8.25pm · BBC1
  • 2 January 1981, 9.15pm · BBC1
  • 21 December 1981, 9.25pm · BBC1
• The Road And The Miles Of Max Boyce: 26 December 1979, 4.35pm · BBC1
• Max Boyce Meets the Dallas Cowboys: 4 November 1982, 8.00pm · Channel 4
• To the North of Katmandu: completed in 1986, but not initially televised.
• An Evening With Max Boyce: Christmas 1998 · BBC Wales
• A Lifetime of Laughter: 2004 · BBC Wales

Guest appearances[link]

• This Is Your Life (Season 18, Episode 14): 22 February 1978 · ITV
• The Bob Monkhouse Show (Season 2, Episode 3): 21 January 1985, 8.10pm · BBC2
• Have I Got News for You (Season 14, Episode 2): 31 October 1997 · BBC2
• Cable Connects (Season 2, Episode 1): 14 November 2005 · BBC Wales
• I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (Season 25, show 3): 14 December 1998 / 21 December 1998 · Radio 4

Published works[link]

• Max Boyce: His Songs and Poems (1976), ISBN 0-586-04621-6
• I Was There! (1979), ISBN 0-297-77609-6
• Max Boyce in the Mad Pursuit of Applause (1987), ISBN 1-85145-136-6

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

• Max Boyce, I Was There! (Arrow Books Limited: London, 1980), ISBN 0-297-77609-6
• Max Boyce, Max Boyce in the Mad Pursuit of Applause (Pavilion Books Limited: London, 1987), ISBN 1-85145-136-6

External links[link]

• Official website
• Max Boyce at the Internet Movie Database
• Max's Management Company
• Max Boyce tribute band, "Boycezone"
• Max Boyce biography from BBC Wales
• Max Boyce at CeltFest, Cardiff International Arena

Frederick Swann
at Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, Maryland, in 2009
Born	1931 West Virginia, United States
Occupation	Organist, Composer, and President of the American Guild of Organists (2002–2008)

Frederick L. Swann (born 1931) is a prominent American church and concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor, and former president of the American Guild of Organists (2002–2008). During his career spanning more than a half-century, he has performed on most of the well-known pipe organs in the world and made numerous compact disc recordings.^[1] Swann has been called "one of the country's most distinguished organists".^[2] He is Organist Emeritus of the Crystal Cathedral and the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles.

Swann currently lives in Palm Desert, California, where he is Artist-in-residence at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church and University Organist and Artist Teacher of Organ at the University of Redlands.

Early years and education[link]

Frederick Swann was born in West Virginia in 1931. The son of Methodist bishop Theodore M. Swann, he began taking piano lessons as a 5-year old from the organist at Braddock Street United Methodist Church in Winchester, Virginia, where his father was pastor 1937–1943.^[3] He told an interviewer in later years that he was "mesmerized when I saw the organ console for the first time" at the church and soon began taking organ lessons.^[3] By the age of ten, Swann was playing the church's organ for services when his teacher died suddenly.

Swann's older brother, Edgar, also an organist, was killed in action early in World War II.^[3] A sister died in September 2008.

The Swanns moved to Staunton Virginia in 1943 and Frederick, known then as "Freddie" continued his organ study with Dr. Carl Broman, professor of music at Mary Baldwin College. Lessons were on the Emmons Howard organ at Trinity Episcopal Church. After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton, Virginia, where he played the piano for the school's chorus, Swann attended Northwestern University. He earned degrees in music from Northwestern University and the old School of Sacred Music at the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, both degrees granted "with distinction".

Career as an organist[link]

Swann was associated with the music ministry of the famed Riverside Church in New York City from 1952 through 1982, first as substitute organist (1952–1957), then as organist (1957–1965) joining the legendary Virgil Fox there until the latter's departure in 1964. Between 1966–1982, Swann was organist, choir director, and director of music at Riverside.^[1]

Beginning in 1982, Swann was organist and music director at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. During his tenure at the Crystal Cathedral (1982–1998), he was widely regarded as the most visible organist in the world, as millions in every major city in more than 165 countries worldwide saw and heard him on the weekly televised services.^[1]

Swann then served as organist of the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, California, between 1998 and 2001, playing one of the largest church organs in the world. The gargantuan instrument has more than 20,000 individual pipes.^[4]

As an internationally recognized concert organist, he frequently performs at recitals throughout North America, Europe and the Far East. In one recent season, Mr. Swann performed more than 40 recitals throughout North America and in two European tours, including special appearances at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, St. Paul's Cathedral in London; and Passau Cathedral in Germany. Widely known for dedicating new organs, said to exceed 600 in churches, concert halls, and auditoriums during his long career, Swann was chosen to dedicate the new instruments at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, Illinois, with the Chicago Symphony in 1981 and at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, California, with the San Francisco Symphony, in 1984. September 9, 2003 he dedicated the largest church organ in Asia, 104 stops, 119 Ranks, 6820 Pipes, located in YounDong Presbyterian Church, Seoul, Korea. On September 30, 2004, he played the inaugural concert of the 6,125-pipe organ of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall.^[5] The following month, he performed at the largest pipe organ in the island nation of Bermuda, playing the 88-rank organ of St. Paul's Anglican Church there.^[6]

The Los Angeles Times called Swann's playing "Splendid, probing, brilliant and entertaining ... As always, Swann is an inspiration".^[7] Baltimore Sun music critic Tim Smith has called him "one of the country's most distinguished organists".^[2] Swann is currently Artist-in-residence at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, California.

Teaching[link]

Swann has served on the faculties of New York City's Union Theological Seminary School of Sacred Music, Teacher's College of Columbia University, and chaired the Organ Department of the Manhattan School of Music for ten years. He is currently University Organist and Artist Teacher of Organ at the University of Redlands in California.^[8]

President of AGO[link]

In 2002, Swann was elected president of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). He was re-elected in July, 2006, to a third two-year term as president of the 25,000 member organization.^[9]

In 2002, he was named "International Performer of the Year" by the New York City Chapter of the AGO.^[8] On April 13, 2008, the AGO saluted him at an AGO Gala recital at First Congregational Church in Los Angeles as the "Crown Prince of the King of Instruments" for his "dedicated service ... for more than a half century".^[8] On July 1, 2008, Swann was succeeded by Eileen Guenther as president of the AGO.^[10] At the AGO's July, 2010, national convention in Washington, D.C., Swann was presented the Edward Hansen Award for Outstanding Leadership by the organization's vice president, John Walker.

Published works[link]

Swann's published compositions include Let the Whole Creation Cry and Trumpet Tune in D Major (1991), along with organ arrangements of familiar hymns such as Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Fairest Lord Jesus and O God Our Help in Ages Past. His discography of organ and choral recordings includes:

• At Riverside Church
• Easter — The Way to Emmaus
• Four Organ Masterworks
• Great Organs of 1st Congregational Church
• Hymns on the Crystal Cathedral Organ
• Music from Riverside (4 vols.)
• Mystic Organ
• O Magnify the Lord
• Riverside Revisited
• Sing We Now of Christmas
• Swann at the Organ of the National Shrine
• Swann plays Franck at Riverside Church
• We Sing the Power

References[link]

External links[link]

• American Guild of Organists (official website)
• "Swann Song" — Frederick Swann on Pipedreams September 15, 2003 (audio)
• St. Margaret's Episcopal Church