Songs of Zion News

2026 Singing School Calendar

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:23:15 GMT

Come join us in our song!

Below is a list of the singing schools we are currently aware of for 2026. If you know of any other dates and locations, please let us know!

April 9-11 Mount Paran Primitive Baptist Church , Social Circle, GA (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance & Brother Matthew Arnold.
June 10-13 Radnor Primitive Baptist Church , Nashville, TN (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)
June 14-19 Harmony Hill Singing School , Azle, TX (Various Instructors)
June 18-20 Camp Creek Primitive Baptist Church , Lilburn, GA (Taught by Brother Matthew Arnold & Brother Austin McCool)
June 25-27 Sulphur Springs Primitive Baptist Church , Bartahachie, MS (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)
July 9-11 Lexington Primitive Baptist Church , Lexington, KY (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)
July 19-24 Harmony Plains Singing School, Cone, TX (Various Instructors)
TBA Grace Primitive Baptist Church , Houston, TX (Elder Daniel Montgomery)
July 24-25 Midwest Singing School hosted by New Liberty Primitive Baptist Church , Ashland, MO (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)
July 30-Aug 1 Tuscaloosa Primitive Baptist Church , Tuscaloosa, AL (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)
Aug 19-22 Pilgrim's Praise Singing School hosted by Mt. Carmel Primitive Baptist Church , Belaire, MD (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)
TBA Fair Haven Primitive Baptist Church (Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)

2024 Singing School Calendar

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 19:49:01 GMT

Here are the dates we have so far for singing schools in 2024!

June 5-8 Radnor PBC (TN) - Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance. Contact rbox@comcast.net

June 6-8 Camp Creek PBC (GA) - Taught by Brothers Matthew Arnold and Austin McCool. See https://www.facebook.com/campcreekchurch

June 7-8 Vestavia PBC (AL) - See VestaviaPBC

June 9-14 Harmony Hill Singing School (Azle, TX) - Various Instructors. Contact info unavailable.

July 11-13 Lexington PBC (KY) - Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance. See LexingtonPBC

July 21-26 Harmony Plains Singing School (Cone, TX) - Various instructors. See https://www.facebook.com/harmonyplains

Aug 2-3 Midwest Singing School hosted by New Liberty PBC (MO) - Taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance. See NewLibertyPBC

2023 Singing School Calendar Update

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 14:49:37 GMT

Updated Singing School List for 2023 (added schools are in BOLD)

June 7-10, 2023 - Radnor PBC (TN) Singing School (taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)

June 11-16, 2023 - Harmony Hill Singing School (TX) (various instructors)

June 11-16, 2023 - Melody Grove Singing School (TX) (taught by Sister Terri Machiavello)

July 6-8, 2023 - Lexington PBC (KY) Singing School (taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)

July 16-21, 2023 - Harmony Plains Singing School (TX) (various instructors)

June 29-July 1, 2023 - Tuscaloosa Area PB Singing School (hosted at Tuscaloosa PBC) (taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)

July 27-29, 2023 - Camp Creek PBC (Lilburn, GA) Singing School (Taught by Brother Matthew Arnold and Brother Austin McCool)

August 4-5, 2023 - Midwest Singing School (Hosted by New Liberty PBC in Missouri) (taught by Elder Bryce Lowrance)

2023 Singing Schools!

Tue, 09 May 2023 20:39:09 GMT

Here are the dates that we have so far!!!!

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2022 Singing School Calendar

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 18:02:14 GMT

Come learn and praise with us!

We are excited to announce dates for Singing Schools for the Summer of 2022!

Schools will be starting up again this year since Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted. This list will be updated as we add more dates.

June 8-11, 2022 • Radnor PBC Singing School in Nashville, TN (Elder Bryce Lowrance teaching,)

June 12-17 2022 • Harmony Hill Singing School in Azle, TX (Various teachers)

June 24-25, 2022 • Tuscaloosa Area PB Fellowship Singing School in Gordo, AL (Elder Bryce Lowrance and others teaching)

June 30-July 2, 2022 • Lexington PBC Singing School in Lexington, KY (Elder Bryce Lowrance teaching)

July 17-22, 2022 • Harmony Plains Singing School in Cone, TX (Various teachers)

August 5-6, 2022 • Illinois Area PB Singing School at Little Flock PBC in Edwardsville, IL (Elder Bryce Lowrance teaching)

Old School Hymnal, Centennial Edition

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 17:53:35 GMT

NOW IN PRINT!

