Songs of Lament and Songs of Hope project
We are searching for new congregational songs to be included on a double album, recorded in May 2023 and released in September 2023.
This twin collection is focused on two themes of lament and hope. Though the two themes are in many ways two sides of the same coin, they are oriented in different directions:
Songs of lament
These speak about the pain, sorrow, anger and loss in the presence of eternal God. They are not devoid of hope, they reach, yearn, demand and still utter words of faith, but they are located in the real experience of today. They accept the fleeting and fickle nature of our experience, while fully expressing it. As well as songs that rage, yearn and cry out, we're also interested in songs that describe states of being like sadness and grief which are real and all-consuming as long as they last; songs that find us on the floor and sit with us there.
Songs of hope
These are driven by God’s story. They are fixed on a point on the horizon which does not move, on a story which through the eyes of faith is certain to unfold. They describe the promises of God, found in the words of the prophets and apostles, secured by Jesus death and resurrection, and guaranteed by the Spirit. They understand the realities of sorrow and pain and avoid trite sentiments, but their locus is ultimately in future glory, in the story of God, not the story of us. Hope spills (even floods) into our today, but by its very definition it is most real in our tomorrow.
Can I do both at once?
Some songs may well show both sides of the coin, of course - it is impossible to navigate these themes without them crashing into each other. But we are self-consciously embracing these two perspectives without always looking to reconcile them within our songs and would encourage you to push in one direction or another.
In particular we want to avoid songs that
a) articulate our struggles but attempt to minimise (or defeat) our experienced reality with words of positivity, or explain it away like Job’s comforters
b) reduce ‘hope’ to being only a solution to our problems instead of a rich and God-shaped future promise
Solo or congregation?
Our intention at Resound Worship is always to write songs that are ‘congregational’. While this isn’t a musical style, any more than lament or hope are musical styles, it can be challenging for more difficult themes. Sometimes, we’ll make these songs congregational by the subtleties of the language we use, the ways we describe experiences and emotions, even the tense of our narrative. Other times it will be by sticking closely to the words of Scripture as a fixed point around which we all can gather. It may also come through creative approaches to song structure - call and response, overlapping parts and more. If you can positively answer the question ‘are there circumstances in which I could sing this together with my congregation’ then you are probably heading in the right direction.
What about retuned hymns?
You are welcome to submit a retuned hymn. However, if it's a text that is already widely sung, or still in copyright (other than Jubilate texts) it's unlikely we'll select it over a competely new piece; and we do always use contemporary language in Resound songs, so it may need to be modernised. It's worth knowing this before you set out.
How and when do I submit?
Deadline Sunday 12 March 2023
Submissions tinfo
A submission of lyrics and a basic recording is sufficient, though you are welcome to include a score or chord chart if you wish. The songs can be old or new, individual or co-written, but they do need to be not in wide circulation or subject to any other publishing agreements. Any songs we select are likely to further develop through an editorial process which can range from gentle tweaks to carving up whole sections or even glueing them together with other songs (all with your permission of course).
If you write a song and you’re not sure which of the categories it fits, don’t worry. Just choose one. We decide if any songs need to change category during the review and editorial process. If we like a song, we might come back to you and push it in one direction or another, or we might find a place for it just as it is. Don’t submit it twice though.
Can I submit more than one?
Yes, absolutely. The more we have, the higher the quality of the final collection is likely to be.
Please do, however, avoid those speculative submissions of songs you wrote a while back which, if you look at them from a certain angle, could be considered lament or hope. We can spot them!
The Small Print
For a full list of terms and conditions, click HERE.
Finally, it’s worth saying that we will probably get a lot of submissions for this, most of which we won’t use, many of which might still be really good. Sadly, it won't be possible to enter into detailed correspondence about songs outside the shortlist.