Land, Language, and Liberation

Montréal, Québec
McGill University

Land, Language, and Song is this year’s theme, and I’m excited to attend as a student so I can learn from amazing people like Abner Campos, Maria Monteiro, Marcell Silva Steurnagel, Kuzipa Nalwamba, Horacio Vivares, Gerardo Oberman of Red Crearte, Jonathan Maracle, Kenny Wallace, Leslie Jordan, and so many more amazing clinicians in the 30 sectionals. It’s a jam packed singing/worshiping/learning experience and I’ll be taking notes and collecting new songs!

FYI: The Hymn Society is at the forefront in active inclusion of all God’s people in hymnody and the gatherings that support its creation, and in supporting decolonization in hymnody.  They have a robust Scholars Forum, and actively support young hymn writes, and are currently lifting up models for reparations royalties so that the authors of spirituals can be paid for their work or the money can be channeled into organizations doing racial justice and cultural work, instead of the publishers being the only benefactors of the creative output of so many composers.

More FYI: There are six Hymn Societies around the globe, and lots of cross pollination. I’m a member of the Hymn Society of the US and Canada.