We are excited to partner with the Old School Hymnal Foundation to produce the centennial Edition of the Old School Hymnal. This hymnal contains that "cream of the crop" from previous editions as well as many new hymns from active composers.

Please visit the website https://www.oldschoolhymnal.com

OSH Coming Soon!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 19:26:53 GMT

First printing available in January!

2020 has been a wild year for us all. I have missed getting to sing with so many of you at singing schools this past summer!

But as the year draws to an end, I want to share some great news with you. The Old School Hymnal Centennial Edition is at the printer!

We will have pricing an ordering information out soon. This will most likely be coordinated with the rollout of our new website.

I pray that you all have a safe, HEALTHY, and joyful Christmas and New Year!

Your little brother,

Bryce

Merry Christmas!!!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 03:41:54 GMT

Songs of Zion hopes you sing for joy this Christmas!

It has been a very busy month since Songs of Zion joined efforts with the Old School Hymnal to produce a Centennial Edition. Work is coming along very well and we hope to have new songs selections finished in January. Please continue to pray for this effort.

If you want a chance to get together and sing, Matthew and Bryce will be teaching a singing school at Bethany PBC in Suwanee, GA on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

The church address is:

5101 Old Atlanta Rd, Suwanee, GA 30024

Here is the proposed schedule:

12/31

5:00- Dinner

6:00- Session 1

7:00- Break

7:30- Session 2

8:30- Break

9:00- Worship/Message

10:00- Break

11:15- Sing in the New Year

1/1

9:00- Breakfast

10:00- Session 3

10:45- Break

11:00- Worship/Message

12:00- Lunch

1:00- Session 4

2:00- Singing

3:00- Close

I pray everyone has a safe and merry winter season.

2020 Singing School Session

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 21:49:40 GMT

Are you ready to sing!!!

This year's singing school season will get started a little early just like last year. The list below is what I know of so far. Let me know if you have any other dates and locations!

December 31, 2019-January 1, 2020 - Bethany PBC (Elder Bryce Lowrance & Brother Matthew Arnold, Instructors)

Feb TBA - Tired Creek PBC in South Georgia (Elder Bryce Lowrance, Instructor)

May 31 - Jun 3, 2020 - Radnor PBC (Elder Bryce Lowrance, Instructor)

Jun 4-6, 2020 - Lexington PBC (Elder Bryce Lowrance, Instructor)

Jun ??? - Middle Georgia SS (Elder Bryce Lowrance, Instructor)

Jun 21-26, 2020 - Harmony Highlands SS in Jasper, AL (Various Instructors)

Jul 17-18, 2020 - Midwest SS in Illinois ((Elder Bryce Lowrance, Instructor)

Jul 19-24 - Harmony Plains SS in Cone, TX (Various Instructors)

Jul ??? Grace SS in NC (Elder Bryce Lowrance, Instructor)

Everyone Can Sing - Teacher Edition Now Available

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 21:46:57 GMT

Discounted price and free access to audio files for a limited time!

We are excited to announce that the Teacher Edition of "Everyone Can Sing" is now available for purchase at a deeply discounted price.

This guide will help new and experiences teachers develop lesson plans for use with the Student Edition fo the book.

The audio help files and teaching videos will be released on Google Classroom. Early purchases to the Teacher Edition will gain early FREE access to this site under development.

This music reading system is the system used by Elder Bryce Lowrance at various singing schools for over 30 years.

SOZ & OSH Together!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 14:35:18 GMT

Songs of Zion combines with Old School Hymnal to produce a Centennial Edition of the OSH!

Here is the announcement from the Old School Hymnal...

The Old School Hymnal Company is excited to announce that work has begun on the publication of a new 100th Anniversary Centennial Edition of the Hymnal!

In the early 1920’s, Elder Lee Hanks and Elder Z.C. Hull had the vision of bringing a notated hymnal to the Primitive Baptist churches in the Georgia and Virginia regions. Over the past 100 years, many Elders have served on the board including Elders R.H. Pittman, John R. Daily, J. Harvey Daily, J.A. Monsees, Cecil Darity, Joe Hildreth, Elzie Speir, Sr., and Roland Green. Several of these Elders were also prolific hymn writers and many of their songs have become Primitive Baptist standards.

