"Ages Past - Years to Come

Anne Harrison is an Oxford music graduate with an MA in Music and Liturgy from the University of Leeds; she was Music Co-ordinator at St John’s College with Cranmer Hall, Durham, in the 1990s, and then worked for the Royal School of Church Music. An officer of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland and a recently retired trustee of the Song and Hymn Writers Foundation, she chaired the editorial team for the hymn book supplement Sing Praise (Canterbury Press/RSCM 2010), helped to put together Ancient & Modern: Hymns and Songs for Refreshing Worship (Canterbury Press 2013), has written two Grove booklets on congregational song and is music editor for Transforming Worship News. She lives in Durham with her husband, a retired GP.

Emma Turl grew up in Stamford Lincs and completed a degree in English language and literature and then a certificate in education in Oxford. She Taught in Uganda for two years with VSO, then in Ghana before her marriage to John.  Back in UK after nearly twelve years in Africa, her family moved to Essex in 1982.  Her activities became limited because of loss of eyesight and reduced mobility; but a deep interest in hymns, song lyrics and Bible paraphrases for congregational singing has occupied much of her time and given her great satisfaction. She also has close connections with around eight local churches which between them represent a variety of traditions. Her hymns are published by Praise Trust and Jubilate, and she has enjoyed collaborating – mostly with her husband John and her friend Gill Berry. She has been delighted to come upon many different contemporary hymns and to get to know some of their authors / composers through the Hymn Society and other networks.