As I continue to slog through the creation of The Catholic Hymnal, I am wrapping up Hymns To Mary, traditional hymns over the past 150 years.

The verse is wonderful to read. And it struck me that having read some of Kathy Pluth's work is that there are writers/translators out there tofay who are talented and are creating new texts.

Combine that with new music by composers and we have new hymns and chants. So we are entertaining submissions,

A few criteria: Hymns that interest people seem to fall into a set format, first of all, written in a set poetic metre. Free verse or even worse, the bizarre practice of writing a chorus that is singable followed by verses that require melodic patters for each verse....well, that's out.

Then, more people will try a hymn if it is in traditional SATB format.

I realize that this is confining, but being creative within guidelines is out job.

Chants are a different story, of course.

No promises that anything accepted will be accepted, but everything that is submitted will be evaluated.

noel jones

PS: This hymnal project is designed for singing at Eucharistic Devotions, Novenas and so on....I am a firm proponent of singing the music OF the Mass AT the Mass.