Recently, the remaining members of the Old School Hymnal Board met with members of the "Songs of Zion" hymnal board and agreed to combine efforts to produce this new edition. “Songs of Zion,” much like the Old School Hymnal’s “Our Little Hymnal,” has introduced many new and blessed hymns to Primitive Baptist congregations. Given the history of the introduction of quality, doctrinal hymns in “Our Little Hymnal” and previous editions of the “Old School Hymnal,” a combined effort of folks from these two organizations looks like a good fit which is expected to produce a new and improved Hymnal!

The new committee chosen to produce this edition includes the four remaining Old School Hymnal board members: Elders Wayne Peters, Dan Hall, Philip Green, and Brother Rodney Chandler. The three new members of the committee are Elders Bryce Lowrance, Tim McCool, and Marty Smith. Elders Lowrance and McCool serve as President and Vice-President of the Songs of Zion Board.

Please be in prayer that God be glorified in this exciting new work. We also would like to extend an open invitation for any songs your congregation would like to see in the new hymnal including any new compositions from current Primitive Baptist composers.

In Christ,

"Everyone Can Sing" Is Now On Sale!

Mon, 20 May 2019 14:08:32 GMT

Singing School Student Book is now available for purchase.

I am so excited (and a little nervous) to announce that "Everyone Can Sing" is now available for purchase online!

Follow this link to order directly from Lulu Printing.

I plan to have a class set of 25 books with me to use in my sessions this summer. I will also have a few on-hand available for sale.

There is also a large print edition available at this link .

A big thank you to Brother Matthew Arnold for helping proof read the past couple of weeks. In order to get the book ready for the singing school season, I had to push my deadline up so I will be seeing the final product at the same time you do! (YIKES!!!). I pray that there are minimal or no errors.

I am currently working on a Teacher Help Book to aide in teaching classes and schools that I cannot attend. This is taking quote a bit of time. I am also recording audio help files for each of the lessons in the student book to assist students and teachers alike. I am exploring ways to deliver both of these products. We will probably have a print edition with CDs but I am really focusing on an online solution using Google Classroom to take students through the book. Again, these are a work in progress.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer!!!

Here is a list of schools that I plan to attend/teach. Click the links for more information on each.

June 2-5 - Radnor PBC in Nashville, TN
June 7-8 - Lexington PBC in KY (This is a new school meeting for the first time!)
June 13-15 - Middle Georgia SS hosted by Trail Branch PBC in Cochran, GA (Another new school!) contact Elder Michael Hattaway for more information. mhataway@jones.k12.ga.us 478.957.6827
June 23-28 - Harmony Highlands SS in Jasper, AL
July 19-20 - Illinois/Indiana SS hosted by Little Flock PBC in Edwardsville, IL (Another new school!!!)
July 28-31 - Grace SS hosted by Liberty Hill PBC , Oakboro, NC

Because of timing and distance, I probably will not be able to attend Harmony Plains Singing School this year. They will meet July 21-26.

Please be in prayer for safe travels for everyone. Let's join together as much as possible this summer to sing praises to our Risen Savior!

EVERYONE CAN SING!!!!

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 19:20:19 GMT

Singing school book is in editing stage!

After years of piecing together lessons for myself and other teachers every Summer to prepare for various singing schools, I finally sat down and tried to compile all those years of lessons into a sing book. The resulting project is "Everyone Can Sing."

This book will include 71 step-by-step lessons that will guide singers through the music reading process. It can be used in any size group from 1 singer to 300+!

The book also includes helpful warm-ups and some of your favorite singing school songs and rounds. The student book hopefully will be available this summer for purchase and I plan to have a teacher guide book available soon thereafter.*

I also plan to have audio files that can help with individual or small group study when singers are unable to attend an organized singing school. This part of the project is in its infancy, so be patient and the files will be available in the near future.

My prayer is that this rudiment book will be a help to those who are just getting started in reading music or who need a refresher course to improve their skills.

* TEACHER NOTE - The teacher guide book is not necessity, the student book shows you the order you should present pitch, rhythm, etc.

2019 Singing School Sessions

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 01:37:40 GMT

Check back here for regular updates!

The Lord has blessed us to find a new church home in Georgia at Mt. Paran Primitive Baptist in Social Circle! We closed on our new house this past Tuesday and will be moving everything from Texas over the next week. Our new location puts us much closer to several singing schools! It also has opened the door for a few new schools!

I have already moved into a small apartment here in Georgia so that I could start to pastor. This has also given me time to get a lot of work done on the singing school lesson book. I hope to have it published and ready for this Summer. It will be called "Everyone Can Sing."

I look forward to seeing you all this summer and possibly even sooner!

Here is a list of singing schools that I plan to attend/teach this year. I will update this list as I get exact locations and if there are any changes.

