Bringing back the hymns to Carnegie Hall

Rosemary Siemens is hoping people from her home province will join her in what she’s billing as the historic “Bring Back the Hymns – Live in Concert” at Carnegie Hall.

The Plum Coulee native and violinist is the founder of the biggest hymn channel on YouTube with more than 165 million views and 650,000 subscribers.

While she’s performed around the world including at the Vatican and in Carnegie Hall in the past, she bills this performance scheduled for May 25, 2026, as the biggest moment of her career.

And she’s inviting singers from around the world to join the mass choir on stage.

Siemens said this isn’t simply a performance, describing it as a global hymn revival, uniting singers and believers from every corner of the globe to sing timeless hymns such as How Great Thou Art, It Is Well With My Soul and Great is Thy Faithfulness.

This is the first time Carnegie Hall has presented a mass hymn sing of this magnitude.

“With everything going on in the world, I believe this will be one of the most powerful nights of worship ever held at Carnegie Hall,” she said.

Siemens began playing violin at a young age but also sang hymns with her family on the farm.

She said bringing them to Carnegie Hall is more than she could have imagined.

“God has opened amazing doors, and I would be so honoured to share the stage with you,” she said in her concert announcement. “Together, let’s bring back the hymns and make history at Carnegie Hall. I would love nothing more than to gather friends from around the world to stand with me on stage and lift up the name of Jesus at Carnegie Hall.”

The concert will feature a mass choir with orchestra, led by Siemens’ long-term friend and conductor Dr. Candice Wicke, alongside the Continuo Arts Symphonic Chorus and New England Symphonic Ensemble.

She will be joined by her husband Eli Bennett, an award-winning saxophonist as well as their young sons Theodore and Amadeus and her parents Jack and Mary Siemens.

“Hymns unite generations in worship,” Bennett said. “To share this moment as a family at Carnegie Hall will be unforgettable.”

Amateur and professional singers are welcome to apply.

A participation fee will apply for concert production, rehearsals and event costs. Travel is arranged separately.

All participation details and registration are handled through MidAmerica Productions under Dr. Candace Wicke who can be reached at cwicke@midamerica-music.com

An invitation video can also be found on YouTube by searching “Rosemary Siemens join my choir.”

Rosemary Siemens was the first violinist in the world to perform at the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. She’s also performed at Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and for presidents, prime ministers and royalty.