24th Community Hymn Festival of Choirs
All Are Invited! Sunday, May 19 at 7:30PM
West Side to Host Community Hymn Festival of Choirs On Sunday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m., choirs from multiple Bergen County churches of all denominations will participate in the 24th Annual Community Hymn Festival of Choirs at Ridgewood’s West Side Presbyterian Church.
The ecumenical event is open to the public. Free will offerings will be taken ($10 suggested). Presented by The American Guild of Organists’ Northern New Jersey Chapter, the annual festival and a fall campaign benefit the John R. Rodland Memorial Scholarship Fund for Church Music. The Rodland Scholarships are the largest such awards to church music majors in the nation. Since its inception in 1990, $206,450 has been awarded in scholarships to future church musicians. This year’s winner of a $9,000 first prize is Abigail Rockwood, a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the Eastman School of Music, studying with David Higgs. She was a student of Dr. Huw Lewis at Hope College, receiving her Bachelor of Music, and earned her Master’s Degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, with Todd Wilson. “The Music of Pentecost” is the theme of this year’s festival. Organists and choir directors from participating churches will direct or play for the over-80-voice adult choir, children’s choir, hand-bell choir, and brass ensemble.
Singers are invited to join the chorus at the only rehearsal on Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Music will be provided. The church is at 6 S. Monroe St., corner of W. Ridgewood Ave. For more information, call the West Side Church Office at 201-652-1966, ext. *839.