Fer Not, Little Flock Hymns of Re E. Whitney Volume I
Prted on recycled cid-free pper Fer Not, Little Flock: Hymns of Re E. Whitney, Volume I Copyright 2006 Selh Publishg Co., Inc., Pittsburgh, P. 15227 www.selhpub.com All rights reserved. All pieces this collection re under copyright protection of copyright holder listed with ech hymn. Permission must be obted from copyright holder reproduce ny form or by ny mens, electronic, mechnicl, phocopyg, or orwise wht is cluded this book. All of hymn texts copyrights held by Selh Publishg Co. my be used by congregtions enrolled C.C.L.I., LicenSg, or OneLicense.net progrms. Typeset prted United Sttes of Americ. First edition 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 09 08 07 06 Ctlog no. 125-402
Fer Not, Little Flock Hymns of Re E. Whitney Volume I
Introduction F rom five hundred hymn texts I hve written, Dvid Schp hs chosen bout seventy different texts publish two books, with settgs from over thirty contemporry composers. More of my texts cn be found With Joy Our Spirits Sg (1995, Selh Publishg Co.). The texts Fer Not, Little Flock I & II hve been chosen by Edir for ir vriety for response mde m by vrious musicins. Why cert texts ttrct different composers, I don t know, but Al Fedk sys tht, for him, it ws simply mtter of my beg drwn your words, beg moved by m some wy, herg music m. Although lwys lover of hymns, I never set out be hymn poet. A few texts were written my younger dys, but I didn t relly strt writg until lte 1970 s. when I found such n ctivity be wy of pryg. Then friends critics, such s my husb, Clyde, Mrin Brnett (AGO), convced me shre my texts with ors. About this time I ws troduced Hymn Societies of U.K. North Americ, becme member of both, hve contued vlue ir publictions, conferences workshops. It is lwys oy meet fellow lovers of hymns, wrm friendships mde through Hymn Societies re priceless. This two-book collection is clled Fer Not, Little Flock, becuse those words of Christ hve hd gret significnce for Clyde me. Our mrrige ws both trns-genertionl trns-ntionl, Clyde hvg beg born United Sttes 26 yers before my own birth Engl. We met Itly 1960. He proposed t Assisi few dys lter. I sid, Nonsense! He grned. I ll give you nor week. By time we got bck Engl, I ws pretty sure I ws love o, ccepted his rg. The next month we borded n Atlntic ler with ide of my visitg his home Western Nebrsk. We hd both been somewht pprehensive s wher we would be dog right thg. Clyde hd been recr of St Andrew s Episcopl prish, Scottsbluff, for pst 17 yers, I ws wre re would be 200 future mors--lw meet! But, one dy, on deck, s we were redg Morng Pryer, it hppened tht ppoted lesson ws Luke 12. Suddenly out of pges, verse 32 lept s confirmtion of our decision: Fer not, little flock; it is your Fr s good plesure give you kgdom. It ws verse neir of us hd ever consciously seen before! From tht moment on, we hd no doubt bout our future life ger. I ws received most wrmly Nebrsk, returned month lter Engl complete my techg commitment, prepre for our New Yer s Eve weddg my home wn of Chippenhm. Some 20 yers lter, I wrote song, Fer Not, Little Flock, which ppers Book II.
A few months before Clyde died 1992, we mde our funerl rrngements, choosg plot little cemetery ner Scotts Bluff Ntionl Monument. We even ordered mbsne, hd those specil Fer not words scribed on it! So when, bout three weeks fter his deth, mbsne ws put plce, n forml dediction service ws held, we plyed tpe of Clyde sgg my Fer not, little flock. A bird nerest tree oed s soon s Clyde s voice ws herd, it sng ll wy through, endg only when music spped! I wnt thnk ll composers who hve seen song with my words, mny of whom I hve grown pprecite s friends through The Hymn Society United Sttes Cnd. I m lso grteful Dvid Schp of Selh Publishg Co. for his encourgement over yers, for his efforts now grg se texts tunes ger, so tht dividuls prishes cn lso sg from Fer not, Little Flock. Re E. Whitney Dediction A fithful friend is sure shelter, whoever fds one hs found rre tresure. A fithful friend is somethg beyond price, re is no mesurg his worth. Ecclesisticus (Sirch) 6:14-15 Jeruslem Bible Dedicted mny friends who hve blessed my life two rre tresures prticulr: Ev-Mri Crne of Ellensburg, Wshgn, whose loyl friendship sce our student dys t University of Brisl, Engl hs proved be priceless constntly-renewg gift, Edwrd Doeml of West Allis, Wiscons, who, sce our first meetg 1993 t St Olf s Hymn Society workshop, hs given me vluble support, prcticl help, vigortg compnionship.