2019 Singing School Sessions

February 1-2 @ Tired Creek PBC outside Cairo, Georgia - THIS WAS A TRUE JOY!!!!!

June 2-5 @ Radnor PBC in Nashville, Tennessee

June 7-8 @ Lexington PBC in Kentucky

June 13-15 Central Georgia - Location TBA - Somewhere near Danville TBA

June 23-28 Harmony Highlands Singing School @ Jasper, Alabama

July 19-20 @ Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church in Edwardsville, Illinois

July 28-31 Grace Singing School @ Liberty Hill PBC in North Carolina

Other Schools happening this year.

July 21-26 Harmony Plains Singing School @ Cone, Texas

Please send me dates and locations of other schools that I have missed!

Your little brother,
Bryce

Liberty Singing School

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 18:30:52 GMT

Inaugural session is blessed!

What a blessing it was to gather between Christmas and New Year's Eve with the saints of God in song!

We held the first session of Liberty Singing School at Rocky Mount Primitive Baptist Church with attendance estimated around 180 or more. We had a wonderful mixture of singing school veterans and new students from several different states.

Old friendships were rekindled, new fellowships were forged and lots of songs praise to our Redeemer were sung. Thank you to the members and friends of Rocky Mountain PBC that put forth the wonderful effort to bring this singing school to North Alabama!

Hymn Submissions

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:32:13 GMT

Active search for new hymns

The Songs of Zion is looking for new hymns for consideration in future hymnal publication. If you have a song that you would like to be considered, please email a PDF to me (Bryce Lowrance) and I will add your song to our review list. You may also send Musescore or Finale files.

Many of you have sent songs to me or have posted them in our private Facebook chat. There are several different versions of everything floating around out there. I would like an updated copy of whatever you would like to submit. I want to make sure I am looking at your latest revisions.

We want to make sure that this message is heard throughout the PB community. Please share this email to other composers and churches so we can reach as many people as possible.

Your little brother,
Bryce
elderbrycelowrance@gmail.com

Home

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 02:30:09 GMT

Just in time to get back to school!

By God's tender mercies, we made it home on Sunday morning about 1:30. We got a few hours of sleep and were then able to attend worship at our home church, Indian Oaks PBC.

With great joy, I was able to share how God had blessed the entire summer of singing schools and church meetings. Honestly, our Summer was so filled that I will have to take a few weeks to reflect on all of the blessings of fellowship and worship in song.

I just wanted to drop y'all a note to say we are home and thank you once again for the joy you give me in teaching. I am especially thankful to those who helped out at Mt. Paran PBC. That is really what singing school is all about. Y'all were a tremendous blessing and encouragement to them.!

I look forward to seeing many of you in December at LIBERTY SINGING SCHOOL in North Alabama. (Hey "Not Autumn", Awesome name by the way!)

Keep a look out for my reflections of the summer over the next few weeks. Comment and share your memories as well.\

Your littler brother,
Bryce

Final Summer Sessions

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 14:59:56 GMT

A few more singing schools to go....

We will be leaving for our final series of singing schools on Tuesday morning.

I am really looking forward to the remainder of the Summer and seeing many of you again. Here is the plan for the next two weeks.

Bethlehem PBC Singing School (Echola, AL)

Wednesday 7/25
- 7 PM Evening Session
Thursday 7/26
- 4 PM Afternoon Session
- Dinner
- 7 PM Evening Session
Friday 7/27

4 PM Afternoon Session
Dinner
7 PM Evening Session

There are a few composers that will attend these sessions. We can use time between sessions to discuss and work on your songs.

Saturday Morning 7/28 the Songs of Zion Board will have a meeting.

Mount Paran PBC Mini-Singing School (Social Circle, GA)

Saturday 7/28
- 5:30 PM (ET) Dinner
- Evening Session

Mount Paran has never had a singing school before. This session will introduce them to the types of musical activities typically done at singing schools. Outside support would be a great blessing to them!

Sunday 7/29 I am scheduled to preach for morning worship

Grace Singing School hosted by Union Grove PBC (North Carolina)

Sunday 7/29 Evening Singing Session
Monday 7/30 Day and Evening Sessions
Tuesday 7/31 Day and Evening Sessions
Wednesday 8/1 Day Sessions and Evening Worship

There will be opportunities for song writing pullouts and reading sessions. These will most likely occur during the recreation time.

My family and I will then head back toward Texas. I am scheduled to preach the Annual Meeting at Oxford, MS on Friday 8/3 and Saturday 8/4.

