BYU - Idaho Department of Music announces a call for Hymn Texts.

Submissions

Members of the BYUI community (students, faculty/staff and community) are invited to submit original hymn texts for use in the Sixteenth annual BYU-I Hymn Festival to be held in 2021. While this event usually occurs in late February, due to Covid-19 restrictions it will be scheduled for a later date in 2021 to be determined.
In the meantime, to prepare for this event, we welcome the submission of original hymn texts. Submissions chosen for use will be forwarded to BYU-I music students, who will create a new hymn tune and harmonization for the submitted text. Or, if desired, the new hymn text can be sung to an existing hymn tune.
Also, instead of creating an entirely new hymn text, an original additional verse (or verses) to an existing hymn can be submitted.
Be sure that your text follows a common poetic meter for hymns; see page 405 in the current Hymnal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more on this.
Successful hymn texts also maintain uniformity in the number of syllables in each line from verse to verse, as each successive verse needs to line up with the same musical rhythm.

Here is the program from the 2019 Hymn Festival

Any gospel topic can be addressed - some ideas include:

  • Covenants;
  • The Prophet Joseph Smith;
  • The Restoration of the Gospel
  • The Sacrament and Sabbath Day;
  • Ministering;
  • Or Any Other Gospel Topic

Submissions are due by Monday, November 16, 2020 at the BYUI Music Department office (SNO 246 - Attn: Hymn Festival) or via email at hymnfestival@byui.edu

Mailing address:  BYU-I Music Dept.
                          Attn: Hymn Festival
                          Rexburg, ID 83460-1210

Please include: your name, address, phone number, email and two scripture reference that supports the text (such as are provided for each hymn in the LDS hymnal).

Please note that due to the volume of entries, only a very few submitted texts can be used in the Festival. We also reserve the right to make minor editorial emendations to submitted material to facilitate the flow of text with music. The poets and composers whose work is selected for the festival retain the copyright for their creations.

Questions can be directed to hymnfestival@byui.edu