Schoenstein Competition in Hymn Playing

To promote the value of excellence in hymn playing, the 2014 Schoenstein Competition in Hymn Playing has been announced to coincide with the release by MorningStar Music Publishers of the book Hymn Playing: A Modern Colloquium by Stuart Forster.

Organists born on or after March 20, 1981, are invited to apply. The application should include live recordings of the applicant playing hymns with a congregation singing, and must be received by March 20, 2014.

The final round will be held at Christ Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts, at 4 p.m. on June 22, the day before the AGO national convention begins in Boston. The public is invited to sing in the congregation during the final round. Finalists will play the 2006 III/43 Schoenstein organ at Christ Church, Cambridge.

First prize will be $3,000 and second prize will be $1,000. Rules and application forms are available at www.hymnplayingcompetition.org or from the organizer, Dr. Stuart Forster, at stuartforster@aya.yale.edu.