Music/Song

Hymn Festivals

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is providing support to worshiping communities across North America to host Hymnfests. The purpose of this program is to promote learning about what it means to sing the whole of God’s story.

January 4, 2013
Elizabeth Broschart on Planning Music in Small Churches

Elizabeth “Beth” Broschart is the pastor at First Presbyterian Church, a small congregation in Boyne City, Michigan. Before that, she pastored a small church in Pennsylvania and helped lead music in churches where her husband was the pastor. In this edited email conversation, she talks about the joys and challenges of planning music in small congregations.

August 8, 2012

A Difficult Assignment: Suggestions for Leading in the Sanctuary

This lecture offers some concrete suggestions as to how clergy and musicians can better work together to inspire a worship life that helps others to unwrap the gift of grace.

July 11, 2012
Why People Still Love Hymnals

If you worship in a church where the music reflects the CCLI Top 25, then you may be surprised to hear that many Christians still love singing and praying from hymnals.

May 30, 2012

Singing our Theology: Hymn Society conference

For five days I had the opportunity to attend the Hymn Society Conference, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Hymn Society Conference is an annual conference that meets in a different location every year. It draws people who love hymns and the history of hymns.

April 17, 2012
Face to Face Choir Tour - Rehoboth Christian School Choir Concert

The Rehoboth Christian School choir sings at the Calvin College Chapel on March 27, 2012 as part of their Face to Face tour. They are joined by members of the Grand Rapids Christian Middle School Choir and Maple Avenue's Tabernacle of Praise. This free event is co-sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and is open to the public.

April 10, 2012 | 101 min video
Using Re-tuned Hymns in Worship

Mike Cosper and Kevin Twit discuss using old hymn texts set to new music and how to nurture a “hymn movement,” including such issues as finding texts, songwriting, copyright issues, as well as working with artists, and recording and distributing music.

January 27, 2012

My Life and the Soundtrack of Hymns

Hymns have been woven into our lives with layers of significance. Hear the stories behind the hymns that were written, why hymns still matter today, and how they have shaped my own story. This session was a combination of discussion, performance and singing together.

January 27, 2012
Tune My Heart to Sing Your Praise: The Re-tuned hymn (and psalm!) movement in the context of the broader culture

When Kevin Twit and Reformed University Fellowship began setting historic hymn texts to new tunes, who knew it would grow into a movement with contributions from Indelible Grace, Sojourn Music, BiFrost and others?

January 26, 2012
Jazz Vespers: Playing in Tongues

This Jazz Vesper, presented during the Calvin Symposium on Worship 2012, follows a call and response pattern of listening to the word and responding with singing.

January 26, 2012 | 48 min video