Hymn Society competition

The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada announces a competition for a hymn or song text for congregational singing that engages the themes of death and dying. The search is for a text whether written for an existing or new musical setting. The writer of the winning entry will receive a $500 prize. Deadline for submissions is May 15, 2020.

The search is inspired by the call for new texts by Mary Louise Bringle at the society’s 2019 annual conference during her plenary address, “Final Breath: Death, Dying, and Song,” wherein she noted the need for new texts that engage themes that have emerged through dialogue with natural and social sciences. Writers are encouraged to read the text of this address, which was published in The Hymn, Vol. 70, No. 4 (Autumn 2019). While writers of texts are encouraged to engage with the themes identified by Bringle in her presentation, texts on death and dying based on other perspectives will also be accepted.

For information: www.thehymnsociety.org.