A hymn festival is a worship service devoted especially to congregational singing. It is a type of service especially well suited to the celebration of important events in the Christian year and in the life of the congregation. The apostle Paul urged the people of Ephesus to sing the words and tunes of the psalms and hymns when they were together, and to go on singing and chanting to the Lord in their hearts, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20)....

Biblical songs for corporate singing are to be found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The earliest recorded song is the Song of Moses and the last song is found in the book of Revelation....

The traditional hallmarks of Baptist worship have been the centrality of preaching, fervent singing, and extemporaneous prayer. Worship renewal in the Southern Baptist Convention is moving in divergent directions. Those influenced by the more formal British tradition seek renewal along the lines of the ecumenical consensus. Those more influenced by the revivalist tradition draw on the praise-and-worship style and the church growth movement....