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Tuesday, July 21
 

7:30am EDT

Breakfast
Tuesday July 21, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT

Tuesday July 21, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
Mackay Campus Center

8:00am EDT

Bookstore & Silent Auction Open
Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:00am - 9:30am EDT

Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:00am - 9:30am EDT
Stevenson Lounge - Mackay Campus Center

8:30am EDT

Farminary Participants Depart
Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am EDT
Depart from Parking Lot behind library
Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am EDT
Lobby - Erdman

8:30am EDT

Morning Prayer
Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am EDT

Artists
avatar for Martin Tel

Martin Tel

Martin Tel is the C. F. Seabrook Director of Music at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has been leading music at PTS for 30 years now, and is very active in The Hymn Society.
avatar for Melissa Haupt

Melissa Haupt

Melissa Haupt is the Assistant Director of Worship at Princeton Theological Seminary. She earned a BA in Religion and Psychology from Muhlenberg College, and an MDiv, ThM, and PhD in Pastoral Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. She currently serves as President-Elect of... Read More →
avatar for Mina Choi

Mina Choi

Mina Choi is an award-winning musician who has shared her talent and passion with communities worldwide. Raised in Dallas, she has earned degrees and various research opportunities from prestigious institutions worldwide: Royal College of Music in London (BMus), Yale University (MM... Read More →
avatar for Noel Werner

Noel Werner

Noel Werner is Director of Music at Nassau Presbyterian Church and past Dean of the Metro NJ AGO, holds degrees from Westminster Choir College, Indiana University and Christian Theological Seminary.
Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Seminary Chapel

9:00am EDT

Farminary Experience
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:00am - 11:15am EDT
This special addition to the 2026 conference is unique to Princeton Seminary. Founded in 2015, the Farminary Project is directed by our Plenary Speaker Nate Stucky, who said “The project’s main goal is to form leaders by cultivating agrarian sensibilities within them like paying attention to the seasons, understanding the interconnectedness of life and death, and becoming comfortable with failure.” Participants will work with Director Nate on the farm while connecting our song to death and life. Participants in this session will miss on-campus activities while at the Farminary and will need to be able to withstand the New Jersey summer heat while participating in farm work.

Speakers
avatar for Nate Stucky

Nate Stucky

Nathan Stucky serves as Director of the Farminary Project at Princeton Theological Seminary. He grew up on a farm in Kansas where his love for Christian faith and agriculture first took root. After earning a BA in Music from Bethel College (KS), Stucky spent six years doing ecumenical... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:00am - 11:15am EDT
Farminary

9:15am EDT

"Ways Will Open": Tunes by Sally Ann Morris
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Jacque B. Jones, FHS, Sponsor
In Memory of James Abbington, FHS

Join composer Sally Ann Morris, FHS, in exploring her latest collection of tunes. Her ever-expanding palette of sound has been influenced in recent years by extended visits to Iona, Scotland, where she served as volunteer musician for two summers. In addition to long-time collaborators like Mary Louise Bringle, FHS, and Adam M. L. Tice, FHS, text writers including Hannah C. Brown, Chris Shelton, and David Bjorlin have provided fresh inspiration for Sally's work.

Speakers
SA

Sally Ann Morris, FHS

Sally Ann Morris, FHS, is a composer of hundreds of hymn and congregational song tunes. Many of these are found in denominational hymnals worldwide. Sally’s musical styles range from classically traditional influences to lyric melodies, jazz, folk, pop, and short form chant. Sally... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Stuart 5

9:15am EDT

*CANCELLED* Dancing On the Grave that I Once Lived in: An Exploration of Christian Congregational Song Utilizing Death Imagery
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
This sectional has been cancelled.
Speakers
BB

Bruce Benedict

Bruce Benedict is the chaplain of worship arts at Hope College in Holland, Michigan and the founder of Liturgical Arts organizations Cardiphonia and Bellwether Arts. His recent Durham University dissertation explores song, ritual, and contemporary worship practices in evangelical... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Seminary Chapel

9:15am EDT

A Brooklyn Girl Composes – The Musical Legacy of Amanda Husberg
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
James & Kathleen Brumm, Sponsors
In Memory of Amanda Husberg, with thanks for the music we share

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Concordia Publishing and Peter Reske for their generous donation of copies of Amanda Husberg’s Requiem.