Your little brother,
Bryce

Eastbound and Down

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 15:04:19 GMT

We are on our way to Alabama!

We will be staying at Hotel Hatten (Elder Dub and Sister Suzie Hatten's house) tonight. I have an appointment to preach at West Monroe PBC in the morning. Then we will be head to Jasper!

I am really looking forward to another blessed week with some of my favorite people on this earth!

Here are a few things that I am excited about:

Our theme song has some challenges but should be fun. (We all get to learn to count!)
There are some folks that will be trying teaching for the first time. And a few that have stepped up to continue to bless children with their musical knowledge.
We have some new hymns to read in our song writing class. I also want to teach some principles and techniques during these sessions.
The music rudiment book I have worked on for years is really starting to come together now. I have changed the order of a few things but I have some new lesson sheets to help with sight reading for all our classes. Hopefully, next summer the book will be done.
We will have Songs of Zion Hymnals to learn lots of new music!

This will be our first trip to HHSS without our girls. Rebecca has one more Spanish class she needs to finish before she goes to UT Arlington as a Junior in the Fall. Gracie is working at Premier Martial Arts. She is an instructor and has her own class! She is saving money to cover some college expenses. She will be headed to UTA in the Fall as well. They both plan to come to NC for Grace SS.

Sister Terri is looking for someone who is interested in a career in education to assist in her class. OR she could really use someone that has some good experience in classroom management (aka herding cats). OR both would be great! She knows the pedagogy and would love to have a student teacher to share with.

I pray for safe journeys for you all.

Your little brother,
Bryce

Song Writing

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 22:52:17 GMT

This Summer, I would like to have some more song writing and collaboration sessions much like what we did at Jasper last year.

At Harmony Highlands and Grace (NC) , we can meet during the afternoon recreation time to sing through compositions, discuss ideas, and help one another with trouble spots. If you have a composition that you would like to be included in the reading sessions, please send me a Finale, Musescore, or PDF file so that I can plan enough time for everyone's songs to be read. Also, please let me know if you plan to be at HHSS, Grace SS, or both. There have been several songs posted on the Facebook discussion page for composers (AWESOME) but I will only plan to include the songs that composers let me know they want read.

During these sessions I would also like to focus on some basic compositional principles. I plan to present on several elements of hymn writing including; poetry, form, melodic structure, chord progressions, and more. If you have any questions that you would like me to answer during these sessions, please let me know ahead of time if possible. Some of the aspects of these lessons/discussions will be a little more advanced but if you have been through at least a couple of my HS level classes, you should understand most of it.

I look forward to seeing your joyful faces as we sing together to the glory of the Lord!

Your little brother,
Bryce

Digital Version Progress

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:25:18 GMT

Assistance Needed

I had hoped to have a Digital Version of the hymnal released at the same time as the print version. This has proven to be more of a challenge than I expected. The ability to sell copy-protected files has LOTS of issues.

ePub and Kindle files do not work because they are font-based. The music files are also font-based so the books come out as gibberish. Lulu will not sell a copy-protected PDF and for that matter, anything above a simple password system is very cost prohibitive.

So, here is where we stand.

I have found a possible solution for Apple products in iBooks Author. I have a demo that I am trying out right now and it seems to work. As I understand it, the DRM protection prevents copying or sharing anything purchased from the iBooks store. The only possible issue I see with this delivery system (other than dealing with Apple's finance stuff) is the iBook itself might be quite large, especially if we make a larger book down the road. iBooks Author is easy to use and I can probably get the hymnal ready in basic format in just a few hours of work.

But that's just Apple products.

Does anyone know of an Android-based program that does the same thing as iBooks Author?

It would be nice to only have one file type delivered on all platforms but I know that is not realistic. I like the idea of a protected PDF but I would have to sell the PDF from my website and generate a user specific password for each file sold. And this does not prevent the sharing of the password. I know there are some other solutions for this but they are outside my area expertise. Also, REALLY don't want to be handling sales on a daily basis. That is the whole reason we went with Lulu for the printed book.

As you can see, I have an idea of what I want but I need a computer-dude (or dudette) to help me out.

Your little brother,
Bryce

It's Singing School Season!!!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Wed, 30 May 2018 03:09:43 GMT

I look forward to seeing y'all this Summer

I am very excited to get our Summer travels started!

I had a very blessed but long school year with my choirs. Thankful for the growth and progress, and thankful now for a little break.

