So What Faith

Greg Smith

An Alternative Friday Night Experience (#1806)

By

There are many Friday night events that draw large crowds in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

I’ve never heard a hymn festival mentioned on any list of most popular Friday night events.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was one of more than 300 people on Facebook who had indicated they were going or were interested in attending The Church Music Institute’s hymn festival entitled, “All Times and All Places Praise the Lord.” Held on Friday, June 14 at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), the free event was offered in conjunction with the Lilly Peer Learning Project with funding provided by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

The experience was facilitated by three leaders:

  • The Rev. Dr. Frederick (Fritz) Field Ritsch, III (Host Pastor)
  • Dr. David Cherwien (Organist and Conductor)
  • The Rev. Dr. Paul Westermeyer (Narrator)

The event masterfully utilized the choir and congregation to sing sacred music from the Renaissance to the present. The congregation sang parts of nine of the ten selections while the choir concluded the singing leading the tenth.

So What?

I found this hymn festival to be a deeply moving worship experience, and an equally powerful learning experience thanks to the selection and ordering of the music as well as the narrative introductions to each piece.

Interestingly, the second half of the festival has remained top of mind. This section started with the evening’s only acapella offering: There is a Balm in Gilead and concluded with two songs from the global church.

Since, I’m not aware of an authorized recording of the event I invite you to listen these three hymns performed by others:

For Conversation

  • Have you ever participated in a hymn sing that brought together people from many congregations? If so, what was most meaningful about the experience? If not, what would you most welcome in such an experience?
  • Listen to the three selections above, then share your reflections.