July 17-21, 2011

Summer Conference Update

On June 1 the cost to attend the summer conference goes up.  Be sure to get your registration in before then to save on your expense! Conference program information and registration are available online.  Click on the link to check out the details!   conference information and registration 

Remember also to pass along the conference brochure to friends if you've already registered. 
 

Colorado Springs is a popular place for musicians this summer.  The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts are meeting the week prior to our conference. For more information: FUMMWA conference  Chorister's Guild will be meeting the weekend just prior to our start also.  Mark Patterson is the clinician for "Sowing the Seeds: A Rebirth of Sacred Music" July 15-16.  You can find more information at Choristers Guild  Plan to arrive early and take advantage of one or both of these events!  

Housing for families

If you wish to bring your family to Colorado and take advantage of the great location for some vacation time before or after the conference, we are able to offer some discounts for children staying on campus.  Children five years of age and younger can stay for free with their parents.  Children ages 6-11 stay for 1/2 price. If you have questions, please call the office. 

Conference Bookstore

This year Senseney Music from Wichita, Kansas will provide music scores for our conference bookstore.  They'll be present Monday through Wednesday with piano, organ, handbell and instrumental scores related to hymnody. They can also help you with ordering anthems that you enjoy at our Anthem Reading Session on Wednesday afternoon.  Sida and Wesley Roberts will be leading the reading session.  

Remember that we'll have display copies of our Book Service Inventory and will fill your orders as soon as we get back to Richmond.  There will be some special perks on shipping costs, too!  If you're the first to claim it, you may purchase the display copy and pick it up at the end of the conference.

Silent Auction

Remember to bring your extra hymnals and books on congregational song for the silent auction.  All proceeds benefit the Lovelace Scholarship fund.  If you have a large number of books to contribute you may ship them ahead of the conference.  Call the office (800-THE HYMN) for the mailing address. 

Annual Meeting

At our business session, we'll be presenting two members for leadership positions among us. The Executive Committee has selected Robin Knowles Wallace as the new Editor of The Hymn.  She will begin duties with the Winter 2012 issue.  Geoffrey Moore will be presented as the nominee for Member At Large on the Executive Committee.    

Robin Knowles Wallace brings a wide variety of experience to the task of editing The Hymn.  She was introduced as a college student to The Hymn Society when its offices were located in Springfield, Ohio, and she counts one of its former presidents and editors as her treasured mentor, Carlton R. Young.  Robin has thirty years of experience as a choir director and organist, and degrees from the University of Cincinnati (BA), Scarritt College (MA), Candler School of Theology at Emory University (MTS), and Northwestern University/Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (PhD).  Her Master's thesis was on the hymns of Fred Kaan, while her doctoral dissertation considered emancipatory language and six hymns, five of them by Hymn Society members. 

Robin has served on the editorial boards of The Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, Doxology, The Hymn, and Proceedings of the North American Academy of Liturgy.  She has also served as Hymn Performance columnist and Book Review Editor for The Hymn.  Her seventh book, The Christian Year: A Guide for Worship and Preaching, was published this spring by Abingdon Press.  Robin is Professor of Worship and Music in the Taylor Chair at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and lives in nearby Columbus. 

Geoffrey Moore is Creative Director and Assistant Conductor for the Arts District Chorale. He has served on the staff of several large churches in the Dallas area including, most recently, Lovers Lane United Methodist Church where he was Director of Worship and Associate Director of Music. Before moving to Lovers Lane, he served for six years on the staff at Highland Park United Methodist Church.  Prior to his service at Highland Park, Geoffrey was the Associate Director of Education at The Dallas Opera where he led a curriculum development initiative which garnered international attention.

Geoffrey is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Religious Studies in the area of Systematic Theology at Southern Methodist University. As a result of his work examining the intersection of music and theology, he has been invited to speak at conferences in Berkeley (CA), Birmingham (AL) and Bristol, England. Geoffrey has served as an adjunct faculty member at Brookhaven Community College and Southern Methodist University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Music Theory, a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, and a Master of Divinity. He also works part-time with organizations such as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

In Remembrance

Calling All Canadian Members 

It has come to our attention that some of our Canadian members have not yet received the Autumn issue of The Hymn!  It was mailed just after Christmas and should have arrived long ago.  If you are still waiting, please contact the office and we'll send you a replacement copy.  We are not sure how or why this difficulty in delivery has occurred but we want to get the issue to you as soon as possible.  The Winter issue of The Hymn has also been mailed, so be looking for that one as well.  Please let us know if you do not receive that issue in the next few weeks.  

Upcoming Festivals  

Recent Hymn Festivals

John Bell in Southern Ontario in June

Help Shape a New Hymnal Supplement