Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Community Hymn Festival Sunday on Signal Mountain
An afternoon of choral and congregational singing of great hymns of faith is planned for Sunday, Nov. 11, when four churches in the Signal Mountain community collaborate to present the fifth annual Harvest Hymn Festival.
The program will begin at 4 p. m. in St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 630 Mississippi Ave. on Signal Mountain. In addition to St. Timothy’s, the other sponsoring churches are Signal Crest United Methodist, Signal Mountain Presbyterian and Signal Mountain United Methodist. Singers from the choirs of all four churches will combine for a mass choir, accompanied by Philip Newton of St. Timothy’s. Music directors from the other three churches will rotate in conducting the numbers.
The audience won’t be spectators at this program, but will join in the singing.
“There’s a lot of congregational singing in the hymn festival,” says Newton. “The purpose of a hymn festival is to celebrate congregational song and sing in many more creative ways than we can during a regular Sunday service.”
Newton says most hymns on the program are well-known, such as “For All the Saints,” “Be Still, My Soul” and “The Solid Rock.”
But the director adds that every hymn festival tries to teach at least one new hymn either in text or tune — and this program will do both.
The mass choir will sing two choral anthems: Allen Pote’s setting of the “Prayer of St. Francis,” and Bob Krogstad’s interpretation of “It Is Well with My Soul.”
“Our theme is ‘Our Hope for Years to Come,’ which comes from Isaac Watts’ great setting of Psalm 90, ‘ O God, Our Help in Ages Past,’” Newton says. “This will close the festival in a concertato presentation, involving choir stanzas and stanzas with the congregation.”
Newton says soloist Nel Reid will introduce a hymn that made its debut this year at the national convention of the American Guild of Organists.
“This hymn’s text is based on Isaiah’s dream of the peaceable kingdom, but it is set to a familiar tune,” Newton describes.
Mingled between songs will be scripture readings by clergy and musicians from the ministerial association. Newton and Jason DuRoy will play an organ duet based on evening hymns as the offertory. This love offering will be donated to Signal Mountain Social Services.