Eckhardt, Royce

Royce Eckhardt was music editor for the Covenant Hymnal Commissions and taught hymnology at North Park Seminary. He lives in Wilmette, Ill.

Hymns to Avoid (Spring/Summer 2012)

Strange songs and Holy humor (Spring/Summer 2015)

Following my earlier article in Pietisten that included a selection of hymns and songs ranging from the quaint to the absurd, I offer you more of the same in this sequel.

Bryan Jeffery Leech (Fall/Winter 2015)

Bryan Jeffery Leech was a remarkably gifted and unique man. The amalgamation of a prolific hymn writer, facile lyricist, composer, gifted preacher, witty humorist, beloved pastor and caring friend—all rolled into one rather diminutive fellow with a delightful British accent—that was Bryan! He arrived from his native England when he was 25, and years later in celebrating his 50th birthday, he declared, “Now I’m half and hahf!”

Holy humor and church chuckles (Spring/Summer 2017)

It was at a retirement center’s weekly chapel service, in which one of the residents was selected to read the appointed scripture lesson of the day prior to the sermon. The passage selected for that day was the Beatitudes. The senior lady was doing well with the reading until she uttered, “Blessed are the pacemakers…”

Treasures, both old and new: Transitions in worship music (Spring/Summer 2019)

I was recently asked to create a survey of the music used in Covenant camps in the Pacific Northwest Conference based on my years as music director at First Covenant Church, Seattle (1961-69). In leading hymn festivals with Seattle-area Covenant churches and being a musician at Covenant Beach Bible Camp, I had a fairly good overview of the music of that era. The present essay is based on that survey and expanded on the assumption that these perspectives may largely apply to the Covenant denomination as a whole.