The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada

10/08/2026

One of the things that makes our Annual Conference so wonderful each year is the strength of our breakout sessions (we call them "sectionals"). There's still 1 more week to get your session proposal in for the 2027 Hymn Society conference being held in July at Duke in Durham, NC. https://thehymnsociety.org/call-for-sectionals-2027/

Submit your proposal soon!

The Hymn Society is seeking proposals for sectionals (breakout sessions) to be presented at the next Annual Conference to be held July 11-14, 2027, at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. The conference theme is “Justice and Peace Shall Kiss.” At each conference we hold between 30 and...

09/16/2026

Have you ever wanted to write a hymn but didn't know how to begin? Our writing retreat "Writing the Church's Song" is a great place to start. Check out the details here: https://congregationalsong.org/event/writing-the-churchs-song-2026/

Here's some feedback from previous attendees:
>"If you are looking for time to be creative and explore your personal creation of hymnody, come to this retreat!"
>"A great opportunity to learn and be inspired in an atmosphere of encouragement."
>"I got lots of ideas for things I'm planning to use in worship, as well as inspiration for new approaches to my writing."

Registration Now Open! Invitation For those who work for the church week in and week out, time away to rest, reflect, and re-inspire is important. Writing the Church’s Song is […]

08/11/2026

We are still basking in the wonderful experience we shared in Princeton last month, thanks in great part to the efforts of our Conference Co-Chairs, Martin Tel, FHS & Melissa Haupt, and several of their colleagues at Princeton Theological Seminary. PTS shared this news item about their involvement at our conference.

During the Hymn Society's Annual Conference — hosted this year by Princeton Theological Seminary from July 19–22 — two members of the Seminary's chapel leadership team received major recognition.

07/19/2026

In one hour this space will be filled with some of our favorite people as registration opens for this week's Annual Conference of The Hymn Society.

06/18/2026

We’re so grateful for the support of GIA Publications and for these wonderful leaders in the work of promoting congregational song. Come to Princeton and join them for our upcoming Annual Conference beginning on July 19.

👀 Who's coming to the Hymn Society Annual Conference?

🎼 GIA is proud to be a platinum sponsor of this year's Hymn Society 2026 Annual Conference! These incredible GIA artists are leading concerts and sectionals throughout the conference.

02/04/2026

SINGING THE VIGIL OF EASTER
Ecumenical Perspectives on Congregational Song
Tuesday, February 10 | 2:00 pm ET

Join us for the fourth and final installment of The Hymn Society's webinar series, "Singing the Services of Holy Week." Clinicians Megan Mash (Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chapel Hill) and David Anderson (GIA Publications) will share practical approaches for bringing meaningful song to the Easter Vigil in both formal and informal worship settings.

Registration: $20 members | $25 non-members | $10 students
Series packages available at a discount.
Information and registration: https://thehymnsociety.org/webinar-series-holy-week/

01/23/2026

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Join us this summer for The Hymn Society Annual Conference in Princeton, New Jersey.

The program will explore the relationship between congregational song and some of the most pressing issues of our time, including ecology, sustainability, and disability. Plenary speakers include Keri Day, Miriam Spies, and Nate Stucky. Evening hymn festivals will be led by Mark Miller, FHS, Myron Sauder, Jerome Weaver, Marcell Silva Steuernagel, and Braxton Shelley.

New features include: a mini-hymn sing before lunch each day; an opportunity to reflect on sustainability and ecological justice at PTS’s Farminary with a morning of work and song; an organ masterclass; an opportunity to tour the impressive hymnological collection at the seminary library; and the contributions of songwriter-in-residence Ken Medema.

Information and registration at https://thehymnsociety.org/event/

The Hymn Society Annual Conference is the premier event on congregational singing each year. Join our singing, learning, and meaningful conversations.

12/30/2025

We were saddened to learn of the death earlier today of Richard Smallwood at the age of 77. He was one of the towering figures in Gospel music as a church musician, songwriter, leader, and performer. His contributions to congregational song include “Center of My Joy,” “I Love the Lord,” and “Total Praise.” We give thanks for his life and legacy. May his memory be eternal. Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Smallwood_(musician)

12/24/2025

As we celebrate Christmas, leaders of congregational song offer to our communities the gift of singing together. We sing of One born into poverty in an occupied land, whose family fled their own country to seek refuge. In a world still beset by conflict, injustice, and exclusion, we boldly sing of God's peace, God's righteousness, and God's favor for those who are reviled, excluded, and forgotten.

Through this singing, we play a vital role in proclaiming and celebrating the good news that God dwells with us. May the songs we lift this season inspire us and those we serve to embody God's love, light, and justice in the world.

On behalf of the Executive Committee and staff of The Hymn Society, warm wishes for a joyful Christmas and a New Year filled with harmony, hope, and abundant grace. In our singing and our living, may we all be bearers of peace and reconciliation in the world.

12/21/2025

Check out this delightful online interview with hymnwriter, composer, theologian and Roman Catholic priest Jan Michael Joncas, FHS. Joncas is the author of six books, more than 250 articles, and more than 300 published pieces of liturgical music.

This interview was the fortieth conversation in our "100 Years of Song" series," now in its fifth year. All forty of the interviews may be found on The Hymn Society's YouTube channel. Click on the following link to view this most recent interview:
https://youtu.be/ygn68dVFyTg?si=SoNWEwVGNHJoflgv