Baylor Students, Faculty, and Staff Visit 2026 Sing! Conference in Nashville
Over Labor Day weekend, Church Music students as well as members of the faculty and staff traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, for the 10th annual Sing! conference, hosted by Keith and Kristyn Getty. Since the release of their modern hymn “In Christ Alone” in 2002, the Gettys have been influential voices and collaborators in the landscape of congregational song. In 2017, they hosted the first Sing! conference “for those who lead, plan, teach, sing, serve, and care deeply about the worship of the church.”
During the four days Sing! 2026, Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center saw thousands of Christians gather in plenary sessions, breakout sessions, concerts, and in the Sing! Village. Baylor attendees experienced not only an overwhelming display of church music resources but also unique expressions of worship. Among these expressions was the premiere of “Symphony of Scripture: Gospel of John,” a narrated orchestral work commemorating William Tyndale’s 16th-century translation of the New Testament.
Due to the generosity of donors, the Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies supported five students in attending the event, maintaining the Dunn Center's presence at Sing! Village, and engaging with Baylor alumni. On Monday, the Dunn Center sponsored a choral reading session in the Village, presenting works by Dan Forrest and Molly Ijames, among others. Alongside the Church Music faculty and staff, students Hannah Bonzon, Madison Emmons, Carly Hall, Isaac Montgomery, and Hannah Rabb took an active role in representing Baylor University and engaging with alumni. On Tuesday evening, the Baylor Church Music community gathered together for a meal before enjoying an evening concert that celebrated 250 years of American Hymnody. Attending students described the concert as “unparalleled musicianship,” with appreciation for diverse styles and surprise artist appearances by Chris Tomlin and Ricky Skaggs.
MDiv/MM student Madison Emmons said of her time at the conference, “It was an extremely valuable experience as far as opening my eyes to expanding worship instrumentation to anything and everything available to you.” The Dunn Center encourages students to utilize travel funding for events like the Sing! Conference in hopes of furthering student engagement with church music at the professional level.