Hymn Festival

Members of the BYUI community (students, faculty/staff and community) are invited to submit original hymn texts for use in the Eighteenth annual BYU-Idaho Hymn Festival to be held in February 2024.

Submissions chosen for use will be forwarded to BYU-Idaho 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.

Or, instead of creating an entirely new hymn text, an original additional verse (or verses) to an existing hymn can be submitted. Note that in this case, both the original text and music must be in the public domain.

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 information on this.

Successful hymn texts also maintain uniformity in the number of syllables in each line from verse to verse, so that each successive verse can line up with the same musical rhythm.

Past Hymn Festival Programs: 2019 program, 2020 program, 2021 program, 2022 program, 2023 program.

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 Friday, September 29, 2023 to 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. Although the printed program will allow for the hymns to be used for incidental home or church use, 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