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“Hymns are the song of the people” quotes Robert Batastini, who will lead the April 25nd hymn festival at St. Francis de Sales Parish. St. Francis is inviting clergy, musicians, those who sing in choirs, and those who sing in the pews, from churches throughout the area to join in this festival of song. But make no mistake, this is not a choir concert. It is a celebration of the song of the people in the pews, and when several hundred folks gather in the superb acoustics of St. Francis Church, under the musical leadership of Bob Batastini and Kelly Dobbs Mickus, the experience is both inspirational and exhilarating.
The Great Ninety Days—Lent through Pentecost, will be the focus of the event. Our celebration of the holiest time of the Church year will take us on a journey beginning at the First Sunday of Lent, singing hymns based on the specific scriptures of each of the fourteen Sundays.
Mostly familiar tunes will be used, making it easy for everyone to sing (one need not know how to read music!), but the richest element of the festival will be with wide exploration of hymn texts by modern writers—texts for today’s church.
Robert Batastini, will narrate the event, moving us through our journey with a brief introduction to each hymn. As s hymnal editor, Batastini coordinated the compilation of a number of Catholic hymnals, as well as The African American Heritage Hymnal. He was a editorial contributor to The Presbyterian Hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and served as consultant on several other denominational hymnals. He is currently director of a new hymnal project for the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., the largest African American denomination in America. Bob is past president and a fellow of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada. After serving for 40 years as senior editor of church music publisher GIA Publications, Chicago, he retired to Fennville, Michigan, and plays an active role in the music of St. Francis Parish.
Kelly Dobbs Mickus, of Chicago, will provide superb musical leadership as organist for the event. Her leadership at the 2009 festival was the most talked about part of the event. In 2005, she succeeded Bob as senior editor of GIA. In addition, she is the organist at St. John of the Cross Church, Western Springs, Illinois. She will be assisted at this event by guest musicians and the English choir of St. Francis de Sales Church.
Phillip Konczyk is director of music and liturgy of St. Francis de Sales Parish, and will lead the choir during the festival. Thought the festival is clearly about congregational song, there are ways in which a choir can enrich that song by singing special verses, and adding harmonies and descants (that’s when the high voices soar above the rest of the singers). This is precisely what the choir will do on several of the hymns.
A sincere welcome is extended to everyone. Hymn singing is common to all Christian churches, and we eagerly invite members of churches throughout Holland and all of Southwest Michigan to participate in this event.
For more information, contact pkonczyk@stfrancisholland.org, or phone 616-499-3403.