Written by Ben Cox – Howard Payne’s University Singers will be presenting their first ever Hymn Sing this Sunday, the 21st at 7:30 in the newly renovated sanctuary of 1st Baptist Church of Brownwood.
The community is welcome and invited to attend this free event. Assistant professor of music and director of choral activities at HPU Dr. Christopher Rosborough says this event is an attempt to “try to bring a community voice together to celebrate an important part of the Christian body with the sacred tradition” of collective hymn singing.
Rosborough says he plans to make this event an annual tradition, and hopes to attract other area choirs to join in future events.
The group rehearses on Monday nights, and Rosborough describes it as a “town and gown group, made up of academic folks from the college as well community members. It’s already a community based ensemble, but it occasionally becomes primarily an HPU crowd, so I would like to spread that out a little bit.”
The choir will sing several anthems and lead the entire audience in a variety of hymns. Accompanists are Dean Kiesling on organ/piano; Joseph Lahmann, HPU junior from Georgetown, on organ; and Dr. Elizabeth Wallace, chair of HPU’s Department of Music and professor of music on piano. Also accompanying the choir is HPU’s Brass Quintet comprised of Jayland Brown, junior from Temple, on trombone; Jared Dowling, senior from Grandview, on trombone; Lindsey Krueger, junior from Howe, on horn; Luis Moreno, junior from Springtown, on trumpet; and Dalton Pendergrass, sophomore from Paradise, on trumpet.
The mission of HPU’s University Singers: Brown County’s Community Chorus is to cultivate an ensemble of singers within the community and university who strive to offer a high level of artistry while advocating for great choral music in Brownwood and its surrounding areas.
For more information, contact HPU’s School of Music and Fine Arts at 325-649-8500.
