At the Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee's request William P. Rowan (b. San Diego, CA, 1950) wrote STONEHENGE for Clarkson's text in 1985 (the tune's name was chosen because of the "monolithic" proportions of the text). The hymn was first published in the 1987 Psalter Hymnal.
Rowan built this rounded bar form (AABA) tune by combining several melodic and rhythmic figures and dividing them asymmetrically over a five-line stanza and a three-¬line refrain. The musical setting is best suited to unison singing. Use strong organ accompaniment with a full registration for the refrain, and add a Picardy (major) third on the final cadence for the last time through the refrain. Sing the hymn in a more stately manner that final time, but always try to sing at a moderate pace with two pulses per bar.
Rowan received his musical education at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has served various churches in Michigan and is currently the director of music ministries at St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing, Michigan, and music consultant for the Roman Catholic diocese there. A composer of numerous anthems and organ works, he has also published hymn tunes in Together Met, Together Bound, Hymn Settings by William Rowan (1993).
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
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