REBIRTH: Singing Death, Singing Life: Full Schedule

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

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

Sectionals

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

Seminary Chapel

This sectional has been cancelled.

Speakers

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

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

A Brooklyn Girl Composes – The Musical Legacy of Amanda Husberg

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Clarke Lounge - Erdman

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

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 →

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 →

Husberg Sectional Packet 26 (1) pdf

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Clarke Lounge - Erdman

Sectionals

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

Cooper Room - Erdman

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

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

Sectionals

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

Theron - Wright Library

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

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

Sectionals, Streamed for Digital Registrants

9:15am EDT

Hymns Now: Fresh Hymns for Today's Church

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Gambrell - Scheide Hall

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

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

about <br>

9:15am EDT

Princeton Theological Seminary Wright Library Collection Tour (Sectional Block A)

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Wright Library

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

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

Singing Church History

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Stuart 6

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

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

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.

2026HymnCourse pdf

Excerpt for Hymn Society pdf

O Haupt vol Blut [literal transl + Alexander] pdf

Aquinas ADORO TE translations [3] pdf

Tuesday July 21, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Stuart 6

Sectionals

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

Stuart 5

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

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 →

Lindsey Oakes exercise [Beyond the Comfort Zone] pdf

GTG Hymns for Universal Design pdf

Syllabus [Strategies for Inclusion] THEL TEL pdf

Inclusion Advice [Merdith Carson] pdf

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT
Stuart 5

Sectionals

3:45pm EDT

Christmas in July--A Service of Lessons and (New!) Carols

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT

Cooper Room - Erdman

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

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

Sectionals

3:45pm EDT

Grindal: "A Treasury of Faith: The Psalms"; Reynolds: "Voice of the Heart"

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT

Gambrell - Scheide Hall

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

Wayne Leupold

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

Sectionals

3:45pm EDT

Singing Homeland for Those Seeking God’s Reign

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT

Theron - Wright Library

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

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

Sectionals

3:45pm EDT

Singing the Saints Home: Life, Death, and the Music of Rebirth

Tuesday July 21, 2026 3:45pm - 5:00pm EDT

Seminary Chapel

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

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

Sectionals, Streamed for Digital Registrants

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

Stuart 6

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

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 →

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

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

"Sing of All that Love Can Do," Texts by Mary Nelson Keithahn, Music by John D. Horman; "Hymns to Sing on a Storm-Tossed Sea," Texts by John Dallas, Music by Kenneth Athon

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Cooper Room - Erdman

James & Kathleen Brumm, Sponsors
In Honor of Wayne Leupold and 25 years of working with him

Introducing two new hymn collections: Sing of All that Love Can Do, More Hymns and Songs to Sing in Our World Today, texts by Mary Nelson Keithahn and tunes by John D. Horman; and Hymns to Sing on a Storm-Tossed Sea, texts by John Dallas and tunes by Kenneth Athon.

Speakers

Kenneth Athon

Kenneth Athon is a lifelong church musician who studied music composition at Belmont College, Nashville. He has composed scores of hymns and worship songs for congregations in Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Hymns to Sing on a Storm-Tossed Sea, for which he composed the hymn tunes, is his first collection... Read More →

John Horman

John D. Horman is a composer, clinician, and former public school music teacher who served as music director at Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Kensington, Maryland, and First Congregational Church (UCC) in Washington, DC. He presently serves as pianist and organist at Washington... Read More →

Mary Nelson Keithahn

Mary Nelson Keithahn, a graduate of Carleton College and Yale Divinity School, is a United Church of Christ pastor and educator, now retired and living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She has written curriculum and worship resources for denominational and ecumenical use and numerous... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Cooper Room - Erdman

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

"Sing, Little Bird"

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Stuart 5

Dan Damon, FHS, will present his new collection of hymns, including over thirty of Dan’s new hymn texts and tunes. Also included are new tunes for texts by Brian Wren, FHS, Carl P. Daw, FHS, Gracia Grindal, FHS, and others, jazz arrangements of traditional spirituals, and musical settings of 12 previously unpublished hymn texts by Ruth Duck, FHS.

