# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S573
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

PUBLICATION MATTERS 573

‘which they can easily slip into their coat pocket. As a result,
leave their books either at church or at home.

Older people are complaining now that the present book
too heavy to hold in their hands while standing during the
gy. Although these may be isolated cases, the present genera-
on will grow old before long and will no doubt experience the
same difficulty. This also applies to invalids, sick people, and
shut-ins, for whom it is not an easy matter to hold the heavy book
‘for any length of time for the purpose of private devotion. ‘

3. For memory work in our schools a simple text edition will
..render the task of learning a hymn or a stanza easier than is the
- ease with the music edition.
. In asking for a word edition of The Lutheran Hymnal, we do
not have in mind one like the former Ev. Luth. Hymn-Book, but
rather a book similar to the word edition of the new hymnal of
_the Protestant Episcopal Church, which carries the simple tune
without the accompanying voices above each hymn, while the
various stanzas are printed out below the music staff in the same
way as is done in our old hymnbook. We consider this quite
essential, since the new hymnal has been a powerful factor in
‘teaching our people to learn many new tunes without difficulty.
But we should like to see the first stanza printed under the notes,
and the remaining stanzas as stated above.

We trust that this matter will receive serious consideration

and favorable action. Tue Sour Wisconsin District

Won. Locuner, Secretary

Regarding Memorials 704 and 705, a word edition of the Hymnal,
Committee 9 submitted the following report:

In answer to the request of Synod’s Committee on Hymnology
(final paragraph, report p. 434) and Memorials 705 and 706, the
following:

Wuereas, The Committee finds no material advantage in
: a word edition for use in school, since children succeed more readily
when music and words are memorized simultaneously; and

Wuereas, A word edition with superimposed tunes, as exempli-
‘ fied on pp. 432—433 of Reports and Memorials is based on a wrong
j philosophy of learning, retarding the reading process through
‘ additional eye movements; and
Wuereas, Much confusion would result, e.g., in the matter
‘ of pagination, if a word edition were used alongside the tune
i edition in our services; and
Wuereas, The alleged handicaps of size and weight affecting