Following from our centennial celebration in 2022, we will be conducting a fifth series of online interviews with Hymn Society leaders and persons of note during the coming year. This year, each one is a Fellow of The Hymn Society. Each Fellow will share their story, leadership in congregational song, and perspectives on current issues facing the field.
Each interview will be made available for free as a real-time Zoom webinar, and registration is required to view the real-time broadcast. The interviews are being archived on The Hymn Society website where anyone may view them on demand. All broadcasts will take place on Mondays at 1:00 pm ET.
| September 29 | Sally Ann Morris, FHS |
| October 20 | John L. Bell, FHS |
| November 17 | Randall Sensmeier, FHS |
| December 15 | Jan Michael Joncas, FHS |
| January 26 | Mary Frances Reza, FHS |
| February 23 | Marty Haugen, FHS |
| March 16 | Tina Schneider, FHS |
| April 20 | David E. Eicher, FHS |
| May 18 | Raquel Martinez, FHS |
Sally lives and works in Winston-Salem, NC, where she serves as Musician in Residence at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. She is a Life Member of the HSUSC, and a composer of over 200 hymn tunes. In 2021 she was named a Fellow of The Hymn Society in the US and Canada in recognition of her contributions to new congregational song as a composer and as a worship leader, song enlivener, and mentor to emerging writers. Since 2023, she has also served as musician at Iona Abbey, Scotland as song enlivener and pianist.
Register NowJohn Bell is an ordained Presbyterian minister (Church of Scotland), lives in Glasgow and is a member of the Iona Community. He has been actively engaged in church music for over forty years as an animateur, composer and author. With his colleagues he has published numerous volumes of congregational songs, many of which have been translated into languages as diverse as Friese and Japanese. He has lectured and conducted seminars throughout the world on issues relating to music, liturgy, scripture and spirituality, and has been honoured by ecclesiastical and academic agencies on both sides of the Atlantic.
Register NowRandall Sensmeier is Editor Emeritus at GIA Publications, Inc., where he developed and edited hymn texts and tunes. The authors and composers he has worked with include Sylvia Dunstan, Ruth Duck, Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr.,Sally Ann Morris, Delores Dufner, Mary Louise Bringle, John Dalles, Adam M.L. Tice, Jacque Jones, David Gambrell, David Bjorlin, and John Bell.
He is a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and is now retired after 51 years as a parish musician.
Randy’s professional activities have included hymn festival leader, recitalist, clinician, conductor, author, and composer.
Among his published compositions are numerous choral octavos, keyboard and instrumental works, and a collection of hymn tunes.
Register NowOrdained in 1980 as a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN, Fr. (Jan) Michael Joncas served from 1980 to 1984 as associate pastor with Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Maplewood, Minnesota. Following that assignment, he was campus minister and education director for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota from 1984 to 1987. Next, from 1987 to 1991, he was focused on graduate study in Rome where he earned a doctorate in liturgical studies from the Pontificio Istituto Liturgico of the Ateneo S. Anselmo in Rome. From 1991 to 1993, he was a parochial administrator at St. Cecilia’s Parish in St. Paul, Minnesota. From 1991 he has taught in graduate programs in theology at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN; St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN; the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN; and the Angelicum University, Rome, Italy, among other institutions.
Michael has published six books. Over 250 of his articles have appeared in publications such as Worship, Pastoral Music and Ecclesia Orans. He also has composed more than 300 pieces and recorded more than 20 collections of liturgical music. He has recently retired as a faculty member in the Theology and Catholic Studies departments and as Artist in Residence and Research Fellow in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Register NowMary Frances Reza, a composer, has been recognized for her contribution to Hispanic Liturgical music in the U.S. Bringing awareness to new Spanish liturgical music by American Hispanic composers, was instrumental in the publication of OCP’s Flor y Canto I. Dedicated years of ministry in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Served in the Liturgical Commission, was Director of the Office of Worship and Liturgy and Director for the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis. She is a recipient of the Faithful Servant Award (2000, SWLC), Pastoral Musician of the Year (2002 NPM) and The Frederick R. McManus Award “outstanding contribution to pastoral liturgy” (2011, FDLC). As a pastoral musician and educator with a spirit rooted in faith, she encourages the need to empower and mentor pastoral musicians.
