2023

Leitourgias hovedtaler er i år John Bell. Bell er præst i Church of Scotland, æresdoktor ved Glasgow Universitet og medlem af Iona Community og stifter af Wild Goose Ressource Group (for over 30 år siden sammen med afdøde Graham Maule). I en menneskealder har han skrevet salmer, der er kendt over hele verden. Lige så længe har han arbejdet med liturgisk fornyelse på græsrodsniveau, med keltisk inspireret tænkning og teologi som kilde til menighedsinddragende livsnær liturgi og fornyelse af gudstjenesteliv, og med kirkens profetiske ansvar.
Hans foredrag og øvrige bidrag under konferencen vil foregå på engelsk.


This year’s key note speaker will be John Bell. Bell is a Minister in the Church of Scotland, has an honorary doctorate at the University of Glasgow, is a member of the Iona Community and founder of the Wild Goose Ressource Group (more than 30 years ago together with the late Graham Maule) His hymns are known worldwide. All his life he has been working with liturgical renewal at a grassroot level, with the celtic inspired thinking and theology as a source for contextual and participatory congregational life and relevant liturgy, and the prophetic responsibility of the church”


John Bells foredrag vil være

Tirsdag 31. oktober 19.45- 21: ”The singing thing – improving congregational singing”
Why is congregational singing so important that we should put so much effort into this? What helps people to trust their voices and each other’s voices? Is hymnsinging not only an expression of our common faith – does it also “shape” or “create” our faith?


Onsdag 1. November 11-12: “Living with the Psalms”.
The Psalms are texts and prayers that Jesus knew and used. The book “Living with the Psalms” was published in 2020 and is the fruit of the John Bell’s lifelong engagement with the Psalms. In the book and in this lecture he explores the Psalms as they relate to daily life, drawing on stories and personal testimonies to help us to rejoice, grieve or draw encouragement from this most extraordinary and fascinating collection of sacred poems and songs.


Onsdag 1. november 19.30-21: “Big Sing”
Together with John Bell and Betty and Peter Arendt we will use the voices, we were given, and just sing. Here is one of John Bell’s quotes on “the singing thing”: "I had to overcome a kind of great complex I had with my voice, and realize that I hadn't been given a voice which was meant to sooth millions, but I was given a voice which was to enable other people. I'm not a performer, it means that you're free to use your voice in such a way as it enables other people - no matter how bad they think they are - to think they can do better. Sometimes my voice will crack or break, and people will think, 'Poor soul. We'll need to give him a hand,' and then they join in." 


Torsdag 2. November 14.30-16: “Prophecy, protest and praise”
On the need for prophecy, protest, praise and lament in liturgy and hymns. A challenge to the neat-ness of the church. Courage to be contextual.



Iben Krogsdal har i de senere år digtet videre på en række af traditionens salmer. Hun vil fortælle om arbejdet med at skrive med afsæt i en dyb tradition, hvor tekster - nu som før - føder nye tekster. Hvad er forholdet mellem gammel og nyt i en salme - og sker der noget med teologien i nye salmer?

Iben Krogsdal kendes i Danmark særligt som salmedigter. Hendes erfaringsnære, nyskabende og nærværende salmer er kendte, elskede og bliver sunget over hele landet. Det gælder både helt nye salmer – og f.eks. de salmer, der i 2017 blev skrevet som gen- og moddigtninger af Luthersalmer.
Hun er også skønlitterær forfatter, har en ph.d. i religionsvidenskab, og har forsket i moderne menneskers religiøsitet, deres optagethed af psykologi og deres forhold til kristendommen. Denne forskning er bl.a. udkommet i bøgerne ”De nye myter” og ”De måske kristne”.

 

Presentation of Iben Krogsdal

Translating, updating or growing poetry? – Wednesday November 1st 1.30

For years Iben Krogsdal has written new lyrics for traditional hymns, inspired by the old. In her talk she will share with us how it is to write as part of a profound tradition where new lyrics – now as ever – are born from older lyrics. How does the old and the new relate to one another? And what happens to the theology in new hymns?

Iben Krogsdal is a wellknown hymnwriter in Denmark. Her hymns are creative and grounded in human experience, both in regard to completely new hymns and hymns that spring from tradition, like her re-writings of hymns by Luther in 2017.
She is also an author of fiction and has a ph. d. In religious science; she has done research in the field of modern religiousity, looking at how people today relate to psychology and Christianity, see thes


Iben Krogsdal

Oversættelser, opdateringer eller spirende poesi? – onsdag 1. november 13.30e books ”De nye myter” and ”De måske kristne”.

Lea Wierød Borcak

Sang som urmenneskelig udtryksform – onsdag 1. november 16.30.

Sang er en grundlæggende menneskelig udtryksform, som skaber fællesskab, ledsager os fra vugge til grav og hjælper os med at udtrykke det, vi ikke selv kan sige. I alle kulturer og til alle tider har mennesker sunget. Under covid-19 genopdagede danskerne fællessangens kraft til at samle, styrke og trøste. Fra krigen i Ukraine er videoer af sang i beskyttelsesrum gået viralt. Det er eksempler på, at sang er meget mere end underholdning, hygge og tidsfordriv. I dette foredrag vil vi gennemgå nogle af årsagerne til sangens kraft – ikke mindst hvad det giver os at synge sammen.

Lea Wierød Borčak er seniorforsker og formidler ved Center for Grundtvigforskning, Aarhus Universitet, og Videncenter for Sang ved Sangens Hus. Siden 2011 har hun forsket i sang, herunder hymnologi, forholdet mellem tekst og melodi i salmer og sange, samt folkelig fællessangskultur. I 2023 påbegynder hun sammen med partnere ved Aarhus Universitet et stort forskningsprojekt om dansk sangkultur og social in- og eksklusion i fællessang.

 

Presentation of Lea Wierød Borcak.

Song as a fundamental human way of expression – Wednesday November 1st 4.30.
Song is a fundamenta, human way of expression; it creates a sense of community, accompanies us from cradle to grave, and helps us to express that which we cannot say ourselves. In all cultures and all times there has been singing. During the Covid-19 pandemic the Danes rediscovered how singing together had a certain power to unite and provide strength and comfort. Videos from the war in Ukraine of people singing in emergency shelters have gone viral. These are examples of singing being much more that entertainment, fun and pastime. In this lecture, we will explore some of the reasons for the power of song – not least what it means for us to sing together.

Lea Wierød Borcak is a Senior Researcher and educator at the Grundtvig Study Center at Aarhus University, and at the Center for Song at The House of Song. Since 2011 she has done research in the field of song, including hymnology, the relationship between text and melody in hymns and songs, and the popular culture of singing together. Together with colleagues at Aarhus University in 2023 she begins a large scale research project on the Danish culture of singing and social in- and exclusion in singing together.