Hymnic Materials

Belhar Confession Hymns

This is a set of five hymns from James written to accompany the introduction of the Belhar Confession to Reformed Churches on the North American continent.  This Confession was ratified as a standard of faith for the Reformed Church in America on June 8. 2009 at its General Synod in Holland, Michigan.

Sixteen Scriptural Songs for Small Singers

Reflecting the church's need to involve young children in worship, this is a collection of songs developed to tell Biblical stories in a format easily understood and mimicked by younger worshipers.  The vocal range is deliberately narrow and accompaniments kept simple so that older girls and boys may take the lead with their younger siblings or church groups.

Learning to Sing with Understanding

   Written as a primer for middle school through adult choirs or classes learning to sing at sight, Learning to Sing begins with introductions to rudimentary musical symbols and guides the student through more and more complex rhythms and intervals, using a corpus of hymn tunes from many traditions.  The book  includes explanations of basic music theory and ultimately introduces four part singing.  It emphasizes ear training and intonation, encouraging singers to rely on their own inner hearing rather than on external instruments for key centers and correct tuning.

From the Silence

Kathleen's first collection of hymn tunes, from her earliest to the most recent, comprise this volume.  Many of the melodies are in traditional meters, usable with older extant texts, but have been written for newer texts, especially those of her husband James and her own.  Each piece is accompanied by notes on its creation.    Projected release in Fall of 2009.

The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.
- Elaine Agather