Here is a list of Singing Schools that I, and at least part of our family plan to attend this Summer.

June 3-6 Radnor PBC, Tenessee
June 18-22 Old School PBC, Fort Worth, TX (I hope to attend a couple days here. I will be traveling back from the the Indiana Fellowship Meeting so I am not sure how much I will be able to attend.)
June 24-29 - Harmony Highlands SS, Jasper, Alabama
Jul 15-20 - Harmony Plains SS, Cone, Texas
July 25-27 Bethlehem PBC in Gordo, AL
Jul 29-Aug 1 - Grace SS, North Carolina

Please pray for me and my family as we travel. I am also scheduled to preach several appointments while traveling to these various singing schools. We also hope to take a family vacation to Wyoming for 10 days during my "break."

With the Lord's help, we hope to enjoy singing all over the South this Summer!

Your little brother,
Bryce

SOZ Updates

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 02:12:44 GMT

Minor errors corrected.

Our big choir contest season finally ended here in Texas so I got a little bit of time to do some hymnal work. There were a few minor typos and little edits that were needed to the book. I was able to fix those and get new files to Lulu this evening. For a list of corrections, see the Errata tab in the main menu.

As of this evening we have 2,415 books ordered! I know of a few churches that are considering buying the book so I am certain we will cross the 2,500 mark soon. What a blessing!

And... The work continues.

Right now, I have 14 new songs on my desk from PB composers. A couple of them are from new composers! This is such a wondrous blessing to be part of a song writing revival. Be sure to attend some singing schools this summer and I am sure you will get to sing some of these new songs.

I am so looking forward to this Summer. My schedule is going to be pretty busy. In fact I'm getting started before Summer. Malvern, Ark. PBC will have a 2 day singing school this weekend.

The rest of my Summer has us traveling to Tennessee, Alabama (2 times), Louisiana, North Carolina, and West Texas! We hope to take a family vacation to Wyoming in the middle of all this as well.

Y'all arel always in my heart.

Your little brother,
Bryce

The Latest from SOZ

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 19:47:09 GMT

Practice tracks and other stuff...

Greetings in the name of the Lord!!!

Sales
As of this morning, we have 2,127 orders of the hymnal! This includes regular and large print editions. The Lord has truly blessed!!!

Practice Tracks
There is a practice track available for every song in the hymnal. The first 15 can be found at this address.
https://www.sozhymnal.org/practice-tracks-2
The other tracks can be found in the "Practice Tracks" dropdown menu on the website.

A few composers have asked that we change or update a few things on their practice tracks. When that is finished, I will let you know that we have the most accurate versions online. We will also work toward producing a CD of these tracks for easy offline access. Thank you once again to Brother Matthew Arnold for singing and recording these for us!

Errata
As with all human endeavors, errors are inevitable, especially when I am involved. The following link contains a list of known errors in the hymnal and notations if they have been corrected in later printings. Please let me know if you find anymore.
https://www.sozhymnal.org/errata1

The Work Continues
Even though we have a book in print, it was never our intention to stop there. Composers are still busy being inspired to use their gifts to praise the Lord in song. Active Primitive Baptist Composers have a private discussion group on Facebook where they are sharing ideas and new compositions regularly. It is truly beautiful to fellowship and learn throughout the year in this forum.

If you have composed hymns before for the Primitive Baptists, please contact me (Bryce Lowrance) through Facebook if you would like to be included in this group.

Summer Is Getting Closer
I am on Spring Break right now. Contest season gets into full swing with my High School choirs when we go back to school next week. So, I am trying to rest as much as I can. And do as much with family as I can. Summer always surprises me!

This Summer, we plan to attend several singing schools. In fact, we may even hold a small one in Malvern, Arkansas at Sardis PDB on April 20-21. Here is the list that we plan to do if the Lord will bless.

June 3-6 - Radnor PBC in Tennessee
June 14-17 - I plan to attend the Indiana Fellowship Meeting
June 18-22 - Grace (TX) SS that has been held for years in Houston will be at Old School PBC here in Fort Worth. We hope to attend there a few days.
June 23 - West Monroe PBC, Louisiana
June 24-29 - Harmony Highlands SS in Jasper, Alabama
July 15-20 - Harmony Plains SS in Cone, Texas
July 30-Aug 1 - Grace SS in North Carolina
Aug 3-5 - I am scheduled to preach at the Annual meeting for Antioch PBC in Oxford, Mississippi

School starts for me the next week. So, I'll go back to work so I can rest a little.

I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you!

