Lead Me, Guide Me Second Edition

The committee has been formed and the work is under way to create a revision of this popular hymnal for African American Catholics. Msgr. Ray East, of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC., is general chairman of the project, and the hymnal will once again be published by the Chicago-based firm, GIA Publications, under the guidance of its senior editor, Robert J. Batastini.

At this time composers are being invited to submit material for consideration. The following guidelines should be observed for all submissions:

• Since a hymnal is primarily a book for the assembly, all music should be intended primarily for congregational singing. While choir harmony is certainly acceptable, only that which includes participation of the assembly will be considered.
• All music must be fully written out. Lead sheets alone, or partially sketched materials cannot be considered. Also, tapes or CDs are not necessary. We are interested in how things look in print. Also please note that we reserve the right to edit and arrange your material to suit the overall style of the hymnal. No such work will be done, however, without your final approval.
• A readable handwritten copy is sufficient. It is not necessary to provide computer-generated scores. However, be sure to send photocopies, not your originals. The receipt of your material will be acknowledged, but unless your music is selected, you will not hear further from us, nor will the photocopies themselves be returned.
• The greatest need is for settings of responsorial psalms from the Sunday Lectionary for Mass. Psalm settings must use the text exactly as it is found in the Lectionary. While words may be repeated for musical reasons, such as, "Lord, you have the words, the words of everlasting life," word changes, words added, or words left out will not be approved by the Bishops Committee on the Liturgy.
• Other submitted works may include hymns, songs, (original or arrangements), mass parts, and any other hymnal likely to be found in a Roman Catholic hymnal.
• If your submission contains words or music that are under copyright, it is not necessary at this time to obtain permission. The publisher will do that if your piece is selected. It is extremely important, however, that you inform us of the source of all material (words and music) that is not written, composed or arranged by you. This includes words and music.

Please understand that we are likely to receive ten times the amount of material that can be included in a hymnal. That, of course, if part of God's way of sharing the richness of his blessings. It enables the committee to select just the right combination of pieces to make up the final collection. But that also means that 90% of what we receive will not be included. Nonetheless, each and every submission plays a vital role in the process of making the new Lead Me, Guide Me a hymnal that will best meet the needs of African American parishes across the country.

Send your submissions to:

LMGM Revision
GIA Publications, Inc.
7404 S. Mason Ave.
Chicago, IL 60638