Register NowMarty Haugen is a prolific liturgical composer known for his hymns and mass settings used in various Christian denominations. He was born on December 30, 1950, in Wanamingo, Minnesota. Initially raised in the American Lutheran Church, he later became a member of the United Church of Christ and began composing music for a Catholic parish. His works, including “Mass of Creation” and “Holden Evening Prayer,” are widely published and performed.
Register NowTina Schneider is the library director at The Ohio State University at Lima, and is a professor with Ohio State University Libraries. She earned a B.A. in music from St. Olaf College, an M.A. in musicology from Ohio State, and an M.L.S. from Kent State University. She attended her first Hymn Society conference in Savannah as a Lovelace Scholar, and went on to serve as Director of Research from 2008-2014. During this period, she started the Emerging Scholars program and assisted with setting editorial guidelines for the merger of the Dictionary of North American Hymnology with Hymnary.org. Since then, she has actively contributed to the data in Hymnary.org, with a more recent focus on Spanish-language hymnals.
Register NowDavid E. Eicher is a respected organist and church musician who has served in various leadership positions in The Hymn Society and in the Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM). He has been involved in various publishing projects as consultant and editor, notably as editor of Glory to God (2013), the most recent hymnal of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Eicher has served The Hymn Society as both Treasurer (1996-2000) and President (2006-2008), in addition to leadership roles in many Annual Conferences.
Register NowRaquel Mora Martinez is a United Methodist musician who has served in numerous UM congregations for over forty years as choir director, organist and pianist. She has also served widely in United Methodist organizations across the denomination as musician, composer and song leader.
She was the editor of Mil Voces Para Celebrar, (For a Thousand Tongues to Sing) the first official Spanish Hymnal, published by the United Methodist Publishing House in 1996.
Raquel and her husband, Bishop Joel N. Martinez coedited a bilingual worship resource titled Fiesta Cristiana, (Christian Fiesta) published by Abingdon Press in 2003. In 2022, Raquel prepared and edited Fiesta Jubilosa (Joyful Fiesta), a fully bilingual songbook published by Abingdon Press and Discipleship Ministries in Nashville
Raquel has held visiting professorships in Hispanic-American Hymnody in Methodist seminaries in Mexico City, Puerto Rico and at Perkins School of Theology, Dallas, TX
She received her music degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, TX and a Master of Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology. She has an honorary Doctor of Music from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.
Register NowTo watch previous interviews in this series, please click the button below.
Past Interviewees:
| James Abbington, FHS | I-to Loh, FHS 駱維道 |
| John Ambrose, FHS | Deborah Carlton Loftis, FHS |
| Robert Batastini, FHS | Debbie Lou Ludolph |
| Mary Louise Bringle, FHS | Mark Miller, FHS |
| Emily Brink, FHS | Simei Monteiro, FHS |
| Benjamin Brody | Geoffrey C. Moore |
| Dan Damon, FHS & Eileen Johnson | David Music, FHS |
| Carl P. Daw Jr., FHS | Gerardo Oberman |
| Delores Dufner, OSB, FHS | Saya Ojiri |
| Fred Graham, FHS | Alice Parker, FHS |
| Kim R. Harris | Felicia Patton & Brittney Stephan |
| C. Michael Hawn, FHS | Paul Richardson, FHS |
| Beverly Howard | John Thornburg, FHS |
| Jacque Jones, FHS | Adam M. L. Tice, FHS |
| Mary Nelson Keithahn & John Horman | Slats Toole |
| Jan Kraybill, FHS | Robin Knowles Wallace, FHS |
| Lim Swee Hong, FHS | Paul Westermeyer, FHS |
| Jorge Lockward | Cynthia Wilson, FHS |