alcm no. 2, 2015 rejoice, give thanks, and sing · rejoice, give thanks, and sing 1 the ostinato of...

In this issue of

in tempo:

Rejoice, Give Thanks,and Sing 1

The Ostinato of the Soul 5

Through the Church the Song Goes On:Making Chorales aLiving Tradition 6

Composing for the Church: You Can Do It! 8

Five-Year Countdown to the 500th 11

Spruce Up ThoseChorale Preludes 12

Singing the Church's Song atChristmas 14

In Review: Ein NeuesLied - A New Song 16

Music in Season: The Christmas Cycle: My FavoriteThings 18

Dear St. Cecilia 23

EvangelicalLutheranWorship by Martin Seltz

ten years ago this summer atthe 2005 ChurchwideAssembly of the Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America(ELCA) held in Orlando, Florida,this deliberative body commend-ed Evangelical Lutheran Worship foruse in the ELCA. The EvangelicalLutheran Church in Canada tooka similar action that year. Manycongregations have been usingthe “new” worship book now forover eight years. So, what’s beenhappening—especially from thestandpoint of musicians andsinging assemblies? What aspira-tions for new principal worshipresources are well underway?What plans have shifted? Whatnew avenues for renewal haveopened?

No. 2, 2015ALCM

a practical resource

for Lutheran

church musicians

Rejoice, GiveThanks, and Sing

LutheranService BookBy Paul Grime

when the LutheranChurch—Missouri Synodbegan in 1997 to explore

the development of a new wor-ship resource, a unique historywas very much at play. LutheranWorship (1982) had at that pointbeen in service for only 15 years.The fact that fully one-third ofLCMS congregations were stillusing the 1941 The LutheranHymnal, and 10 percent wereusing Lutheran Book of Worship,said it all: the LCMS had signifi-cant divisions when it came to theresources for use in worship.

Fast-forward nearly a decade toAugust 2006. When LutheranService Book rolled off the presses,it wasn’t necessarily clear that itwould be able to overcome thesedivisions. But if that proved to be

ELW continues on page 2 LSB continues on page 3

ALCM in tempo no. 2, 20152

The Song IsDeep, theSong Is WideEveryone knowsthis: Evangelical

Lutheran Worship is marked by anexpanded repertoire of song.Sheer numbers: over 200 addi-tional psalms, service music selec-tions, and hymns compared to itspredecessor, a 30% increase; twonew, complete musical settings ofHoly Communion plus eight serv-ice music sets. Not only is the wellof song deeper than before, but itis wide. In the late ‘90s, Libro deLiturgia y Cántico and This Far byFaith gathered up significantrepertoires of song from variousethnic and global traditions. Giftsfrom these sources were amongthose carried into ELW, so thatover fifty of its songs include atleast one stanza in a second lan-guage besides English.

This expansion and reshaping ofthe repertoire of song was oneresponse to the need identified inSeptember 2000, in the “NextGeneration of ELCA WorshipResources” plan prepared by theELCA’s Division for Congrega-tional Ministries and PublishingHouse units: “While the additionof diverse resources that supple-ment LBW has been a gift to theentire ELCA, the growing com-plexity and number of separatebut related materials point to theneed for a new and commonapproach to primary worshipresources that are supportive ofthe entire ELCA for the next gen-eration.”

More Different ThanDiverseWorshiping communities todayare increasingly marked by broaddisparities in their own reper-toires of song. Just as some of usnow have over 3000 tracks on ourmobile devices organized intoeclectic mixes, some congrega-

tions have enthusiasticallyembraced ELW’s expanded reper-toire of song and are alreadylooking for more and more.Conversely, some congregationsstruggle to find even basic musicleadership to help them keeptheir small but beloved core ofsong alive. Some congregationsare bringing together variousstyles of song when gathered inworship, while others remaindivided into several camps withdistinctive playlists. And, evenwith a more diversified repertoireof song, many congregationsstruggle to reflect the ELCA’shope and intention of becominga more multicultural church.

An Unfolding FamilyOne of the hopes noted in theIntroduction to EvangelicalLutheran Worship was that theassembly edition and mainaccompaniment editions wouldbe “the beginning of an unfold-ing family of resources in formsreflecting an evolving variety ofmedia, intended to respond tothe developing needs of a churchin mission.” To a certain extentthis promise has borne fruit. Thefamily has “unfolded” to includeover 100 supporting resources,including—for leaders of song—guitar and simplified keyboardeditions, introductions and alter-nate accompaniments for organand piano, vocal descants andchoral stanzas, psalm settings andgospel acclamations, hymn andliturgy settings for instrumentalensembles, and anthem settingsof newer hymns. Two MusicSourcebooks have added over 150assembly songs to support the sea-sonal needs of the liturgy from AllSaints through Easter. AMandarin/English bilingualhymn collection, New Hymns ofPraise, appeared in 2011.

In other ways this vision of anunfolding family has shifted. Forexample, the sleeve inside thepew edition back cover wasdesigned to house smaller printsupplements that would emergeon a regular basis. A few of thesehave appeared (Singing OurPrayer; Of the Land and Seasons;and the bilingual SantaComunión). And congregationshave found other creative ways touse that feature, such as to housewelcome cards, stewardship mes-sages, and children’s coloringpages. But an ongoing plan tocreate such printed inserts haslargely been set aside. Why a shiftlike this?

Digital AccelerationELW was launched just before themost recent acceleration of thedigital revolution: before theiPhone, before social media.These phenomena are fundamen-tally changing the ways peopleaccess content and express com-munity. Sundays and Seasonsonline, scheduled for expansionand improvement in 2015, hasbecome the go-to worship plan-ning utility for congregations,where they access not only pub-lished resources but also—some-times in digital form only—freshand timely worship ideas as wellas new liturgy and song content.Prelude Music Planner expandsthis approach into a wider realmof digital planning and download-ing of choral and instrumentalsupports. Requests for other e-ver-sions are becoming more fre-quent and are being seriouslyexplored. Digital accelerationcontinues to change the land-scape.

ELW, continued from page 1

Evangelical LutheranWorship is marked byan expanded repertoireof song.

ALCM in tempo no. 2, 2015 3

Ongoing Renewal ofWorshipPhysical resources are of coursenot the whole story of renewal.The 2005 Churchwide Assemblyaction called for ongoing renewalalso in resourcing: equippingchurch musicians, preparing ros-tered leaders, helping congrega-tions make the best use of theirpeople and other resources, toname a few examples. We’ve seenthat these efforts can be challeng-ing to launch and sustain. Duringthe ELCA Worship Jubilee thissummer in Atlanta, keeping goodcompany with the ALCM BiennialConference, a major part of theagenda will be dedicated to spark-ing conversation about whatongoing renewal of worshipmeans and how we might carry itforward. I hope you’ll be there toadd your “living voice”!

