Regina Fryxell
Encyclopedia
Regina Fryxell, born Regina Holmén (November 24, 1899 – September, 1993) was a popular and influential American
composer of Lutheran hymns and was responsible for the Setting Two of the Service Book and Hymnal
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
, on which she worked between 1948 and 1958. It was called the "Continental Setting" because it reflected the Lutheran liturgy from Northern Europe
, including Sweden
. She was also commissioned to work between 1974 and 1977 on the updated Setting Three of the successor publication, the Lutheran Book of Worship
; the commissioning Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) body however failed to honor the terms of the commission.
Her work was distinguished by her research into Scandinavia
n and German
musical sources (particularly J. S. Bach) for Lutheran hymnody and liturgy, and the success with which she incorporated these sources into a form suitable for the use of modern American congregations.
Mrs. Fryxell was the daughter of the Swedish Lutheran pastor, Johannes Algott Holmén (1859–1948) and his second wife, Amelia. She obtained two degrees simultaneously in 1922 at Augustana College
, in Rock Island, Illinois
, in music and English, and studied organ at Juilliard.
Besides her composition work, she was a teacher at Augustana College, where she taught music, French and English. She was the wife of the geologist Fritiof Fryxell
(1900–1986) who also taught at Augustana, and the mother of the geologist Roald H. Fryxell
. The Fryxells had three sons, two of which died at young ages. It has been noted by many musicians that this loss reflected in Regina Fryxell's music which expressed joy, and a voice of the human need.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer of Lutheran hymns and was responsible for the Setting Two of the Service Book and Hymnal
Service Book and Hymnal
The Service Book and Hymnal, or SBH was used by most of the Lutheran church bodies in the United States that today comprise the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America prior to the publishing of the Lutheran Book of Worship of 1978...
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
, on which she worked between 1948 and 1958. It was called the "Continental Setting" because it reflected the Lutheran liturgy from Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
, including Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. She was also commissioned to work between 1974 and 1977 on the updated Setting Three of the successor publication, the Lutheran Book of Worship
Lutheran Book of Worship
Lutheran Book of Worship is a worship book and hymnal used by several Lutheran denominations in North America. It is often referred to by its initials as the LBW, and in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the LBW is sometimes called the "green book" as opposed to With One Voice, a...
; the commissioning Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) body however failed to honor the terms of the commission.
Her work was distinguished by her research into Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
musical sources (particularly J. S. Bach) for Lutheran hymnody and liturgy, and the success with which she incorporated these sources into a form suitable for the use of modern American congregations.
Mrs. Fryxell was the daughter of the Swedish Lutheran pastor, Johannes Algott Holmén (1859–1948) and his second wife, Amelia. She obtained two degrees simultaneously in 1922 at Augustana College
Augustana College (Illinois)
Augustana College is a private liberal arts college located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. The college enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Covering of hilly, wooded land, Augustana is adjacent to the Mississippi River...
, in Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
, in music and English, and studied organ at Juilliard.
Besides her composition work, she was a teacher at Augustana College, where she taught music, French and English. She was the wife of the geologist Fritiof Fryxell
Fritiof Fryxell
Fritiof M. Fryxell , was an American geologist and mountain climber, best known for his research and writing on the Teton Range of Wyoming. Upon the establishment of Grand Teton National Park in 1929, he was named the park’s first naturalist, a position he held for six summers...
(1900–1986) who also taught at Augustana, and the mother of the geologist Roald H. Fryxell
Roald H. Fryxell
Roald H. Fryxell was an American geologist and archaeologist.-Background:Roald Hilding Fryxell was the son of Fritiof Fryxell, a geologist and professor, and Regina Holmén Fryxell, an organist and music teacher, both on the faculty of Augustana College in Illinois, from which he graduated in 1956...
. The Fryxells had three sons, two of which died at young ages. It has been noted by many musicians that this loss reflected in Regina Fryxell's music which expressed joy, and a voice of the human need.
Sources
- Sucha, James Gerhardt: The Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) 21 Years Later, 15 Oct 1999, at www.suite101.com/article.cfm/lutheranism/25955/3