Speakers

Dan Damon, FHS

Dan Damon, FHS, is an internationally published writer of hymn texts and tunes whose work appears in many current hymnals. He is Associate Editor of Hymnody for Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, Illinois. Damon is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, retired July... Read More →

Sing, Little Bird pdf

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Stuart 5

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

At the Crossroads: Between Church Music Scholarship and Practice

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Stuart 6

Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, Silver Sponsor

This sectional will take the form of a reflexive group learning experience for and about Christian congregational music scholar-practitioners (also identified as teacher-scholars), defined as those with professional training and experience in both academic scholarship and church music practice. The leaders of the session, who are working on a larger research project that focuses on what church musicians can learn from the experience of scholar-practitioners, will share select findings of their work as a prompt for dialogue with sectional participants who are either scholar-practitioners themselves or are interested in contributions from this intersection. This dialogic learning session will also be oriented to the theme of the conference, focusing on notions of rebirth, death and life from the scholar-practitioner perspective.

Speakers

Brian Hehn

Brian is an inspiring song-leader equally comfortable leading an acapella singing of “It Is Well” as he is drumming and dancing to “Sizohamba Naye.” Experienced using a variety of genres and instrumentations, he has lead worship for Baptists, Roman Catholics, United Methodists... Read More →

Maren Haynes Marchesini

Maren Haynes Marchesini serves as Director of Worship & Music at Hope Lutheran Church in Bozeman, Montana. Maren is a choral director, cellist, vocalist, composer, and scholar with broad-ranging musical interests. She holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Washington... Read More →

Artists

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 →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Stuart 6

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

Organ Masterclass, Part I

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Seminary Chapel

Kirk Hartung and the George M. Hartung Memorial Fund, Sponsor

This 2-part session will include a small number of participants who will play a hymn or sung service music and receive live feedback from the clinician on their playing. This "masterclass" style session is designed to allow all participants to learn together from the clinician's feedback to the individual players. Participants who register for this session will be asked whether they want to be included in the players who receive feedback or whether they would just like to watch and listen.

Note: This event spans both sessions C and D.

Artists

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 →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Seminary Chapel

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

Princeton Theological Seminary Wright Library Collection Tour (Sectional Block C)

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Wright Library

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.

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Wright Library

Sectionals

9:15am EDT

Singing the Witness: Hymnody, Martyrdom, and the Ecclesiology of Justice

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Theron - Wright Library

This session examines the hymn as a theological vessel for narrating the witness of the martyr within an equitable and participatory ecclesiology. Throughout Christian history, martyrs have stood as authoritative witnesses, embodying faith through lived solidarity, moral courage, and the rejection of violence and domination. Hymns and sacred songs, as expressions of the sensus fidelium, have long mediated these narratives, forming the church’s collective memory and shaping its vision of discipleship.

In the context of El Salvador, hymns venerating St. Óscar Romero narrate not only his ministry and martyrdom but also the ecclesial struggle for justice, dignity, and communion among the poor. These songs reclaim the voice of the marginalized as integral to the Body of Christ, re-centering the faith around a theology of liberation and shared witness. This session will engage hymns and songs devoted to St. Óscar Romero and other contemporary martyrs, exploring how musical storytelling functions as a locus of ecclesial identity, a pedagogy of Christian living, and a means of sustaining communal memory within the broader work of building a just and inclusive church.

Speakers

Lola Bobrow

Lola Bobrow is a senior at California Lutheran University majoring in Music Education with a minor in Psychology. Her Spring 2026 senior recital will include Brahms' cello Sonata no. 1 and the first Bach cello suite. She currently works as a private cello instructor at Westlake Music... Read More →

Adán Fernández

Adán Fernández is the Director of Music/Organist at Holy Family Catholic Church in Glendale, California. He is also University Organist and Adjunct Professor in both the School of Music and the School of Religion at California Lutheran University. He has been published in Relig... Read More →

Music of Liberation How The Church Remembers Holy Witnesses pdf

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Theron - Wright Library

Sectionals, Streamed for Digital Registrants

9:15am EDT

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT

Clarke Lounge - Erdman

Beverly Howard, Sponsor
In Honor of Chi Yi Chen Wolbrink, PCOCS

The act of communal singing is not mere music-making, but expresses a lived theology of God's people - where every voice, culture, and generation participates in God’s harmony. Singing expresses the unity of the people (Ubuntu), the balance of life and faith (Yin–Yang), and the wisdom of our heritage (Sankofa). From traditional hymnody to contextualized expressions, the songs tell the story of faith and its context.