Keeping God’s Mission inMind“Through liturgy and song thepeople of God participate in thatmission, for here God comes withgood news to save. And throughliturgy and song, God nourishesus for that mission and goes withus to bear the creative andredeeming Word of God, JesusChrist, to the whole world” (ELWIntroduction). “Renewing wor-ship” is never for its own sake orbecause we crave something shinyand fresh. The Holy Spirit who“renews the face of the earth”(Psalm 104:30) is the same Spiritwe invoke to work in us and torenew the face of worship for thelife of the world.

The Rev. Martin A. Seltz is publish-er for worship, music, and congre-gational life at Augsburg Fortress,including the EvangelicalLutheran Worship and Sundaysand Seasons resource families.

In Tempo is published twice a year by theAssociation of Lutheran Church Musicians,810 Freeman St., Valparaiso, IN 46383.

800.624.2526 � www.alcm.org

[email protected]

Subscription is included with membership inALCM.

Editor: Nancy Raabe

Designer: Kathryn Hillert Brewer

ALCM Business Manager: Cheryl Dieter

Columns:Through the Church the Song Goes On: KevinHildebrand

In Review: Tom Leeseberg- Lange

Contributors to this issue: Jean Boehler,James Gladstone, Paul Grime, Tom Gerke, KenKosche, Ron Koch, Carl Schalk, Martin Seltz

But beyond the matters of practi-cality and innovation, the successof Lutheran Service Book lies, in nosmall part, in the deliberate effortto assemble a collection ofresources, especially in thehymnody, that unambiguouslyproclaims the Gospel that theLutheran Church has always cher-ished. While the more than 100new hymns in LSB are drawnfrom a variety of traditions andstyles, they are above all else faith-ful expressions of the grace ofGod revealed in his Son JesusChrist. The richness of thisexpression has been both noticedand appreciated.

the case, it would-n’t be for lack oftrying. TheCommission onWorship and the

committees that developed LSBhad pondered very carefully thestrengths and weaknesses of eachof our hymnals. Careful testing,much of it carried out via theinternet, enabled us to gain a fair-ly accurate sense of what wouldbe necessary to move the LCMSbeyond its hymnal divisions.

The ResultConcordia Publishing House esti-mates that 85% of LCMS congre-gations are currently using LSB.While the vast majority use theprint version, there are a numberof congregations that make use ofLSB exclusively through the elec-tronic version, Lutheran ServiceBuilder.

What accounts for the success ofLSB is a combination of severalfactors. The Commission attempt-ed a “wisdom of Solomon”approach in that it weighed care-fully the strengths and weaknessesof the predecessor hymnals andaimed for a “best of both worlds”outcome. To a large degree, itappears that they were successful,given the fact that many of theconcerns raised for years aboutthe earlier hymnals simply meltedaway after LSB made its appear-ance. From its inception, weunderstood that LSB was wouldnot be a print resource only.Within months of its release, afully functional electronic versionwas ready for use—probably thefirst hymnal ever to be developedfrom the ground up in both for-mats. The continued success ofthe Builder, which has assumedthe role of the chief planning toolfor worship in the LCMS, testifiesto the groundbreaking impor-tance of this resource.

LSB, continued from page 1

The continued success ofthe Lutheran ServiceBuilder testifies to thegroundbreaking impor-tance of this resource.

LSB continues on page 4


Resources AboundA worship resource as compre-hensive as a denomination hym-nal is never produced in isolation.While the traditional companionresources were developed forLSB, numerous other resourceshave sprouted up since 2006.

A guitar chord edition of all thehymns was published shortly afterLSB’s appearance. CPH releaseda companion edition of all theservices as a downloadableresource just this past May.

A complete series of organ prel-udes in twelve volumes on all thehymns in LSB is now past thehalfway point under the editor-ship of ALCM member KevinHildebrand.

The Concordia Organist, a 31-CDset of recordings of all hymns andservice settings has proven quitepopular. While the leadership of alive musician is always preferable,the high use that this resourcehas received reminds us of thecontinuing role the ALCM needsto play in encouraging the train-ing of future church musicians.

The Pastoral Care Companionhas attained a level of success thatalmost rivals LSB itself. This com-prehensive resource provideshundreds of pages of scripturaland hymnic resources on a widerange of topics suitable for the

pastor’s spiritual care of his flock.The usefulness of this volume hascommended itself even beyondour Lutheran circles. Severalyears ago CPH released this vol-ume both in an eBook formatand as an app that contains addi-tional resources. Very soon aSpanish-language version will beavailable from CPH.

And speaking of eBooks, this pastspring CPH issued LSB itself inboth Amazon Kindle and AppleiBook formats. As in the case ofLutheran Service Builder, theyproactively worked with all of thecopyright holders to ensure thatthe entire resource would beavailable. While no one antici-pates the demise of the physicalbook anytime soon, the appear-ance of an e-hymnal can onlymean that more people will havethe opportunity to make use ofthe hymnal as a personal devotionresource.

Ripple EffectsAn unanticipated result of theappearance of LSB was the devel-opment of two foreign languagehymnals. The first, Liturgies etCantiques Luthériens, was devel-oped by the Lutheran Church—Canada. Though this hymnal isnot a purely French version ofLSB, it shares many features andwas directly inspired by theappearance of LSB. While theimmediate audience was obviouslyfor French-speaking congrega-

While the more than 100new hymns in LSB aredrawn from a variety oftraditions and styles,they are above all elsefaithful expressions ofthe grace of Godrevealed in his Son JesusChrist.

tions in Canada, the book hasalso been introduced into Haitiand several countries in Africa.

The second hymnal, IbadaTakatifu, was prepared for theEvangelical Lutheran Church inKenya. Again, though it is farfrom a Swahili version of LSB, itwas developed by the ELCK inpartnership with members of theLCMS who participated in theproduction of LSB. Like its prede-cessor book, it combines the rich-es of the Lutheran tradition withlocal, Kenyan treasures to pro-claim the Gospel in that setting.

With Fresh EyesSo what lies in the future for LSB?Surely, additional resources willbe developed. But we’ve reachedthat point in the life of a hym-nal—the same might be true forthose using ELW—where it maybe just as important to step backand take a look at it once againwith fresh eyes. What are thehymns or other resources that I’mno longer noticing? What treas-ure might be lurking just aroundthe corner that I have yet to dis-cover? In the case of LSB, what Ido know is this: those undiscov-ered treasures are just waiting topoint us to Christ.

Paul Grime served as projectdirector for Lutheran ServiceBook. He currently serves on thefaculty of Concordia TheologicalSeminary, Fort Wayne, where he isalso the dean of the chapel.

LSB, continued from page 3


by Cheryl Dieter

we’ve all experienced it. Infact, church musicians andpastors may be more sus-

ceptible to it than others. Youknow what I’m talking about.That pesky Taizé refrain that playsover and over in your head, refus-ing to stop even after you imposean enormous mental ritardandoat the end. The keyboard piecethat dances through your brainuntil your mental fingers are tootired to practice it any longer.The choral anthem that embedsitself in your head at the end ofchoir practice and is still wailingaway when you return the follow-ing week. I’ve been in the“church music biz” my entire life,and I spent a good portion of thattime attempting (mostly unsuc-cessfully) to rid myself of thosenever-ending musical loops, someof which are there for no discern-able reason.