Though Amanda Husberg is no longer among us, her music lives on in our memories, hymnals, and churches. When Amanda died in 2021, she left a lively legacy of sacred music—from her Brooklyn Mass to her spirited requiem A Feast Prepared, and through congregational songs in between. A life-long Lutheran and Life Member of The Hymn Society, Amanda had over 286 hymns in print in every style imaginable. Her collaborators praised her ability to write tunes that perfectly melded with their texts. She also nurtured congregational song in the Brooklyn church she served for over 55 years.

This session offers an opportunity to sing many of Amanda's works and hear from colleagues and friends about their affection for Amanda and respect for her work. Come sing her music, remember her contributions to congregational song, and celebrate her one-of-a-kind personality that always made everyone smile.

Speakers
BB

Benjamin Brody

Benjamin Brody serves as Chair of the Music Department, Professor of Music and Director of Church Music Studies at Whitworth University. He studied music education and church music as an undergraduate at Whitworth and went on to complete graduate degrees in choral conducting from... Read More →
JJ

Jacque Jones, FHS

Jacque B. Jones, FHS, has been writing in various forms all her life, and she took up the challenge of writing hymn texts in 2003. Jacque has been an active member of The Hymn Society in the US and Canada since 2003, having served as its president from 2014 to 2016. She is a member... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Clarke Lounge - Erdman

9:15am EDT

From the Mountain Top to the Sanctuary: The Lasting Power of Songs from Youthful Encounters
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
This interactive session explores how the songs we learn during formative youth experiences—around campfires, at retreats, and through mountaintop moments—continue to shape us as adult musicians and worship leaders. Through shared singing, storytelling, and discussion, participants will reflect on the power of formative songs to guide worship choices, shape communal identity, and renew the spirit of leadership. Together, we will rediscover how echoes of those early songs still inform our theology of music and our ministry of congregational song today. This collaborative experience invites participants to reconnect the joy of youthful singing with the ongoing work of nurturing vibrant worship and community life in the church.
Speakers
HG

Heather Gottas Moore

Heather Gottas Moore serves as the Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. An ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church, she brings over 25 years of experience in youth, camping, and discipleship ministries... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Cooper Room - Erdman

9:15am EDT

How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in This Land? Patriotism, Partisanship, and Worship Music in American Christianity
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
C. Michael Hawn, FHS, Sponsor

From William Billings' "Chester" to Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic," from "God Bless America" after 9/11 to "Make America Great Again," patriotic music has long raised questions about the relationship between faith, identity, and nation. These songs can inspire gratitude and unity, but they also risk exclusion, partisanship, and idolatry.

This session explores how national song in worship can either reinforce the idols of nationalism or become a means of honest lament, prayerful hope, and communal rebirth. Drawing on theologians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Marva Dawn, and David Lemley, we will consider how worship music forms Christian identity, how patriotic texts can be framed faithfully, and how the church might sing its way into God's new creation.

Participants will leave with theological and pastoral tools to engage these songs carefully, critically, and with courage.

Speakers
JT

Joshua Taylor

Joshua Taylor is the Instructor of Sacred Music at the University of North Texas and serves as the Director of Worship & Music at First United Methodist Church in Denton, Texas.
He has presented interest sessions for numerous organizations, including The Hymn Society and for the C... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Theron - Wright Library

9:15am EDT

Hymns Now: Fresh Hymns for Today's Church
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Founded in 2023 as an imprint of Jubilate Music Group, Hymns Now creates high-quality traditional hymns for contemporary worship. Join Lloyd Larson to explore this new resource's mission, creative process, and growing catalog of downloadable hymns for the church year. Participants will preview recent releases from leading writers including Lloyd Larson, Terry York, Mark Blankenship, and others, and gain practical strategies for introducing new hymns effectively to choirs, congregations, and worship teams.
Speakers
LL