Speakers

Chi Yi Chen Wolbrink

Chi Yi Chen Wolbrink has degrees from Tainan Theological College and Seminary, Taiwan, and Westminster Choir College (M.M., Choral Conducting). Chi Yi served for twelve years as choral associate at Princeton Theological Seminary and was a member of the Glory to God hymnal committee. She teaches global church music at national and international events, directed a choral concert at Lincoln Center in New York, and is featured on multiple recordings. Chi Yi was born in Tainan, Taiwan. She is music director at Bayside Presbyterian Church, Virgin... Read More →

Nanguan and Beiguan comparison docx

God, the Lord in Love and Might b tif

God, the Lord in Love and Might a tif

Kulumaha I'm Going Home pdf

O Lord God, Set My Feet on the Way docx

Wednesday July 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am EDT
Clarke Lounge - Erdman

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

"Ancient Starlight in the Night": Hymn Texts by Richard Leach with Tunes by Patrick Michaels

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Stuart 5

Lucy Goman, Sponsor
In honor of Selah Publishing

Collected hymn tunes from Patrick Michaels over many years setting the texts of Richard Leach.

Speakers

Patrick Michaels

Patrick Michaels has been a professional church musician for 48 years. He was born in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota as a music major. Michaels worked at two churches in that area before moving to the Boston area. He has been the Minister of Music at St. James's... Read More →

David Schaap

David Schaap (pronounced skaap [rhymes with top]) is president and founder of Selah Publishing Co. His undergraduate studies were at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a double major in music (composition and arranging) and art (sculpture). Schaap has led workshops, hymn... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Stuart 5

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

"Hold My Hope": Songs by Ana Hernández

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Stuart 6

Jan Lindholm & Christine Draper, Sponsors

Short songs for praying together - 1-8 part tunes for use in worship, on pilgrimage, in school, or anywhere you find yourself. Flexible, with room for improv. Suitable for all ages and abilities.

Speakers

Ana Hernández

Ana Hernández is a composer, song leader, activist, and facilitator creating and collecting sung prayers to open space to practice being present to the beauty of God and all creation as we build loving and just community. Ana has produced nine albums (find them here: anahernande... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Stuart 6

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

Jesus Only Help Me Sing: A Choral Exploration of the Hymnody of C.P. Jones

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Gambrell - Scheide Hall

Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, Sponsor

This sectional will explore new choral anthem arrangements of select hymnody of black Holiness hymn writer and composer, Bishop Charles Price Jones. Created as a result of a Teacher-Scholar grant awarded by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, these arrangements are designed for use by the average church choir to perpetuate the use of this prolific hymnody across ethnic and denominational lines.

Speakers

Donté Ford

Donté Alexander Ford is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is best described as a musician, minister, and scholar. His many musical talents have afforded him the opportunity to serve as guest clinician/conductor, lead pianist, opera chorister, resident percussionist, and... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Gambrell - Scheide Hall

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

Melodies of Kinship: The Maquiso Tune Tree

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Clarke Lounge - Erdman

C. Michael Hawn, FHS, Sponsor

This sectional will highlight twenty-one hymn tunes created by Cebuano composer Elena Maquiso, each lovingly named after a member of her family—ranging from her parents and siblings to her nieces, nephews, and even a non-biological mother figure who deeply influenced her life. The session will open with a brief introduction to Maquiso’s remarkable life and legacy, followed by a presentation of her hymn tunes. It will conclude with the joyful singing of some of her most widely used hymns in the Philippines, offering both reflection and participation.

Speakers

Jean Nalam

Jean Cuanan-Nalam is a hymn writer, composer, arranger, guitarist, and church choir conductor, currently serving as Assistant Professor of Church Music at the Divinity School of Silliman University. She also conducts Ugkat, the school’s angklung ensemble, and leads workshops on... Read More →

Melodies of Kinship The Maquiso Tune Tree pptx

Melodies of Kinship Handout Final pdf

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Clarke Lounge - Erdman

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

Organ Masterclass, Part II

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Seminary Chapel

Artists

Mina Choi

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Seminary Chapel

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

Princeton Theological Seminary Wright Library Collection Tour (Sectional Block D)

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Wright Library

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Wright Library

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

The Princeton Theological Seminary and Erik Routley

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Cooper Room - Erdman

C. Michael Hawn, FHS, Sponsor

In the words of Carlton R. Young, FHS, everything that came out of the mouth of British theologian and musician, Erik Routley, was unique and important. In the fast-paced expansion of worship music and hymns from the 1960s through the 1980s, Routley was one of the main drivers. His conception of artistry in worship, coupled with practical ideas for application, gave sound confidence to the modern congregations and assemblies. It was the President of PTS, the Rev. Dr. James I McCord, who convinced Routley to leave England and take up residence in the US to better spread his profound and compelling perspective. Routley's prophetic foresight can give the challenges of contemporary churches support and guidance towards a rebirth of singing congregations.