Several years ago I was at a verylow point in my life—I don’t needto go into the details; you’ve allexperienced that as well—and inthe middle of it all there was achoral anthem stuck so solidly inmy brain that there was barelyroom for any other thoughts. Itried every trick I could think ofto rid myself of the music, buteven when it went away for shortperiods of time, it would return.It was almost as if it had a life ofits own.

I finally gave up trying to rid my-self of the music that was playingin my head and instead stoppedand listened. It was a choralanthem that I had not sung forsome time, and the act of listen-

ing was both revelation and gift.The words were from that won-derful passage in Isaiah 43:

When you pass through thewaters, I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire youshall not be burned,and the flame shall not consumeyou.

The text was speaking God’swords of comfort and encourage-ment with clarity and assurance.The flowing piano accompani-ment soothed as it playedthrough my head. In the act of lis-tening, the music wrapped itselfaround me as if God’s very armsheld and embraced me.

Sometimes that pesky brain musicis simply an unwanted intruder inyour brain. But then there aremoments such as the one I expe-rienced when what we are hear-ing is something else altogether.I’ve come to think of thosemoments as the “ostinato of thesoul,” music that plays over andover again precisely because, inthe very depths of our being, weneed to hear what it has to sayagain and again and again. So,dear friends, before you set out tosilence the music playing in yourbrain, please stop and listen. Youmay be surprised by what youhear.

Cheryl Dieter is Minister ofWorship & Music at TrinityLutheran Church in Valparaiso,Indiana.

The Ostinatoof the Soul

In the act of listen-ing, the musicwrapped itself

around me as if God’svery arms held and

embraced me.

©iStock/MarinaZakharova


from time to time, churchesand religious bodies presentthe results of surveys of

church music trends, such as best-selling songs, top music down-loads, or commonly used songs.Such an example is a 2011 survey1

of many mainline Protestant hym-nals purported to show the mostcommonly used hymns by thosereligious bodies based on howoften the hymns were included inrespective worship books over thepast century or more. Whether ornot the hymns are actually chosenand sung in congregations is adifferent question! Nevertheless,reviewing such surveys oftenyields some predictable results,particularly the minimal represen-tation of Lutheran chorales insuch surveys. In the 2011 surveyonly three chorales were repre-sented: “A Mighty Fortress,” “NowThank We All Our God,” and “OSacred Head, Now Wounded.”

The Christian church’s hymn cor-pus is never finite; rather, it is anever-expanding repertoire. A richexperience of Christian hymnodyis not found in churches thatclaim to “never sing any old stuff”nor in those who “never sing any-thing written after 1750!” God’speople of the 21st century are, inthe words of Norman Nagel,“heirs of an astonishingly rich tra-dition” of liturgy and song, andare served well by composers andhymn writers who continue tolend their art and craft to givemelodies and texts to God’s peo-ple in every age.

However, there is also good rea-son why the Lutheran chorales ofthe Reformation era are calledKernlieder, or core hymns, forLutheran congregations. Thesechorales provide a sung confes-sion of the faith with rugged andrhythmic melodies, often unri-valed in other good, right, andsalutary hymns. A Christian con-gregation is blessed when it isserved by a variety of musicallyrich and theologically soundhymns of every age, including ahealthy helping of chorales.

A definitive collection of choraleswas the 1545 publication, theBabst Gesangbuch (so named for itspublisher, Valentin Babst). ByGod’s grace, many are still foundin Lutheran hymnals, including:

Aus tiefer NotChrist is erstandenChrist lag in TodesbandenEin feste BurgErhalt uns, HerrEs ist das HeilGott sei gelobetHerr Christ, der einig Gotts SohnJesaiah, dem ProphetenKomm, Gott SchöpferKomm, Heiliger GeistMit Fried und FreudNun bitten wirNun freut euchNun komm, der Heiden HeilandVater unserVerlieh uns FriedenVom Himmel hochWir glauben all

Timeless truthsReality may prove that some of

these chorales are unfamiliar toyour congregation. Worse yet iswhen pastors, musicians, andother worship leaders are unfa-miliar with them! Why includethese chorales in your congrega-tion’s rich repertoire of singingfrom all times and places? Onceagain, the answer is in what thehymns confess: What do they sayabout God, particularly of ChristJesus? What do they say about usand our sinful condition?

There is a plethora of topics rep-resented in hymns and songsfrom all manner of churches andreligious bodies. Sometimes theyare informed by current events,or are inspired by elements of aparticular time and place. Goodhymns, including chorales, exhib-it what hymn composer StephenR. Johnson calls “Lutheran signa-ture items,” timeless topics thatnever go out of style and alwaysaddress our sinful condition andneed for a Savior, such as:

Original sinJustificationChristologySacramentsTheology of the cross vs.

the theology of gloryLaw/gospel distinctionThe holy ministryThe church

Of course, not every hymn needsto incorporate all of these topics,but we must continue to constant-ly evaluate the choices we aremaking for our congregations.

through the church the song goes on Kevin Hildebrand

Making Chorales a Living Tradition


An example from Martin LutherSome examples of these “Luth-eran signature items” are foundin Martin Luther’s great exposi-tion of the faith, “Dear Christians,One and All, Rejoice.” Here wesing about ourselves beingtrapped in sin. These are wordsthat are not easy to sing, and per-haps we do not sing them oftenenough, but this truth remainstimeless:

Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay,Death brooded fiercely o’er me,

Sin was my torment night and day;In sin my mother bore me.

My own good works all came tonaught,

Free will against God’s judgmentfought,

So firmly sin possessed me. (ELW 594:2)

Luther in his wisdom does notend the hymn there, for that isnot the end of the story! Thehymn continues with the story ofsalvation through Christ:

God said to His beloved Son:“It’s time to have compassion.

Then go, bright jewel of my crown,And bring to all salvation.

From sin and sorrow set them free;Slay bitter death for them that they

May live with You forever.”(LSB 556:3)

The Gospel truth, that in Christwe are set free from sin, death,and the devil, is set forth withclarity in this chorale. Our con-gregations are blessed to havethese words in their mouths, ontheir lips, and in their lives.

More than four stanzas? One common negative percep-tion of some chorales, including,“Dear Christians, One and All,Rejoice,” is their length. “DearChristians” has eight stanzas inEvangelical Lutheran Worship, andten in both Lutheran Service Bookand Christian Worship. These can

seem overwhelming to somesingers (or some musicians andpastors). Here the wisdom of theReformation era can inform usagain in its practice of singing along hymn in alternation. Thoseof us who have experienced hymnfestivals have reveled in the richexamples of this as well, when achoirs, or men or women sing aparticular stanzas. This practicenot only reduces singer fatiguebut allows the part of the congre-gation that is not singing toreflect on the text that is beingsung. No choir? No problem, ifyou have at least one strongsinger who can function as a“choir of one” to sing a stanza.One further suggestion especiallyfor smaller congregations is toassign stanzas to “pulpit side” or“lectern side” (or right side/leftside) instead of men and women.

