Ep. 3 How Singing Together Makes Us Better, with Brian Hehn

Today's guest is Brian Hehn, the Director of The Center for Congregational Song with the Hymn Society in the United States and Canda. He is an accomplished song leader and musician, and has a huge heart for getting people to sing together. Here, he reflects on the power of singing to transform us into better people, and how not singing together through COVID has been difficult but may lead to some necessary shifts in our singing culture.

Episode Notes:

Brian refers to "Be Still and Know" by John L. Bell

https://hymnary.org/tune/be_still_and_know_that_i_am_god_bell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOcSzEmcQ08

View Brian's Election Vigil here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ER4yn9nhQ

Celtic Psalms (Kiran Young Wimberly and The McGraths) music can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and YouTube.

This episode features:

Come, Spirit, Come (Psalm 144/The King's Shilling)

O Give Thanks (Psalm 107/The Meeting of the Waters)

My God, My God (Psalm 22/Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore)

Notated music published by GIA can be found here

Brian's full bio:

Brian is an inspiring song-leader equally comfortable leading an acapella singing of “It Is Well” as he is drumming and dancing to “Sizohamba Naye.” Experienced using a variety of genres and instrumentations, he has led worship for Baptists, Roman Catholics, United Methodists, Presbyterians, and many more across the U.S. and Canada. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from Wingate University, his Master of Sacred Music from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and is certified in children’s church music (K-12) by Choristers Guild. He has articles published on sacred music and congregational song in multiple journals and co-authored two books under the title “All Hands In” published by Choristers Guild. While working for The Hymn Society as the Director of The Center for Congregational Song he also serves as adjunct professor of church music at Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina. Brian lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife, Eve, and son, Jakob.