Festival of Hymns Fills Macon Church

12:53 AM, Feb 6, 2012   |    comments
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All across Central Georgia, folks watched Sundays big game, but some people in Macon are singing to a different tune.

The Macon Chapter of the American Guild of Organists gathered at United Methodist Church, downtown, for what they call a Super Bowl of Hymns.

Like the big game, this super bowl also happens every year. Instead of passing around a bowl of chips, the congregation passes out music for folks to sing a long with the choir, organ and handbells.

Festival leader, Hal Hopson is a visiting composer from Texas.  He describes his festival of hymns.

"It includes a variety of hymns African American Spirituals, global psalms, traditional hymns and so forth so there is a variety," said Hopson.

Hopson has composed over 1,200 songs.  One of his songs was selected by a panel in Washington D.C. to be included in the 1976 American Bicentennial time capsule, which will be opened again in 2076.