Speakers

Nancy Graham

Nancy L. Graham, church musician, hymnologist and author, lectures in the US and Great Britain. As a writer, Nancy is most known for her biography of Erik Routley, The Unfractured Faith of Erik Routley from Brighton to Princeton (2024), and her books on the reception of African A... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Cooper Room - Erdman

Sectionals

11:00am EDT

The Sound of Science: God's Wonders to Perform

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT

Theron - Wright Library

Worship Design Studio, Sponsor
In Honor of Jan Kraybill, FHS

Explore the fascinating science behind the sounds we hear, and the waves that surround us that are beyond human hearing. Learn how sound is used in our own and in other species for connection, communication, comfort, and more. Explore "the music of the spheres" coined by scientist/theologian/philosopher Pythagoras and the "music of our home" discovered by Apollo space missions.

Speakers

Jan Kraybill, FHS

Jan Kraybill is a Grammy-nominated performer, dynamic speaker, and enthusiastic advocate for the power of music to change lives. In addition to maintaining a very active international concert schedule, in Kansas City she is Organ Conservator at the Kauffman Center for the Performing... Read More →

Kraybill sectional handout Sound and Science pdf

Wednesday July 22, 2026 11:00am - 12:15pm EDT
Theron - Wright Library

Sectionals, Streamed for Digital Registrants

3:30pm EDT

"Amazing Grace! from Blind to Free"

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

Stuart 5

2025 marked the 300th anniversary of John Newton's birth, the author of arguably the most loved and frequently sung hymn of all time. Amazing Grace! from Blind to Free is a 45-minute musical recounting the life of Newton, including three of his hymn texts: GLORIOUS THINGS OF THEE ARE SPOKEN, HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS SOUNDS, and AMAZING GRACE! This session will include background information about the creation of this new musical, a complete reading/singing of the musical, and a Q & A time at the end of the session to discuss the work.

Speakers

Lloyd Larson

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Stuart 5

Sectionals

3:30pm EDT

"Grace Notes": Using Devotionals as Spiritual Warm-Ups in Choir Rehearsal

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

Cooper Room - Erdman

Virginia & Mark Meyer, Sponsors
In Honor of Mike McMahon, with gratitude for Word and Song: A Lectionary Reflection

This interactive workshop introduces choir directors and musicians to a practical tool for rehearsal preparation: the five-minute devotional. Drawing from her book Grace Notes: Five-Minute Inspirational Devotionals for the Church Choir, Musicians, and Friends of Music, Marlene Jenkins Cooper demonstrates how short, scripture-based devotionals can center singers' hearts on God before lifting their voices in song.

Participants will engage in sample devotionals, discuss how to incorporate them effectively into rehearsals, and sing hymns or spirituals that align with the devotional focus. Attendees will leave
understanding the importance of spiritual preparation alongside vocal warm-ups and gain practical strategies for fostering unity, encouragement, and spiritual growth in the choir setting.

Speakers

Marlene Jenkins Cooper

Marlene Jenkins Cooper is a devoted church musician, choir director, vocalist, composer, organist, and author whose ministry spans more than five decades. She has served as a guest clinician for church music workshops and conferences throughout the Eastern region, where she inspires... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Cooper Room - Erdman

Sectionals

3:30pm EDT

Contemplative Community Worship, Singing Life in Desperate Times

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

Gambrell - Scheide Hall

C. Michael Hawn, FHS, Sponsor

This will be a conversation about contemplative communal worship.

The practice of daily prayer has always been the way that Christians (and people of every faith) ground and guide and support themselves. We need this more than ever in these chaotic and divisive times.

The examples of Taizé and Iona have demonstrated anew how quiet, contemplative prayer (connected to a life of service) invites, draws and challenges us to be healing and prophetic communities of caring and solidarity with the world and God’s people. This sectional will also offer resources and songs to prepare and lead contemplative worship.

Speakers

Marty Haugen, FHS

A pastoral musician and hymn writer.

