News

Braden Blyde
Public relations assistant

A music program organised by an Avondale College lecturer is preserving the Christian tradition of hymn singing as contemporary praise and worship becomes more pervasive.

Dr Lyell Heise's third annual Hymns and Songs of Praise on September 8 will celebrate the music now often relegated to back room sing-a-longs. More than 500 members of the local community are expected to join a 50-piece orchestra, the 50-voice Avondale Singers and vocal ensemble The Promise to play and sing hymns including "He hideth my soul," "Holy Holy Holy," "Lamb of God," "When I survey the wondrous cross" and "Wonderful word of life."

"One of our aims is to preserve the powerful tradition of hymn singing while celebrating the new voice through which we're telling the old, old story," says Dr Heise, who is also the director of the Institute of Worship for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific.

Acknowledging the genre is worth preserving, Dr Heise says he will extensively use classical and traditional music. However, he will also use some contemporary praise and worship music as a tribute to the ongoing creativity of Christians in worship and service. "Hymns and Songs is a great way of introducing new music," says Dr Heise. "It exposes those who aren't used to singing hymns to hymn singing, while exposing those who are used to singing hymns to contemporary praise and worship.

"If I were to sum up Hymns and Songs, I would say it is for those who value music, but who may not find their spirits totally satisfied with the worship experiences available to them week-to-week."

The Avondale Singers and The Promise will also feature in stand-alone performances.

Hymns and Songs of Praise is free, although an offering to cover expenses will be collected. The program begins in the Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist church (582 Freemans Dr, Cooranbong) on September 8 at 4 pm and ends at 5.30 pm. Phone the Institute of Worship on (02) 4980 2341 for more information.