Interviewer’s note: I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the Toronto-based violist and composer Emily Hiemstra. While this interview features her newly released album Let Your Hearts Revive on the Psalms for congregational singing, this interview also aims to encourage other artists who are Christian to see their vocation as valuable in the eyes of the Lord, to see the Lord’s faithfulness in the difficult journey of being an artist, and to see the intentionality that comes from doing music as a Christian.
What has your journey as a musician been like?
I grew up doing lots of different activities, but I fell in love with music when I started playing the violin at age 10. I wasn’t sure about pursuing music full-time in post-secondary, but the first few months of my undergraduate solidified my career aspirations in music. Since finishing my degree in music performance and composition at Wilfrid Laurier University and an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School of Music, I have worked as a professional freelancer in the GTA. I play in various professional orchestras and chamber ensembles. I love working as a wedding musician and playing in church on Sunday mornings. I’m also a composer, arranger, and teacher.
What are the most challenging experiences you’ve had as a musician?
Right after finishing school, my husband (Adam) and I found out we were pregnant with our first child. Having a baby meant (in my mind at the time) that my career aspirations were over. I had poured so much time and effort into school and in becoming a musician. I essentially had an identity crisis, but God gently showed me that I had been making my career into an idol.
Even though I had amazing support from family and friends, I needed to be pointed back to the gospel and what the bible says about children: “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD” (Psalm 127:3).
My kids are now my biggest encouragement and motivation. Having kids has made me a more mature and well-rounded musician. Having kids has helped me hone my time management skills, as most parents can probably also relate.
How long has congregational worship been part of your life?
Since before I knew what congregational worship meant! I grew up in a Baptist church in London, ON where older hymns were always part of the music we sang on Sunday mornings.
I didn’t realize the need for theologically grounded music until I attended churches during my time away at school whose song choices put more emphasis on the music style than the theological content. It made me realize just how precious every minute of church is on Sunday mornings and the need to pack biblical truths and theological richness into every song we sing.
What is God’s purpose of congregational singing?
One of Tim Challies’s blogs helped sharpen my thoughts around this question: we are called to honor God by singing praises to him and making a joyful song. We are also called to encourage one another. There’s a horizontal and a vertical relationship. Even the tone-deaf can do this!
What do you think is lacking in the world of congregational music/singing?
Paul the Apostle calls us to encourage one another with “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). We have an incredibly rich history of hymns and songs, but recently it seems we have moved away from singing the psalms to each other. There is an amazing variety of depth and emotion portrayed in the psalms which we miss out on when we neglect to sing them regularly.
My aim is not to replace the Psalter, but to provide memorable and modernized melodies for the Canadian (and hopefully American!) church today.
Tell us about your life as a composer
The best thing about working in the arts is that there is always something new to learn or explore. I tend to think of myself primarily as a musician who lovingly fell into composition as another creative outlet.
One of my choral works, I Asked Of God, was recorded on the 2016 JUNO nominated album “A Canadian Mass: Sacred Reflections of Canada” by the Canadian Chamber Choir. More recently at Grace Centre for the Arts (at Grace Toronto Church), I was commissioned to write an oratorio on the book of Romans that was performed in October 2019, and I am currently writing a string quartet for the Toronto-based Odin Quartet this winter.
I think it is really important to have Christians in the arts, especially in composition. In a time where classical music is so culture-focused, we have an opportunity to share the gospel with our work. Surprisingly, it has been a job that has lent itself really well to motherhood. I am at home with my two young boys most of the time and only need a babysitter when I have a show.
Why devote an album to the Psalms?
I think it is so beautiful that out of all the scriptures, the psalms were meant to be sung. Psalm 121 is one of many Song of Ascents that would have been sung by the Israelites as they walked ‘up’ to Jerusalem. People would have known and sung them to one another. Jesus, most likely, would also have sung them with his family.
The psalms are also an excellent place to start memorizing scripture. They show us that we can cry out to God, no matter our emotional state. Already in my own life, memorizing these psalms has been a blessing to me in times of praise and in difficult circumstances.
Where can we find your album?
It’s available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and other platforms online. Check out the link here.
