Every year for the last 14 years, BYU-Idaho’s Music Department has hosted a Hymn Festival, giving students, staff and community members a chance to submit text, music or both as a new hymn.
Daniel Kerr is the Director of Organ Studies and Musicianship. He started the Hymn Festival when he began teaching at BYU-Idaho. Kerr usually receives around 100 submissions and chooses 14 or 15 to be played on the night of the festival.
Kerr says the Hymn Festival is an opportunity for students to learn how hymns are written.
“They love the opportunity to write the words and set the music,” Kerr said. “People love to come and sing the new hymns. It’s like a world premiere [for] something new that’s been created.”
Submissions for the Hymn Festival are due by Monday, November 12, and the Hymn Festival will be held on February 26, 2019.