''Hymn Sing'' was a Canadian

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

taped in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, for

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

. The program featured hymns, spirituals and inspirational music sung by a sixteen member choir. The series was broadcast nationally on Sunday afternoons from October 3, 1965 to May 1995. The show's musical directors were Eric Wild (from 1965 to 1978) and Winnifred Sim (1978–1995).

Reception

''Hymn Sing'' was originally scheduled for a 13-week run, but due to overwhelming popularity, it grew into a 30-year series. ''Hymn Sing'' was viewed by more than 3 million Canadians per week, and at times, had better ratings that ''

Hockey Night in Canada ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') is a long-running program of broadcast ice hockey play-by-play coverage in Canada. With roots in pioneering hockey coverage on private radio stations as early as 1923, ...

''. ''Hymn Sing'' eventually became CBC's second longest running show, after ''

Front Page Challenge ''Front Page Challenge'' was a Canadian panel game about current events and history. Created by comedy writer/performer John Aylesworth (of the comedy team of Frank Peppiatt and John Aylesworth) and produced and aired by CBC Television, the s ...

.'' Performers recount receiving fan mail and gifts from viewers.

Reunion

''Hymn Sing'' alumni hosted a three-day reunion event in August 2018 in Winnipeg. The event ended with a 90 minute celebratory concert at Bethel Mennonite Church, which featured over 70 former ''Hymn Sing'' performers. John Nelson, a show performer from 1968 to 1974, said of the event "This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as many of us are now in our 60s, or even mid-70s, it's also our opportunity to thank our fans, and bring a sense of closure… that we never really had until now." The concert paid homage to various important members of the ''Hymn Sing'' team, including musical director Winnifred Sim and pianist Mitch Parks.

References

{{Canada-nonfiction-tv-prog-stub 1960s Canadian music television series 1970s Canadian music television series 1980s Canadian music television series 1990s Canadian music television series 1965 Canadian television series debuts 1995 Canadian television series endings CBC Television original programming Television shows filmed in Winnipeg