Still another option is to sing partof a hymn as a processionalhymn, for example, and to singthe rest as the hymn of the day.Or a portion of the hymn may besung during the distribution ofthe Lord’s Supper, and the finalstanza or two could be used as aclosing hymn. Or a judiciousselection of stanzas may be cho-sen with discernment. Whendividing a hymn in this manner,care must be taken not to be the-ologically abrupt or incomplete.For example, if singing only thefirst two stanzas of “DearChristians, One and All, Rejoice,”the last words the congregationsings are “so firmly sin possessedme.” This is most certainly true—but the gospel has not yet beenproclaimed!

A living traditionGiven the oft-cited “hymn explo-sion” of the last several decades

and all the blessings that manynew hymns have been to thechurch, a challenge for congrega-tions is how to keep the choralesprominent in the musical andliturgical choices in our congrega-tions. Even though these choralesmay be found in your congrega-tion’s hymnal, a hymn that’s inthe book but never sung remainsa treasure waiting to be uncov-ered. Perhaps you should do asurvey of your own congregationand see how many of these Kern-ieder have been actually used inyour parish over the past severalyears.

The church sings these choralesnot merely to dust off some clas-sic ideas from time to time, or torotate the stock in a liturgicalmuseum. On the contrary,hymns—both old and new—are aliving tradition to which everygeneration of the church laysclaim. Hymns that confess thefaith help us “fix our eyes onJesus, the founder and perfecterof our faith,” as He brings us lifeand salvation through His Word,especially the Word proclaimed insong. May our prayer be thatwhich is found in this chorale ofElizabeth Cruciger:

Oh, time of God appointed,Oh bright and holy morn!

He comes, the King anointed,The Christ, the virgin-born,

Grim death to conquer for us,To open heaven before us

And bring us life again. (CW 86:2)

1 Christianity Today, March 2011.

A hymn that’s in the bookbut never sung remains a treasure waiting to be uncovered.

Kevin Hildebrand has served in theMusic Department at ConcordiaTheological Seminary since 2002,and currently serves as Kantor. Hedirects the Seminary Kantorei andSchola Cantorum, plays the organfor daily chapel, and instructs stu-dents in liturgics and church musiccourses.


by Kenneth T. Kosche

the words sprang from the lipsof my son’s Kindergartenteacher years ago: “I know

you’re a composer. But, you’re so… so normal!” Perhaps you sharethe notion that composing musicinvolves some sort of mysticalpowers, hocus pocus, inspiration inthe night, or at minimum adegree in composition. Sorry todisappoint you, but normal peo-ple can write music (which sug-gests other questions I’m notgoing to risk). Yes, you can com-pose. It is an activity among manythat musicians do regularly,though it may appear daunting atfirst.

As a young person, I was interest-ed in the piano. I often impro-vised when it was practice time,maybe a little too much. It waseasier to let my fingers wanderthan to discipline myself to thetask at hand. But those musicalexcursions provided an insideworking knowledge of music. Itbecame obvious to me whensomething sounded “cool” andwhen it didn’t. As I became moreadventurous, and as my keyboardfacility improved, I tried moreideas. In that way, without havingto bother about things like tonicand dominant chords, progres-sions, cadences, and a host ofother musical terms, I just mademusic. Simple music. Pleasingmusic—at least pleasing to me.Later at the university the profes-sors gave names to those soundswhich I had already experienced.This is the proper way to learn:experience (form concepts) first,attach labels later. Too much

emphasis on the “rules”—andwhose rules are they, might Iask?—dampens imagination andsuggests a “cookie cutter” mentali-ty. Contrary to popular belief,most college music theory coursesdo not satisfactorily prepare musi-cians to be composers. Analysts,maybe; creative persons—no.

There is so much to be said andso little space. Let me lay outsome ideas and then give somesuggestions how you may make astart composing. Most of thesecomments refer more specificallyto choral music, but you can easi-ly infer a broader context includ-ing keyboard and instrumentalmusic.

There is great power insimplicity.“Simple music need not be simpleminded,” said Robert Wetzler(former publisher/owner ofAMSI). Too often composers failto resist the urge to “gild the lily.”The beauty and simplicity of aunison choral piece, even anunadorned melody sung unac-companied, can be deeply evoca-tive. Yet I have heard from morethan one director that theirchoirs turn up their collectivenoses at the thought of singinganything less than four-part har-mony. “It’s just not choir musicotherwise.”

One finds the occasional pub-lished anthem with a lovelymelody accompanied by a virtualpiano concerto. What this tellsme is the composer is a pianistand used a melody to show off hiskeyboard skills. The accompani-ment did not support the melody,it obscured it. If a tune is not

strong enough to stand on itsown, one cannot make it moreeffective with 1001 strings. Theold saying, “Less is more,” applieshere. Which brings me to my nextpoint:

Melody is the wellspringof all music.Can you write a good melody?While an interesting harmonycatches the ear, I submit that acomposer’s first attention shouldbe addressed to melody, not har-mony. My frequent interactionwith Alice Parker always drovethis point home. In fact, it is acornerstone of her teaching. Ifyou start with an engagingmelody, it may suggest its ownharmony, but often as counter-point rather than familiar four-part hymnal harmony. You mightfind counterpoint far more inter-esting. It’s impossible to preciselydefine a “good” tune. However,we can identify some commoncharacteristics. A good melodystays within the range of thesinger/instrument. For singersthis usually means an octave withone note additional above andbelow (supertonic and leadingtone). There is more latitude forinstruments and keyboard, butmuch keyboard music is writtento accompany voices. The melodyshould have an interesting begin-ning, a good shape, and a satisfy-

Composing for the Church:

You Can Do It!While an interesting har-mony catches the ear, Isubmit that a composer’sfirst attention should beaddressed to melody, notharmony.


ing conclusion. It ought to havesome rhythmic interest. This mayamount to only varying the begin-ning and ending rhythms ofphrases, as many Scottish hymntunes do, or it may be a recurringrhythmic pattern, or even some-thing slightly unexpected. Tomore clearly see characteristics ofa “good” melody, analyze tunesthat appeal to you. You mightlook through your hymnal andnote them for yourself.

Many hymn melodies have a gently rising and falling shape(Ex. 1). Others rise gently butcover a wider range (Ex. 2). Stillothers open much more dramati-cally (Ex. 3).