Your little brother,
Bryce

Getting Closer

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 15:35:49 GMT

More practice tracks available.

Thanks to the awesome work of Brother Matthew Arnold we have practice tracks for hymns 1-73 available online to help you and your congregation learn these beautiful hymns.

When the final 5 hymns are completed, we will edit all the tracks to make sure they are accurately representing what is printed in the hymnal. We then plan to make a CD of the tracks available for those that do not have regular access to the internet.

If you know Matthew, thank him for his work!

Your little brother,
Bryce

Update

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 17:52:56 GMT

Great Blessings!!!!

Songs of Zion has more good news of God's blessings on our work in His service.

As of Tuesday Morning, February 6, we have 1,995 hymnals ordered!! This goes to show that God can and does bless abundantly and above all that we could ever ask.

We are almost done with the practice tracks. I say "we." I mean, Brother Matthew Arnold has been working hard to produce quality practice tracks of each of the 78 hymns in the book. We now have the first 67 hymns up on the website for use. Thank you Matthew!!!

When his work is complete, we plan to make a CD available to purchase for those who are not as tech savvy or don't have regular access to the Internet.

Please continue pray that this little book will give glory to God by being a blessing in public and private worship. You can help us out by continuing to spread the word and share the Songs of Zion!

Your little brother,
Bryce

Errata

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 19:40:25 GMT

A list of errors and edits for the hymnal

Human error is inevitable.

The Songs of Zion (or me in particular) is not free from this horrible consequences of total depravity. We make mistakes. Grrr.

Below is a list of errors that we have found in the Songs of Zion. These are minor spelling errors and have been corrected already for any future publication sale. This means if you have not purchased a book yet, these errors will be corrected in your book. If you have purchased a book, please forgive me for these typos and edit your book as you see fit.

# 10 - 3rd verse; 3rd system - "and" was changed to "an"

#36 - 4th verse repeat; 2nd system - "would" was changed to "world"

If you encounter any other errors or typos, please let us know and we will update the book.

There will not be any major changes made to lyrics, music, or content until a later revision/edition is put together. We want to make sure that, even if different printings are being used by a congregation, essentially the same lyrics and music are in every book.

May God bless you as you sing praises to His Great and Holy Name.

Your little brother (feeling smaller every day),
Bryce

1,000+

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 16:25:53 GMT

Hymnal Orders Reach New Levels!

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. I knew there was going to be a special number waiting for me when I checked the hymnal orders. On January 3, 999 Songs of Zion hymnals had been ordered. So, I just knew we were past the 1,000 mark.

I checked the orders this morning (January 5) and the total was 1,014 .

Wow, what a blessing!

When this project began, I expected to print 500-1000 over the course of a few years. I never imagined that we would exceed 1,000 in less than a month!

Thank you to all the individuals and churches that have purchased these books and are using them in public and private worship. Please help us to continue spreading the word. Songs of Zion is a non-profit organization so we do not have a budget for advertising. We simply rely on word of mouth (and Internet sharing) to spread the news.

We have further good news - Brother Matthew Arnold has been doing an amazing job making practice tracks for the new book. We now have the first 60 hymns online so you can learn to sing them even if you can't read music! Follow this link to access these tracks. The link will open the page with songs #1-15. If you would like to learn other songs, simply choose a group from the "PRACTICE TRACKS" menu. When all the tracks are finished, we will provide a way to download or buy a CD so you can access these files offline.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. May God receive all the glory and praise due to His matchless Name!

Your little brother,
Bryce

Happy New Year!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 03:42:44 GMT

Bless the Lord, Oh my Soul

The Lord truly blessed our meeting at Vestavia as we sang in the New Year on #30 in the Songs of Zion, "10,000 Reasons."

We sang and shared stories about the new hymns for about an hour and a half. We had several of the composers lead their own hymns. It was truly a mountain top experience.

Please follow this link https://youtu.be/LVYOr9PYkvw to see video made by Brother Josh Coker during the session. If you have pictures or video you would like to share, please post them to Facebook or send me a message via email or through sozhymnal.org and I will set up a way for you to send me files.

I am blessed beyond measure.

Your little brother,
Bryce

Eastbound!!!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 03:58:09 GMT

Headed to Vestavia PBC for the New Year!

On Friday, December 29 the Lowrance family will travel together to Alabama to usher in the New Year at Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church!

Elder Sam Bryant and his congregation hold a New Year's Eve service each year. Please pray for me as I have been asked to preach Sunday morning. Elder Ronald Lawrence will be preaching on Sunday Evening, followed by dinner, and then singing in the New Year with Songs of Zion.

