Date: December 2, 2025
For the next two months, the Dean’s Commentary will feature text by VTS & GTS faculty members writing about what they are currently teaching, reading, or writing about.
In today’s commentary, I am delighted to share some information about my new book, Shapers of The Hymnal 1982: Our Faith in Words and Music (2025, Church Publishing Incorporated).
Forty years ago this month, Episcopal parishes and schools across the United States received the first shipments of the new hymnal. Designed as a companion to the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the hymnal contained a remarkable number of new texts and tunes in addition to the “classics” of the Anglican tradition.
The Hymnal 1982 is a landmark publication that has shaped the Church’s song and provided a wealth of musical resources. Through my first-person interviews, readers will meet the poets, composers, clergy, liturgists, and scholars who contributed to this influential book. You will hear their insights about what has worked well and the changes they envision for the future. I also share my observations, as well as input from musicians currently serving Episcopal parishes. Throughout the book, you will note the many contributions made by persons associated with Virginia Theological Seminary, most notably Raymond F. Glover, the general editor of the hymnal.
Discussion questions and hymn suggestions related to each chapter provide a highly usable resource for group study in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the hymnal’s publication. I hope that you will consider creating a study group with parishioners, choir members, or friends as we mark this significant milestone.
Marty Wheeler Burnett, D.Min.
Associate Professor of Church Music and Director of Chapel Music
Virginia Theological Seminary