All are interesting, but in differ-ent ways. Very few hymn tunesend high, but those that do seemto be memorable: ST. ANNE;FARLEY CASTLE. (Erik Routleyargued for this reason that thesame person may have writtenboth of those tunes.) Anotherapproach is to compare all thehymns in your hymnal for fre-quently used poetic meters suchas 8787D. ABBOT’S LEIGH is bothmelodically and rhythmicallyinteresting to me. On the otherhand, I find O DU LIEBE MEINER

LIEBE deadly in both respects.Many memorable and satisfyingtunes use scale patterns or chordline melodic movement. Singers,especially those with little to novocal training, usually findmelodies that move smoothly easi-er to sing than those that employwide or unusual intervals.

When you compose your melody,sing it, don’t play it. Sing it tosomeone else and have them singit back to you (not written downbut purely orally). Does it flownaturally or are there places youforced the melody to go unwill-ingly? Note any awkward placesand make changes. Perhapsanother individual will actually

sing it back to you in a way youdidn’t intend, and then you willknow clearly what needs editing.You can get by with almost any-thing on the keyboard but notwith singing. Practice writing amelody away from the piano.Indeed, the more proficient youbecome, the more you will wantto avoid using the piano at all asyou compose, but that comes withpractice.

All good writing startswith an idea.The better the idea, the betterthe composition. A good compo-sition makes only one or two (atmost three) ideas very clear.Aspiring composers (and I’vetaught a bunch of them) tend toget on their horses and ride off inall directions. Think unity ratherthan variety. This takes disciplineand learning how to develop amusic idea. Okay, pause brieflynow to listen to Ravel’s “Bolero.”

Form (structure) is expressive.While I never can predict the out-come of a piece, I must sketch

out the shape or the overall formof the piece either mentally or onpaper before I go too far. True,sometimes I get into a piece anddetermine that I made a mistakeand need to seriously edit. As YogiBerra once suggested, “If youdon’t know where you are going,you’ll end up someplace else!”Have a clear beginning idea whilebeing open to nuances along theway. You may not know the resulttill you get there, but don’t counton “inspiration” to rescue you ifyou have no plan. Some classicforms include ABA (the begin-ning and the end are same/simi-lar and the middle is different),or strophic (use the same tunefor one stanza after the other).

Have a clear beginningidea while being open tonuances along the way.

With the 500th anniver-sary of the Reformationcoming in 2017, take alook at some marvelousLuther texts or otherReformation period textsthat deserve to be sung.


Very few satisfying pieces aretotally free form (through com-posed). Once again, I suggest thatyou find some appealing musicand analyze it. Discover the formor the shape of the piece andthen try to imitate it.

Writing for your current needslends your composition validity.Of the hundreds of pieces I havebeen blessed to have had pub-lished, I can barely think of ahandful that I wrote abstractlywithout a specific performer orgroup firmly in mind. Most havebeen home-grown compositions,pieces written for my own groups.This also allows for trying out themusic to judge what is successfuland what needs editing (or dis-carding). Alice Parker once toldme that composers need to learnto “kill your darlings.” In otherwords, you may be perfectlyenamored of something youwrote, but that does not mean therest of the world will agree. Yourgroup may give you the most hon-est reaction. Occasionally thereare pieces only your mother oryour spouse will commend. Takethat as a sign.

How do I start?There are many ways to begin.Perhaps start by arranging analready composed tune.Interestingly, when I submittedtitles to ASCAP some years ago, Iwas told that they considerarranging and composing as thesame category. Consider thumb-ing through your hymnal andselecting an engaging tune toarrange. There are many publicdomain tunes available, and sowhat if you are captivated by onethat has already been arranged amillion times? If you are writingvocal music, you have the addi-tional burden of clearing copy-right of the text. You can find thisinformation somewhere in thehymnal. This is less complicatedthan you think and applies mostly

if you wish to submit your piecefor publication.

Instead of arranging an alreadyexisting melody, you may wish towrite a short but engaging newtune for a hymn text that youlike, which will automatically giveyou a structure. With the 500thanniversary of the Reformationcoming in 2017, take a look atsome marvelous Luther texts orother Reformation period textsthat deserve to be sung. Perhapsthe tune to which they are cur-rently wedded is difficult or unap-pealing. There are so many waysto begin.

What about harmony?Of course you can set a commonfour-part hymnal harmony underyour tune. Why not considermusical ideas found in the tuneand think melodically? Is there aninteresting motive you can playwith? Some tunes work beautifullyin canon. Select or write one thatdoes and put a few notes underthe melody at key moments tosupport it tonally and rhythmical-ly, but do not dominate or clogup the hearers’ ears with all thoseunnecessary chords! Imagine youonly have three or four differentpitched handbells to ring hereand there as the vocal parts aresung. No handbells? Play thosepitches on the keyboard (or soloinstrument). Begin there andgradually become more elaboratewithout interfering with the tune.

My choir cannot singSATB music.Guess what? Neither can mine!My university choirs could handleeight parts divisi or in two choirs.

I’m retired now. My church choirhas two men and ten women, andif I wish, sometimes I sing along.Write for two-part mixed voices.For example, give the tune first tothe high part, then to the lowpart, then sing in unison, thenwrite a simple descant for theending. Trade phrases of the tunebetween the voices. Write a piecethat uses two different melodiesthat can be sung simultaneously,sometimes called “partner songs.”Sing one tune, sing the other,next sing them together. Thereare all sorts of combinations thatcan be pleasing.

Should I consider publication?Maybe—maybe not. I think com-posers should ask: “What does theChurch need?” and that answerreally begins with “what does mychurch need.” Publishing is thelast question most of us should beasking anyway, never the first.What does it matter if your musicis not published? Quite a bit ofmy music perfectly suits the needsof my parish and glorifies God.For me, that is enough. Thesepieces likely will never be pub-lished. But I keep a file and occa-sionally revisit music I havedeposited there. Sometimes Irevive, rework, edit, and then submit them, or just deposit themback into the file for some otheroccasion.

You can write. You have to believeit. And, you certainly have to workat it.

So — what are you waiting for?

Dr. Kenneth T. Kosche is Professorof Music Emeritus of ConcordiaUniversity Wisconsin. In retire-ment he remains an active parish musician. Over 400 of his compositions are currentlypublished by 17 publishers.

Publishing is the lastquestion most of usshould be asking any-way, never the first.


since 2009, CantorConnection, the Columbus,Ohio chapter of ALCM, has

involved many area Lutheranchurch musicians throughout thecity and state in an annual hymnfestival in late spring celebratingmajor figures or events in the lifeof the church.

In addition to praising and thank-ing God for the gifts God hasgiven to us, these events havehelped create community andbuild relationships amongLutheran church musiciansthroughout the area.

The first of these in 2009 hon-ored Paul Manz around the timeof his 90th birthday. The music ofCarl Schalk was celebrated in2010, with many members ofSchalk’s family in attendance. In2011, the hymn festival honoredDonald Busarow (who also playeda hymn and the postlude) forwhat turned out to be his lastpublic appearance before hisdeath a few months later. In 2012the chapter marked the 25th

anniversary of ALCM with thehymn festival “Through theChurch the Song Goes On.”