Lloyd Larson

For over 40 years, Lloyd Larson has been an active composer and arranger for several major publishing companies of church, school, and community choral and instrumental music. His compositions and arrangements number well over 2,000 published works including choral anthems, numerous... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Gambrell - Scheide Hall
  Sectionals
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9:15am EDT

Princeton Theological Seminary Wright Library Collection Tour (Sectional Block A)
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Meet in the Main Lobby

The Special Collections and Archives department will display a pop-up exhibit of materials from its rare book and manuscript collection. These materials will feature historically significant editions of hymnbooks, hymnals, psalters, and music manuscripts from the 16th through 20th centuries. Highlights will include early and first editions of works from the expansive Louis Benson Collection of hymnody and hymnology, including works by Isaac Watts, Tate & Brady, Sternhold & Hopkins, and others. Brian Shetler, Head of Special Collections, will be available to guide participants as they engage with the materials in the exhibit.

N.B. There is a limit of 10 participants for each time this tour is offered.
The display itself will also be available each day for personal perusal from 9:00am-3:00pm.
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Wright Library

9:15am EDT

Singing Church History
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Martin Seltz, Sponsor

Just as hymn texts reflect church history, so a little history can enrich hymn singing. Born of church talks and hymn sings, Paul Rorem’s little book, Singing Church History: Introducing the Christian Story through Hymn Texts (Fortress, 2024), is meant to support congregational learning and singing. It features texts of familiar hymns to introduce major movements and theologians, from the biblical songs through numerous early and medieval examples to the Reformation and modern times including the United States and World Christianity. The sharing of hymns across eras and denominations is emphasized as a durable grassroots form of ecumenical harmony. Rorem and Martin Tel will share their classroom experience with the book at Princeton Seminary as a resource for church musicians, teachers, and pastors.

Speakers
PR

Paul Rorem

Paul Rorem is the recently retired Professor of Church History, Princeton Theological Seminary. He serves as editor of Lutheran Quarterly and Lutheran Quarterly Books (Fortress). His most recent book is Singing Church History (Fortress, 2024).
Artists
avatar for Martin Tel

Martin Tel

Martin Tel is the C. F. Seabrook Director of Music at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has been leading music at PTS for 30 years now, and is very active in The Hymn Society.
Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Stuart 6

10:30am EDT

Break
Tuesday July 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Refreshments at Theron counter in Wright Library lobby & Stuart Hall
Tuesday July 21, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT

11:15am EDT

Mini Sing I - "Joyful Inclusion: singing by/with/for the disabled community"
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT

Artists
avatar for Patty Thel

Patty Thel

Patty Thel grew up a Southern Baptist in a family that sang hymns in four parts at the supper table in North Carolina. Her grandparents lived next door in a house full of hymn-singing at a grand piano and pipe organ. After moving to the Princeton area with her husband and three children... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT
Nassau Presbyterian Church

11:15am EDT

Mini Sing II - "Psalmody in the Anglican Context"
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT

Artists
avatar for Margaret Harper

Margaret Harper

Margaret “Meg” Harper has been hailed by The Diapason magazine for her “impeccable” playing and by the Boston Musical Intelligencer for “outstandingly lively, punchy” performances. Croatian newspaper Glas Slavonije writes, “The freezing cold of a January evening dominated the cathedral in Djakovo, but it could not diminish... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT
Trinity Episcopal Church

11:15am EDT

Mini Sing III - Farminary
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT

Speakers
avatar for Nate Stucky

Nate Stucky

Nathan Stucky serves as Director of the Farminary Project at Princeton Theological Seminary. He grew up on a farm in Kansas where his love for Christian faith and agriculture first took root. After earning a BA in Music from Bethel College (KS), Stucky spent six years doing ecumenical... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT
Farminary

12:00pm EDT

Lunch
Tuesday July 21, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Boxed lunches will be provided for those who purchased a meal plan at registration and can be picked up at Trinity Episcopal Small Rooms (Upstairs) or the Nassau Presbyterian Assembly Room. If you did not indicate any dietary specifications, please be sure to only take one of the standard lunches. If you indicated any dietary specifications, all of those boxed lunches will be at Nassau, so you will need to pick yours up there. Attendees who signed up for the Farminary will have their boxed lunches brought to the site.

