Hymn Boards and Their Use in Early Lutheranism
“Hymn Boards and Their Use in Early Lutheranism.” That sounds like the title of a dissertation on an obscure facet of Lutheran history. While I have no idea if anyone has actually researched the history of the hymn board, I did find a passing reference to it in my latest lunch time reading – a book based on a PhD dissertation – “Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism” by Joseph Herl.
In his book, Herl provides an interesting read with some unexpected conclusions on the worship life of the Lutheran church in Germany during the 16th to 18th centuries. I was initially surprised to learn, that on the whole, during the time of Luther and for a number of years thereafter, the Lutheran church was not necessarily the “singing church” we may idyllically imagine. The churches did not spontaneously erupt in congregational song — they had to be coaxed, prodded, and reprimanded to sing — and congregational singing, at least initially, was second fiddle to the choir.
Now to the hymn board. Herl writes that ”In Lubeck, number boards were hung in 1701 because the hymns could no longer be recognized from the organ prelude.” Evidently the organist’s hymn introductions had little semblance to the hymn tune.
It seems that hymn boards have become an unnecessary church fixture since bulletins are printed (or yes, even projected via Powerpoint). But let the hymn board be a visual reminder to the church musician and the congregation:
- The church musician shall clearly introduce the hymn so as to invite the congregation to sing.
- The congregation shall kindly accept the invitation and sing vigorously since the hymn number is prominently displayed.
- If either the church musician or the congregation fails to do the above items, the other party is welcome to remove the hymn board and bring it to the other party as a reminder of the covenant between musician and congregation.
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