An International Hymn Writing Competition
                  Sponsored by St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church
                      & the Cunningham Theological Foundation

St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver, BC, Canada is pleased to announce its first-ever International Hymn Writing Competition entitled “The New Ways to Sing Praise Project”. We want to encourage the submission of new texts appropriate for the Church’s Easter season.

We believe that hymns are one of the most powerful ways to articulate and experience our faith, combining both head and heart. Easter is an occasion when we most need to hold these two aspects of our being together. However, like Christmas, Easter carries certain traditional musical expectations and we often end up singing hymns that no longer mesh with our lived theology. The music feels “good” but when we take a closer look at what we are actually singing, there is a “disconnect.”

We are looking for new texts/hymns which are free of patriarchal, militaristic, triumphal, or even sentimental images. We are looking for fresh words, metaphors, and symbols that authentically express what Resurrection means for the progressive church today, so that as we sing the Easter story we capture the experience of God’s loving energy being released into the world, opening up new possibilities which surprise and delight us.

Submissions need to be postmarked or electronically received no later than October 8, 2010 and the entry fee for each submission is $10.00Cdn. A cheque or money order should be made out to St. Andrew's-Wesley Church or to pay by credit card, go to our donations page and choose '6. New Ways to Sing Praise' in the Fund /designation box and then enter your name & address in the Message box.

We encourage the submission of texts that can be used with familiar tunes/meters; we are also open to texts being submitted with original tunes. Submissions may be from individuals or groups. The winner(s) will be announced on February 27, 2011. Three prizes will be awarded: grand prize will be $1,000Cdn., second prize will be $500.00Cdn., and third prize will be $250.00Cdn. The winning texts/hymns will be performed both on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011 and at a Gala Concert on April 29, 2011 at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver, BC.

Copyright in all original texts and music submitted will be retained by the author(s). Author(s) grant to St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver, BC, the right to use hymns submitted for a period of one year from the date of submission. Such use shall extend only to live performance of subject hymns in worship and not to any recording or broadcast of the hymn.

Copyright for the winning hymn(s) will be retained by the author, but the author agrees to permit the use of this hymn by St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in perpetuity. Such use of subject hymn(s) shall extend only to live performance in worship and not to any recording or broadcast of the hymn.

Author(s)/Composer(s) represent and warrant that the work(s) submitted are wholly original or in the public domain. Author(s)/Composer(s) represent and warrant that, except where using material from the public domain, they are the sole owner(s) in copyright of all material submitted. Where using or basing a lyric on a composition that is in the public domain, author(s)/composer(s) must provide notice of such usage in their submissions.

Registration of copyright in any submitted works is the responsibility of author(s)/composer(s); likewise the registration of any works with SOCAN or any similar performing rights organization.

Submissions

St.Andrew's-Wesley United Church
#100 - 1022 Nelson St.
Vancouver, BC
V6E 4S7
attn. New Ways To Sing Praise

or by email to

office.staw@telus.net
Subject:New Ways To Sing Praise