Thank you for helping us protect our guests with allergies and other dietary needs by leaving special boxes for those who need them. Bon appétit!

Tuesday July 21, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

12:30pm EDT

Bookstore & Silent Auction Open
Tuesday July 21, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

Tuesday July 21, 2026 12:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
Stevenson Lounge - Mackay Campus Center

2:00pm EDT

Emily Swan Perkins Plenary - "Singing on a Slant: Bodies Cripping Hymnody"
Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Gold Sponsor
Speakers
avatar for Miriam Spies

Miriam Spies

Miriam Spies is not known for her singing but is always glad to have a place in God’s choir. Ordained in The United Church of Canada, she is a crip theologian interested in how bodies, especially diverse and marginalized bodies, shape and reshape practices of ministry. Miriam has... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
Nassau Presbyterian Church

3:15pm EDT

Break
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Refreshments at Theron counter in Wright Library lobby & Stuart Hall
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT

3:45pm EDT

A Seat at the Table, A Voice in the Choir: Creating a Space for the Disabled in the Life of the Church through Music and the Spoken Word
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Jayne Southwick Cool, Sponsor
In Memory of Marty Cool

The disabled child, teenager and adult have gifts to offer the church, and the church as a faith community is only strengthened by their presence. This presentation will explore ways to create all-inclusive worship services, including the exploration of hymns and choruses that are accessible and speak to the message of inclusion, and ways for worship and song leaders to create a worship format that brings people of all abilities together in praise and worship.

Artists
avatar for Patty Thel

Patty Thel

Patty Thel grew up a Southern Baptist in a family that sang hymns in four parts at the supper table in North Carolina. Her grandparents lived next door in a house full of hymn-singing at a grand piano and pipe organ. After moving to the Princeton area with her husband and three children... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Stuart 5

3:45pm EDT

Christmas in July--A Service of Lessons and (New!) Carols
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Need a little Christmas? Chris Shelton will lead a "Lessons and Carols" service featuring selections from a forthcoming GIA Christmas carol compendium. We will sing new texts with beloved carol melodies as well as newly composed tunes.
Speakers
CS

Chris Shelton

Chris Shelton is the pastor of Broadway Presbyterian Church in New York City, and author of the collection, Sing No Empty Alleluias (GIA Publications, 2021). Since then, Chris has published additional works through GIA's Unbound series. Chris’ hymns have been included in Voices... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Cooper Room - Erdman

3:45pm EDT

Grindal: "A Treasury of Faith: The Psalms"; Reynolds: "Voice of the Heart"
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Jacque B. Jones, FHS, Sponsor
In Memory of Iteke Prins

Wayne Leupold and Joanne Reynolds each present new collections of hymn texts: Gracia Grindal, FHS's A Treasury of Faith: The Psalms, a complete collection of new hymn texts for each of the 150 Psalms; and Reynolds's Voice of the Heart: A Collection of New Hymn Texts. 

Speakers
JR

Joanne Reynolds

Joanne Reynolds is a native of Southern California, who splits her time between Newport Beach and Crested Butte, Colorado. She traces her spiritual heritage through Reform denominations from Schwenkfelder ancestors who came to the United States in the 18th century. She is currently... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Gambrell - Scheide Hall

3:45pm EDT

Singing Homeland for Those Seeking God’s Reign
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Martin Tel, Sponsor
In Honor of Noel Werner

Is there a place for patriotism in Christian discipleship and worship? What does homeland sound like for citizens and non-citizens, for those who are estranged from their country and those who feel at home, for those who look for the coming reign of God yet live in this particular nation. Learn how one church engaged these issues in the local context of Princeton as they created a civic service of prayer for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  You’ll come away with tools for engaging your own contexts – personal, congregational, communal, and national.

