SU Divinity School faculty presents Maquiso hymn legacy at international conference

Dr. Jean Cuanan Nalam of the Silliman University Divinity School presented the hymn compositions of noted Sillimanian composer Elena G. Maquiso at The Hymn Society 2026 Annual Conference held at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.

Nalam served as a section leader and presenter at the annual conference, which ran from July 14 to 22, 2026. Her presentation, titled “Melodies of Kinship: The Maquiso Tune Tree,” was held on July 22.

The sectional highlighted 21 hymn tunes composed by Maquiso, with each tune named after a member of her family or an important person in her life, including her parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and a non-biological mother figure.

Nalam introduced participants to Maquiso’s life and legacy before presenting the collection of hymn tunes. The session concluded with participants singing English translations of some of Maquiso’s widely used hymns in the Philippines.

The Hymn Society Annual Conference is the premier annual gathering in North America focusing on congregational song. Organized by The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, it brings together church musicians, pastors, scholars, and hymn text and tune writers for worship, lectures, community singing, and other activities. The organization selects around 30 to 40 breakout sessions from proposals submitted by its members and friends each year.

Close to 300 participants attended this year’s conference, while Nalam’s sectional drew 12 participants. The annual gathering seeks to promote, study, and renew congregational singing.

Other conference activities included a carillon concert, organ recital, hymn festivals, plenary and breakout sessions, daily worship, the honoring of hymn fellows, a reunion of Lovelace scholars, and opportunities for interaction among participants.