In 2013, Cantor Connectionembarked on a “Five-YearCountdown to the Reformation,”joining with others across theworld in looking toward the 500thanniversary of Luther’s nailing ofthe 95 Theses in 1517. The planwas to hold five annual hymn fes-tivals to celebrate the gifts ofMartin Luther to the church, andespecially to the music ministry ofthe church, culminating in 2017.

The first in this series of five,“Luther’s German Mass: Thenand Now,” took place at AllSaints Lutheran Church,Worthington, Ohio, in June 2013.It explored Luther’s GermanMass in its original context andthrough contemporary interpreta-tions of those same parts of theliturgy. The event was planned byLinda Kempke with commentaryby Pastor Michael Weaver.

In June 2014 “The Hymns ofMartin Luther: Teaching theFaith” concentrated on the gift ofLuther’s Catechism to the church.It was planned by TimothyGuenther with commentary byPastor William Rauch. With theparticipation of former ELCABishop Kenneth Sauer, it was heldat North Community LutheranChurch, Columbus, Ohio.

On June 14, 2015, the third hymn

festival, “The Hymns of MartinLuther: Preaching the Faith,”explored the homiletical qualitiesof Luther’s hymns. Held atAscension Lutheran Church,Columbus, Ohio, it was plannedby Zebulon Highben, LindaKempke, and Nancy Raabe, withcommentary written by GraciaGrindal.

On June 12, 2016 “Called toServe God and ourNeighbor: Men, Women, andMartin Luther’s Idea ofVocation” will focus on Luther’sunderstanding of vocation andthe role of women. Joy Schroederof Capital University will providecommentary and will give a talkon Katherine von Bora (Luther’sspouse), the women of theReformation, and Luther’s viewsabout women and their calling.

“Here I Stand,” the fifth and finalhymn festival of the “Five-YearCountdown,” is planned for June11, 2017, at Prince of PeaceLutheran Church in Dublin,Ohio. A nationally known theolo-gian will present an afternoon lecture and the hymn festival commentary, and will also featurea well-known guest organist.

For more information on ALCMCantor Connection: Columbus orto receive news about upcomingevents, contact Tom Gerke [email protected].

Five-Year Countdown to the 500thAnniversary of the ReformationA series of hymn festivals presented by ALCMColumbus: Cantor Connection

By Tom Gerke

By James H. Gladstone

as a college sophomore, myorgan professor gave mepermission to enter a young

organist competition in Chicago.Each participant was required toplay “Hymne d’action de grâce(Te Deum)” of Jean Langlais, and“O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig” ofJ. S. Bach, the monumentalchorale prelude that runs about11½ minutes. Things went swim-mingly with my Langlais interpre-tation, but one judge raked meover the “chorale coals” for doingwhat my professor had taught me:Play the cantus firmus (melody)in the second verset with my feet,although the only edition I had atthe time was from JosephBonnet’s Historical OrganRecitals, and the cantus firmuswas written in the alto part. So Iplayed the pedal part with my lefthand, and forced my brain toread the middle part with my bigfeet.

Needless to say, I didn’t win thecompetition, but I did give thosejudges something to discuss afterwe left. And the experience setme on a life-long journey of look-ing for other opportunities toplay chorale preludes in the way Ihad been taught.

Fast-forward two decades, and Iwas an adjunct organ instructor atLake Michigan College. Most ofthe students who signed up forinstruction were beginners (oneonly wanted to learn how to playa song by Elvis Presley for hercousin’s wedding!), but those whoprogressed beyond the basicswere given the same opportunity Ihad been given. My high schoolorgan teacher had been a benevo-

lent dictator, as I had to play anentire book of trio exercises in allmajor and minor keys (12 exercis-es for each key). It was a fun chal-lenge, although I doubt thatthere are many adolescent boystoday who would enjoy it as muchas I did. Watching the feet of anorganist fascinates people of allages, probably because they don’tdo much with their own feet—and when they do, they ordinarilyhave to look down.

So taking music and creating apedal part for the cantus firmus isa challenge, but one that is wellworth the effort it takes. Mostorganists have lots of books intheir library, which may havebeen used at one time or perhapshaven’t been used at all, andLutherans tend to have lots ofBaroque-era chorale preludes.Even if one’s parish no longersings the beloved chorales, themusic can be used for worship,for weddings, funerals, teaching,and “brushing up” organ skills.This may appeal to many begin-ning organists, who valiantly leadcountless parishes in worshipacross the land, often under diffi-cult circumstances and with less-than-ideal instruments. Fear not:Most of these settings can beplayed on an organ with modestmeans, using a 4’ principal orreed in the pedal for the choraletune. Choose a variety of colorful


Spruce Up ThoseChorale Preludes

stop combinations for the manu-als, and feel free to experimentwith registrations available.

I have chosen to reference twocommon editions that many willpossess:

J. S. Bach, Organ Chorales fromthe Neumeister Collection.Vol. 9 of the complete Bach OrganWorks, First Edition, Bärenreiter5181.

80 Chorale Preludes by GermanMasters of the 17th and 18thCenturies, Peters 4448, 1937.

First, carefully go through thechorale prelude to be learnedwith a pencil (I use red) andlocate where the composer hasplaced the cantus firmus. The eas-iest to note are in the sopranoline; sometimes other voices areused, and many composers havealternated the melody with differ-ent voices. In the suggested prel-udes volume mentioned below,the cantus firmus is easy to spot.It can be helpful to use a high-lighter type marker to “draw” themelodic line from note to note.Figure out what pedaling worksbest for your feet. I lift the mark-er for rests.

Another “trick” to assist in articu-lation, often done in singing, is touse the red pencil to draw a slashthrough notes that are tied, thenrepeated immediately after thetie. In so doing, the organist willbe rewarded with several eighth-or sixteenth-note “rests.” Beforecommitting marks to expensivemusic, one may want to photo-copy a page or two to practicethese ideas, then dispose of them.

The goal is to sharpen uporgan playing skills in apleasant way… and tokeep eyes and mind alertfor a new way of readingmusic.


For the above setting in thePeters 80 Chorale Preludes, the lefthand plays the bass clef and theright hand plays the treble clef,which looks like an alto part of athree-part texture. The sopranopart (cantus firmus) with text isplayed by the feet. Either a fullregistration may be used, or a del-icate trio type may be selected. Besure to put slash marks throughall those tied eighth and sixteenthnotes that are repeated immedi-ately after the tie. Pedal notes thatare repeated, such as the firstthree quarter notes (D), shouldbe articulated as well, with eitheran eighth or sixteenth rest,depending on how reverberantthe room is (very resonantacoustics will probably requiremore space between repeatednotes). Take it slowly at first untilconfidence and accuracy areachieved, then speed things up.

