"A Festival of Patriotic Songs" on Heritage Day, July 10

Updated! Patriotic Hymn Sing at 2 pm on Sunday July 10, 2011 as part of the Easton’s Heritage Day Celebrations. The Hymn Sing, called “A Festival of Patriotic Songs,” will be led by Dale Grandfield, Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church. “The program will have thirteen songs to celebrate the original colonies and will cover the major benchmarks and epochs of American history, with two bookend hymns to tie it all together. Examples of songs that are part of the program include “Yankee Doodle” to acknowledge our country’s Pre-revolution period, “The Star Spangled Banner” to remember the War of 1812 and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” to commemorate the Civil War”, Grandfield said.

The historic church building will also be open for tours from just after the reading of the Declaration of Independence on Center Square until 5 pm.

Trinity has participated in Heritage Day celebrations for many years primarily through offering free tours of the historic church in the afternoon of the festival, having a food concession stand at Center Square, and by hosting Sitgreaves Coffee House in the evening. The Patriotic Hymn Sing has been added to the tour schedule to bring a new family activity to the downtown. “I hope the fun of singing these songs will help us recall the privileges of citizenship that we celebrate on Heritage Day and honor those who have served our country. Music has the power to bring us together as a community. These songs talk about our growth as a nation and can draw us together”, stated The Reverend Canon Andrew Gerns, Rector.

Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 234 Spring Garden Street, between Second and Third Streets, in Easton, Pennsylvania.