We are all so excited to see our brethren in the East and sing together once again.

What better way can we thank our Sovereign Redeemer than to sing His praises with our last breaths of 2017 and our first of 2018!

LARGE PRINT

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 17:59:33 GMT

25% Larger Print

This is just a quick shot to show how much larger the print is in our Large Print Edition.

I apologize for the resolution of the picture. My cell phone doesn't take very good detailed shots.

2 Weeks!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 16:26:59 GMT

Sing in the New Year with Songs of Zion

I received the first copies of the new hymnal from the printer yesterday and they look and feel great! You can purchase your own copies online or we will have a few copies to sell at the Singing at Vestavia on Dec. 31.

The Large Print turned out very well. It is 25% larger and crystal clear printing. I am very thankful we were able to produce these so easily.

I am really looking forward to being with so many of you in Birmingham in a couple of weeks. The whole family will be with me this time!

I am about to board a flight to Las Vegas. I was invited to preach for them this weekend. I will be back home for some much needed rest on Monday. We will have Christmas with both sides of the family and then head EAST!

I pray joy for all of you and encourage you to invite friends, family, and any others that would enjoy the fellowship and singing on New Year's Eve!

Online Sales Are Open!!!!

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 22:29:40 GMT

Order your hymnals today!

We are excited to announce that the Songs of Zion hymnal is now ready for purchase online.

Please follow the link below to order.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/bryce-lowrance-and-tim-mccool/songs-of-zion/paperback/product-23438157.html

100 Years Later

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 15:46:09 GMT

The songs of Zion are still vital to our discipleship

Elder John R. Daily wrote in 1918 in the preface of "Primitive Baptist Hymn and Tune Book" -

"The utility of sacred music in awakening and strengthening our devotional affections has been demonstrated by the happy experience of those whose hearts were tuned to the praise of the Redeemer's name."

Now, 100 years later, the churches of Jesus Christ among the Primitive Baptists have found the same blessed truth. It is our hope that the Songs of Zion hymnal will continue to help our people devote themselves more to their Savior through song.

Our first printing of the the book will contain only 78 hymns. This collection reflects a mixture of older songs (such as those from Daily's hymnal) as well as several of newer composition. For now, we have only included songs that do not appear in the major hymnal publications among the Primitive Baptists. If the Lord directs, we hope to include these with many of the standard and true hymns of PB faith in a larger book in the future.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this book will be the number of new compositions by active Primitive Baptist members. These songs are doctrinally sound and their music speaks to the spirit as well. There are several hymns by teenagers and young adults! These songs give a voice to the next generations of believers of grace!

I had a very blessed day yesterday as I went through the book one last time. There are some very good songs that give 100% of the glory to God and at the same time, the music moves the singer to thankful action.

I am sure there are still typos and other mistakes but the book is now at the printer. We can fix things as we go but our First Edition is done. I thank all those that helped in the hours and days of proofreading and rewrites. Those are cherished times for me.

Please pray for our continuing efforts to bring you high quality, sound hymns for congregational as well as private worship.

Your little brother,
Bryce

Reflections of Blessings

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:14:25 GMT

Just a few thoughts from this weekend

So, I came to Alabama this past weekend with some very high aspirations but not really an organized plan of how to reach those goals.

Oh, me of little faith.

God showered His blessings upon us not only during the formal time set aside for proofreading, but also several opportunities to sing new songs in worship and small groups. What a blessing.

Tim and I brought 60 hymnals to use but that wasn't nearly enough. There were at least 100 people who helped out in these sessions. Thank you!

I forgot to get a picture of everyone together but I got a few shots of our breakout sessions. If you have any good pictures, please post them on the SOZ Facebook page.

I hope to see you all again in a little over a month when we release the hymnal for sale and sing in the new year. Please pray that God will bless us to finish up these last few details and get the book to the printer in the next week or so.

I thank the Lord every time I think about y'all.

Your little brother
Bryce

Songs of Zion Reading Session

183:709952402 (Bryce Lowrance) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 23:04:17 GMT

We are quickly approaching the release of our new hymnal Songs of Zion!

As part of the proofreading process, we will be conducting a final formal reading session. This session will take place on Saturday, November 18, 2017 3:00-5:30 PM at Vestavia Primitive Baptist Church.

All those who love to sing new hymns are welcome to join us!

Follow this link to get directions.

Hope to sing with you there!