The goal is to sharpen up organplaying skills in a pleasant waythat doesn’t require taking les-sons, and to keep eyes and mindalert for a new way of reading

music. One will frequently discov-er more use of the right foot inpedaling, which often needs somestrengthening exercises anyway.Give it a try as a summer project.

Suggestions from BachNeumeister Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du

verbrochen (pp. 10 – 11)

Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (pp. 24 – 25)

Christus, der ist mein Leben (pp. 52 – 53)

Herzlich lieb hab’ ich dich, O Herr (pp.58 – 59). Start the pedal on beat 3of measure 3; after the 2nd endingon p. 59, the c.f. can be brought inagain at m. 28, beat 3 until m. 32

Suggestions from 80 ChoralePreludesChrist lag in Todesbanden

(Zachau, #18)

Christus, der ist mein Leben (Walther, #20)

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (Walther, #24 – highlight changesfrom treble to bass clef)

Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit (Bach, #28)

Herzlich tut mich verlangen (Walther, #41)

In dulci jubilo (Zachau, #44)

Jesu, meine Freude (Walther, #45)

Valet will ich dir geben (Kaufmann, #66)

Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her(Zachau, #68)

As in the example above, JohannGottfried Walther and many others wrote an abundance ofchorale preludes that appear tobe for manuals only, but oftenthis method can be effectivelyused to bring out that belovedchorale melody, to be enjoyedfrom the brain to the feet to theear. Enjoy the challenge!

James H. Gladstone, a charter mem-ber of ALCM, resides in Saginaw, MI,where he and his wife, Diane, assistwith music ministry at EvangelicalLutheran Church of St. Lorenz,Frankenmuth. In addition he serveswith The American Guild of Organists.


g ive your congregation apresent this Christmas. Givethem the gift of a new

song—which is actually an oldsong, but for many congregationswill in reality be a new song. WhatI have in mind, of course, are thehymns of the day for ChristmasEve, Christmas Day, the Sundayafter Christmas, and theCircumcision and Name of Jesus(January 1).

Let’s refresh our memory as tothe role and function of thehymn of the day.

� The hymn of the day, as thechief hymn in the service, bothproclaims the good news of thegospel and teaches the faith ofthe church.

� The hymn of the day functionsas part of the proper of theorder of Holy Communion,changing from Sunday toSunday as do the appointedpsalm, the collect, and the les-sons for the day.

� The choice of the hymn of theday has been shaped largely bythe historic use in theLutheran church, but its rootscan be found even earlier. Itstexts reflect the great narrativeof salvation history in the con-text of the particular seasonand festival.

� The hymn of the day is animportant resource, togetherwith the other propers, in theshaping of the sermon. It isnot, however, a “sermonhymn,” nor should it simply

reflect the personal predilec-tions of pastor or church musi-cian. It is the hymn of the day,not the whim of the day.

� Through regular use throughthe annual cycle of the churchyear, these great hymnsbecome an increasingly impor-tant part of the people’s song.

Here, then, are suggestions forthe hymn of the day for this year’scelebration of the Nativity. Theyfollow closely historic use amongLutherans. Although their degreeof familiarity may vary from con-gregation to congregation, theyall deserve a place in every con-gregation’s repertory. While eachhymn appears in several currentLutheran books, I am suggestinga simple chant-like tune for thehymn for the Name of Jesus.

CHRISTMAS EVE“From Heaven Above to Earth I Come”(ELW 268, LSB 358, CW 38)

Martin Luther’s belovedChristmas hymn deserves to besung in its entirety. The first sev-eral stanzas are the announce-ment by the angel Gabriel andcould be sung by a single child’svoice or a small group of treblesingers.

CHRISTMAS DAY“We Praise You, Jesus, at YourBirth”(LSB 382)

“All Praise to You, Eternal God”(CW 33, LBW 48)

This hymn is in the form of aLeise, each stanza concludingwith some form of “Kyrie eleison”or sometimes “Alleluia.” It shouldbe part of every congregation’srepertoire of Christmas hymns.

Singing the Church’s Songat ChristmasBy Carl Schalk

Give them the gift of anew song.

15

CHRISTMAS 1“Of the Father’s LoveBegotten” (LBW 42, ELW 295, LSB 384, CW 35)

This great Latin plainsong, com-posed in the late 4th or early 5thcentury by Aurelius Prudentius,should be sung without accompa-niment whenever possible. Stanza1 could be sung by the choir, stan-za 2 by all the women, stanza 4 byall the men, and stanzas 3 and 5by the entire congregation.

CIRCUMCISION ANDNAME OF JESUS(January 1)“Jesus, Name of WondrousLove”(LSB 900, CW 76)

This 19th-century text by WilliamWalsham Howe (1823-97) is par-ticularly appropriate for theCircumcision and Name of Jesus,and has been sung to a variety oftunes over the years. It may also

be sung to the chant-like tunebelow.

The number of stanzas and theexact wording of these hymnsmay vary according to the hym-nal. Simple alternation betweenchoir and congregation orbetween men and women’s voicesmay be the easiest course.Rehearse the choir carefully andadequately if these hymns are newto the congregation. Speak withyour choir about the textual con-tent of these hymns and how theyare uniquely appropriate for thisfestival day.

It will be a gift they willlook forward to openinganew every Christmasseason.

With the annual repetition ofthese hymns as part of the cele-bration of the Nativity of OurLord, you will have given yourcongregation a Christmas presentsecond to none. It will be a giftthey will look forward to openinganew every Christmas season.

Carl Schalk is Professor of ChurchMusic Emeritus at ConcordiaUniversity Chicago.


Music copyright © 1967 by GIA Publications, Inc. 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638 www.giamusic.com 800-442-1358. All rights reserved. Used by permission.


Organist: David Herman • 2012. TheUniversity of Delaware Chorale, PaulD. Head, director. Lloyd Shorter, oboe.

Available from the artist/producer [email protected] for $12, postageand handling included.

Reviewed by Tom Leeseberg-Lange

this is a fascinating sampler,attractively designed andincluding an eight-page book-

let, of music by two of the mostinfluential 20th-century GermanLutheran composers of sacredchoral and organ music. Theywere born only eight monthsapart—Distler in 1908Nuremburg and Bender in 1909Haarlem, The Netherlands(though he matriculated in andlived most of his life in Germany).

Both men studied at the LeipzigConservatory, founded in 1843 byFelix Mendelssohn. (Interestingly,Bender was born 100 years to theday after Mendelssohn’s birth!) In1933, Bender became a composi-tion student of Distler. As it turnsout, Bender was the sole heir ofthe slightly older man’s tutelagein his innovative fusion of neo-Baroque style embodied byHeinrich Schütz and Distler’smodern concept of modal harmony.

Both were casualties of WWII—Distler mortally, impelled by a suf-focating set of oppressive person-al circumstances, while Benderlost an eye from a grenade shardand spent a year in an Allied

POW camp.