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Gambrell - Scheide Hall

Sectionals

3:30pm EDT

From Lament to Living: The Contemporary Rebirth of Siraya Congregational Songs

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

Clarke Lounge - Erdman

James Thompson, Sponsor
In Memory of Chiu-Tuan Chen & Bao-Hui Tung

The Siraya language, as an endangered indigenous language of Taiwan, is undergoing a journey from "death" of cultural memory to "rebirth" of faith in practice. This session centers on the newly published The Lord Our Refuge: A Modern Worship Hymnal of the now thriving Siraya Musuhapa movement. The presenter will share a true narrative of transforming the sorrow of near linguistic extinction into communal hope, which particularly emerged from personal reflections during the pandemic—grappling with a father's cancer-related passing and cultural, generational loss. What transpired was a grassroots movement that integrates prayer, composition, translation, choral arrangement, and worship leadership.

Participants will experience at least three contemporary Siraya hymns presented through a short talk, demonstration musicking, and congregational singing. These works carry theological significance and demonstrate how biblical passages, language, and music intertwine to transform experiences of "death" into testimonies of "rebirth." Integrating perspectives from ethnomusicology and practical theology, this session proposes a concrete and transferable model that assists multicultural communities in creating "new songs" enabling worship into action that renews life and faith.

Speakers

Chia-An (Victor) Tung

Emmanuel College, University of Toronto

Chia-An (Victor) Tung, originally from Tainan City, Taiwan, is a Doctor of Ministry candidate at Emmanuel College, University of Toronto. His research explores the ethnographic study of Chinese Christian diaspora communities in Toronto and Newfoundland, as well as the influence of... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Clarke Lounge - Erdman

Sectionals

3:30pm EDT

Singing with All Creation

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

Stuart 6

Martin Seltz, Sponsor

On the rare occasions when the church’s music engages with the non-human world, other beings in God’s creation are typically treated as objects to sing about, rather than fellow worshipers to sing with. For example, most “creation hymns” extol the goodness of God’s creation (e.g., “All things bright and beautiful”) or, more recently, lament the human desecration of God’s creation with calls for creation care (e.g., “Touch the earth lightly”). Very few explicitly unite human singers with the rest of creation as fellow worshipers of God (“All creatures worship God most high” being a notable exception). What would it sound like to sing with all creation more intentionally? This session builds on the theological insight that all creation worships God and that human expressions of worship should be integrally connected to this universal song of praise. From ancient sources, such as Psalm 148 and the Benedicite, to contemporary resources, this practical workshop explores ways to join our voices with the non-human world in praise and prayer. It also points to gaps in the church’s repertoire of song where songwriters and worship leaders can experiment with creative new ways to sing with all creation.

Speakers

Carl Bear

Carl Bear is a scholar and practitioner of music and worship. He studied church music at Valparaiso University (BM), musicology at Arizona State University (MA), religion and music at Yale Divinity School and Institute of Sacred Music (MAR), and liturgical studies at the Graduate... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Stuart 6

Sectionals

3:30pm EDT

Voices of Resistance: Hymns that Stand Firm Against Christian Nationalism

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

Theron - Wright Library

Karl Moyer, Sponsor
In Memory of Carolyn S. Moyer

This sectional explores the theology of hymns—both past and present—that offer a strong foundation for the church's resistance to Christian nationalism. As this ideology threatens the faithfulness of congregations and the integrity of democracy, singing becomes a powerful act of defiance against harmful ideologies and the systemic issues of racism, authoritarianism, and Christo-fascism.

Participants will explore modern and traditional hymns, highlighting theological views that unite the church in its prophetic witness for an inclusive and courageous understanding of Jesus Christ. As the language of the church and Scripture is increasingly used to undermine human rights and replace a theology of abundance with narratives of fear, the hymns we sing become deeply meaningful.

This session complements Andreas Teich's 2025 presentation on how German Christians manipulated hymnody to support the Third Reich. In contrast, this workshop focuses on the church's role in resisting the rise of Christian nationalism today, highlighting hymns that promote justice and uphold the dignity of all people.

Speakers

Stephen Fearing

Stephen M. Fearing is a hymnwriter, and a pastor in the Prebyterian Church (USA). He recently earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from New Brunswick Theological Seminary, focusing on the positive effects of congregational singing on prophetic preaching and fostering unity within... Read More →

Hymns Against Christian Nationalism HANDOUT pdf

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Theron - Wright Library

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