Foreword In 1960 s phenomenon, lter clled The Hymn Explosion, hit Engl out of it cme wonderful texts of Fred Prtt Green, Brin Wren, somewht lter, texts of Timothy Dudley-Smith ors. A decde or so lter, when churches United Sttes begn wht hs been twenty-five yer period of hymnl revision, similr Hymnl Explosion hit Americ. This Explosion is ongog United Sttes Cnd; from it we hve contug output from truly fe women poets. Among m is Re E. Whitney some of whose works constitute two volumes of this publiction.british by birth eduction, Re cme Sttes 1961 s bride of lte Rev. Clyde Whitney. A devoted wife committed life work of Episcopl Church, Re begn write hymn texts 1970s. One of her erliest fest texts, which I believe hs now reched sttus of beg clssic, is prphrse of Song of Simeon, Nunc Dimittis, Lord God, you now hve set your servnt free. First published 1981 this text is now cluded The Hymnl 1982 (1985), The Presbyterin Hymnl (1990), Voices United (Cnd 1996), Toger Song (Austrli 1999). Or texts by this gifted prolific writer pper The Bptist Hymnl (1991), A New Hymnl for Colleges Schools (1992), New Century Hymnl (1995), Voices Found (2004) vrious supplements. I feel sure tht future editions of denomtionl hymnls supplements nme of Re Whitney will contue be listed s contribur. In two volumes of this publiction we hve select number of texts from five hundred tht hve come from Re Whitney s pen. These texts re mtched with tunes, rrngements hrmoniztions by rich vriety of contemporry Americn composers. Re s texts cluded here re rich Biblicl imgery, mny re liturgiclly oriented; ll reflect deep fith of this very committed Christin womn. Becuse y rise from diversity of this poet s life experiences, y will resonte with mny privileged sg m. I consider it n honor hve been vited write this foreword. To Re E. Whitney composers whose works ccompny her texts I extend deep expression of grtitude respect. Rymond. F. Glover Generl Edir of The Hymnl 1982 Generl Edir of The Hymnl 1982 Compnion, founder of Assocition of Anglicn Musicins.
Fer Not, Little Flock
Advent Annuncition 1 Young Mry Lived Nzreth # & 4 3? # 3 4 # &? # # &? # 1 2 3 4 5 Young So When So Those from Nz - - lost its vir - g strs y. won - old thk kept n, Jo - eigh - ry ry ry seph ty lived went cme mr - burn - - bck ried g well, reth, song, bride; slept; where - drous news E - liz - she her hd t re - mem - done his berg, Nz - cross home miles - - ry y once shre frid keep n tht her ry, tell. beth, wrong; side; wept; reth, hills, g n, wlked; drew fr, her be -. w - fr hert preg - neth n - gel ti - dgs cme bit - ter - her, sweet, full with Jo - seph, whom she loved, would sfe from slnfree derous ngues, he new - dom, lughed, But who t sid, first when when ry Tht he t sid, self - did, child lst How sme but ws y ter from hd nnt Text: Re E. Whitney, 1982. Music: Dvid W. Music, 1994. Text 1990 music 1994 Selh Publishg Co., Inc. CMD Blld of Mry Alternte tunes: Forest Green, Kgsfold
# &? # # &? # cn n - n l - reched sid, hve tke ter st - this gel most be? cme drem due, wn, God her ble A con - her. vir - tell vced cen - hour wnts lit - for Jo - Christ it tle his seph s ws so. son. wife, wn, born, g my him sus hd She His no wy God s ber hus - ll sumcome. b, ws moned for sid, words mt - south Son God s will ter hd son? o, well; m birth; will soon wht Beth - come And tht he be come be - le - G - we vowed reg - done! true! fell. hem. erth! briel would is - Though mny rtists hve portryed Annuncition hppeng side house Nzreth, re is strong trdition, ld me on my visit re 1964, tht ngel Gbriel ppered her t villge s only wter source, now known s St Mry s Well.
Christms 2 Eternity Touched Hs with Time 1 2 3? b b b E - The Time ter - n - still ni - gels cn ty uched shred uch e - hs erth s ter - J with de - ni - time light, ty, J when when Mr - str we y be - rech J? b b b sid, cme out God s will m - God be gi s done, sign, pryer; re - com - shep - oice mon - herds tht plce met, Christ be - on will? b b b cme sub - lime Christ- ms night, ev - er be J when re - tht child, born young both wo - hu - herts mn mn tht bore wnt di - him son. ve. re! J Text: Re E. Whitney, 1995. 1996 Selh Publishg Co., Inc. Music: Plsong, Mode 4; cc. Bruce Neswick, 1984,. LM Condir Alme Siderum Alternte tune: Melcombe