Brad Croushorn ’93 wrote the hymn text 鈥淥pen Wide the Doors鈥�, which was chosen from among 60 entries from three countries by Duke University Chapel as the winner of the 2021 Hymn Competition. It was featured as the Opening Hymn on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, at Duke Chapel to reflect the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Croushorn is minister of music and liturgy at All Saints鈥� United Methodist Church in Morrisville, North Carolina.
The hymn debut can be seen and heard at the beginning of this clip. The Duke Chapel Choir and Chapel Organist Christopher Jacobson led the congregation in singing it to the English tune RUSTINGTON.
Dr. Zebulon M. Highben, director of Chapel Music at Duke Chapel and associate professor of the practice of church music at Duke Divinity School, coordinated the contest. 鈥溾�極pen Wide the Doors鈥� will be a marvelous addition to the church鈥檚 hymnody,鈥� Highben said. 鈥淭he text beautifully and succinctly addresses our contest鈥檚 theme of compassion, as it calls us to open the doors of our hearts.鈥�
鈥淎s I see it, practicing compassion 鈥� for others and also for ourselves 鈥� is what creates an opening (鈥榙oors鈥� and 鈥榳indows鈥�) to enter into an authentic connection with each other,鈥� Croushorn said in a 鈥淧racticing compassion illuminates our commonalities and brings us to the gentle understanding that indeed, God is in our midst. To me, it is the framework of living in the way of love. And this idea was running in my mind continually while writing 鈥極pen Wide the Doors.鈥欌��
As the winner of the competition, Croushorn will receive $1,500 and his hymn will be published by MorningStar Music/ECS Publishing Group in a collection of new and recent hymns from Duke Chapel.
A based in the Raleigh-Durham area,聽Croushorn聽is an associate editor of School Choral Publications at Alfred Music Publishing. He also participates in the local music scene through the NC Songwriters Co-op and Carolina Contemporary Composers. As a performer, he has sung in the聽Academy of Music聽in Philadelphia and at聽Avery Fisher Hall聽in New York and multiple years at the聽, hosted at 黑料正能量 each summer.聽