Artists
avatar for Noel Werner

Noel Werner

Noel Werner is Director of Music at Nassau Presbyterian Church and past Dean of the Metro NJ AGO, holds degrees from Westminster Choir College, Indiana University and Christian Theological Seminary.
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Theron - Wright Library

3:45pm EDT

Singing the Saints Home: Life, Death, and the Music of Rebirth
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, Sponsor

In the Black worship tradition, the experience of death is not postured in silence. It is lived out through sound—moaning, shouting, dancing, singing. The funeral is referred to as a homegoing service, or celebration, and functions as sacred space where the grieving community gathers to sing out a curated song list whose lyrics honor the coexistence of grief and joy, movement and mourning, death and life.

Drawing on examples from the African American spiritual, traditional and contemporary gospel, and nineteenth- and twentieth-century hymns, we will examine how music functions as resuscitation—breathing and singing life in the face of death—enacting a cultural and communal theology of resurrection. Songs such as "Soon-a Will Be Done," "Goin' Up Yonder," and "I Shall Wear a Crown" illustrate how Black worship traditions navigate pain and promise, embodying rebirth through rhythm, harmony, community, and the Holy Spirit.

Through historical reflection, lyrical analysis, and participatory singing, this presentation invites attendees to identify theological motifs of "rebirth" within sacred music and reflect on how this tradition can enrich broader Christian worship and hymnody across cultures.

Speakers
AH

Anderson Harrison, III

Anderson (Andy) Harrison, III is a recent graduate of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he received his Master of Theological Studies degree. A native of Port Arthur, Texas, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Seminary Chapel

3:45pm EDT

The Sacred Spectrum: Enhancing Worship for Neurodivergent Children Through Music and the Arts
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Peter Irvine, Sponsor
In Memory of Marilyn Stulken

As awareness of the needs of neurodivergent (ND) children grows, congregations across denominational spectrums are beginning to ask themselves how they can serve the worshipping needs of those who may be unintentionally excluded from full participation in the life of faith. This concern is further pronounced when we realize that sensory processing is a primary means of dysregulation among ND children (van Ommen 2024, for instance). Orders of service, with their sometimes-rigorous decorum and adherence to sonic and visual stimuli, are often unwelcoming places for ND children.

But how does congregational music affect this experience? Could music be a key to unlocking a more caring, nurturing, and edifying formational practice of worship? Perhaps, as some psychologists have suggested (Kim et al 2024, for example), music may generally help ND individuals regulate emotions and process sensory information more pleasantly. Could congregational music play a similar role in the life of Christian communities? This sectional suggests that it does, and, drawing from our ongoing fieldwork with Christian communities across the US with the support of a Lilly Endowment Inc grant, offers insight and resources for enhancing worship in other local congregations.

Speakers
NM

Nathan Myrick

Nathan Myrick is Assistant Professor in the Townsend School of Music at Mercer University, where he also serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies. Beginning in 2025, he became Director of the Sacred Spectrum Project, a program underwritten by Lilly Endowment Inc dedicated to Enhancing... Read More →
EA

Eric Amouzou

Eric Amouzou is the Assistant Director of Research for the Sacred Spectrum Project at Mercer University. Eric earned his PhD from Baylor University in 2024, and in 2020 he founded WorthShip House, Inc, a non-profit committed to networking, empowering, and transforming worship ministry... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Stuart 6

4:30pm EDT

Bookstore & Silent Auction* Open
Tuesday July 21, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
*Silent Auction closes at 5:00pm
Tuesday July 21, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Stevenson Lounge - Mackay Campus Center

5:00pm EDT

Dinner
Tuesday July 21, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT

Tuesday July 21, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Mackay Campus Center

7:00pm EDT

Festival - "Singing Creation and Recreation"
Tuesday July 21, 2026 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Deborah Carlton Loftis, FHS, Sponsor
In Memory of Shirley Erena Murray, FHS
Artists
avatar for Marcell Silva Steuernagel

Marcell Silva Steuernagel

Marcell Silva Steuernagel is Associate Professor of Church Music and Director of the Master of Sacred Music and Doctor of Pastoral Music Programs at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology. He also serves as the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology’s Regional... Read More →
Tuesday July 21, 2026 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Seminary Chapel
 
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