Both had ties with the UnitedStates. Concerning Bender, whenmen like Edward Klammer andHeinrich Fleischer (a classmatefrom Leipzig days) began notic-ing his work, Bender received an

invitation to become a “housecomposer” for ConcordiaPublishing House. From the1950s through the early 80s hewas invited to teach at numerousLutheran colleges and universitiesin the United States.

Distler’s connection was lessdirect. In 1938 he commissionedPaul Ott, uncle of well-regarded“American” organ builder MartinOtt, to build a two-manual andpedal organ for his home inStuttgart. The first four pieces onthis recording are from DreißigSpielstücke, a collection of minia-tures written for the arrival ofDistler’s house organ.

Ein neues Lied— A New SongChoral and organ music of Hugo Distler and Jan Bender

in review Tom Leeseberg-Lange

Of the half dozen recordings I’ve heard ofthis monumental work,and after re-listening toseveral, I find this one the most satisfying and authoritative.


That David Herman studied com-position with Bender atWittenberg University in the mid-‘60s and wrote his biography, pub-lished by Chantry, makes this aneven more attractive recording.

Dating from 1932, Distler’s firstmajor work, the revelatory“Organ Partita on Nun komm derHeiden Heiland,” is splendidlyplayed by Dr. Herman on theDobson Op. 74 (2000) at thesmall but resonant recital hall ofthe University of Delaware. I lovethe sound of these Dobson reeds,authoritative and elegant withoutbluster or bombast. TheChaconne spins out as an exhila-rating dance on this recordingand the opening and closingToccata unfolds with convincingand well-controlled acceleration.Of the half dozen recordings I’veheard of this monumental work,and after re-listening to several, Ifind this one the most satisfyingand authoritative.

A performance of Distler’s time-less setting of “Es ist ein Rosentsprungen” (sandwichedbetween the miniatures and thePartita) gives the University ofDelaware Chorale their chance toshine along with two later Benderpieces. Their sound is nicelyenhanced by the marvelousacoustics of the chapel atCharlestown RetirementCommunity, Catonsville, MD.

The rest of the recording is devot-ed to the works of Bender.Unfortunately, any survey canonly barely skim the surface andtease the listener, especially whenthere is so much to choose from.This means that, on this record-ing, we are presented with onlytantalizing single movementsfrom A Cantata for Baptism(Ritornel) and Wedding Sonata(Voluntary); two works for pianoand oboe; the German Sanctusfrom Missa Organo, Op. 52; a

longer setting of Gaudeamuspariter; and three of four move-ments from what is essentially apartita on Ralph VaughanWilliams’ hymn tune DOWN

AMPNEY.

One of my very first investmentsin organ literature was theBärenreiter three-volume 90Kleine Choralvorspiele, Op. 2, rec-ommended by my teacher,Michael Held, who had been astudent of Bender’s at Concordia-Seward. According to the linernotes, these small-scale choralesettings were written for the manyGerman organists who returnedfrom the war with missing arms,enabling them to perform well-crafted preludes with one-handand feet. David Fienen, whoenjoyed a close relationship withthe Bender family for many years,told me that, when Bärenreitercompiled a chorale prelude seriesfor the Evangelisches Gesangbuch inthe mid ‘90s, more Bender pieceswere included in this collectionthan by any other composer!

Seven of these smaller preludesare found on this CD and theystill sound fresh and inviting.VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN andKOMM, HEILIGER GEIST are person-al favorites. If you don’t ownthese small, oblong-format books,I commend them for your consid-eration, if you are able to locate aset.

I enthusiastically congratulate Dr.Herman on this labor of love. Hisobvious intimacy with and respectfor this music is demonstrated inexquisite performances thathonor his teacher and a body ofexcellent composition forLutheran worship that already issadly neglected.

Tom Leeseberg-Lange, a formeradministrator for ALCM, has longbeen active as director of musicministry. He has an encyclopedicknowledge of sacred repertory forthe church, and has given work-shops and written on the selec-tion of choral music for worship.

Region 4 (3 locations/dates!)August 19-20, 2016Edmonton, AB Canada

ALCM Summer 2016 regional conference dates

Region 1July 6-8, 2016Fort Wayne, IN

Region 2June 27-29, 2016Franklin, TN

Region 3July 26-28, 2016Chicago (Hyde Park), IL

Region 4 (3 locations/dates!)June, 2016Denver, CO

Region 4 (3 locations/dates!)July 14-16, 2016Sacramento, CA

Save the Date!

Richard Horn.A Shoot Shall Come Forth.SAB, organ.MorningStar (MSM-50-0200).The prophesies of Isaiah arememorably set in Dorian modewith the simple repeating SABrefrain, “Then the lamb shall liedown with the leopard,” betweeneach of the three stanzas. The twounison stanzas may be sung bychoir or cantor. The concludingphrase, “the hand of a child shalllead them to the peaceable king-dom of God,” is sung a cappellain unison until the final PICARDY

third on the organ.

Martin How.Advent Message.Unison.Boosey & Hawkes (M-051-40161-1).This adaptable piece may be sungin unison (as scored), or easilyadapted to fit each parish’s needs.Written in ABA form, the A sec-tion is a refrain in 2/2 time,Dorian mode: “Come Lord Jesus.”The repetitive phrases lend them-selves well to antiphonal singingbetween sections or

cantor/ensemble. The contrast-ing middle section is slower in arecitative style that may be sungby cantor or small ensemble. Theclosing refrain includes optionalvoices in harmony for a maestosoending as the full choir andorgan plead, “Amen, amen, comeLord come!”

D. Pearson.An Advent Processional.Unison/two-part chorus, congrega-tion, percussion.Aureole Editions (AE63).The delightful Renaissancedance-like refrain, “O come, Ocome, Emmanuel,” may beaccompanied with any instru-ments you may have on hand(percussion, Orff instruments,organ, or handbells). The stanzasmay be sung in unison (or two-part) by cantor or small or largeensembles. While written to besung in procession, it may also besung as an anthem.

G. F. Handel.And the Glory of the Lord.SATB, keyboard.G. Schirmer (50294390).When the Isaiah 40:5 text is pro-claimed on Advent 2, one cannothelp but sing this beloved chorusfrom The Messiah!

Carolyn Jennings.Climb to the Top of the HighestMountain.SATB, optional children’s choir (solo),keyboard.Curtis Music Press (C8118).The soaring melody in triple timeproclaims the Isaiah 40 text inunison, canon, and SATB harmo-ny. The fourth-stanza counter-melody which beautifully comple-ments the text, “He will come inpower,” may be sung by a chil-dren’s choir or soloist. Jennings


this list of choral repertoire haspassed my “test of time” overseveral decades of music-mak-

ing in my small but varied musicalworld. Over the years, I have hadthe opportunity to conduct tod-dlers, preschoolers, elementarychoirs, middle school choirs, highschool choirs, church choirs of sixmembers, mid-sized mixed choirsof 15-20, choirs with professionalsection leaders, and college festi-val choirs. The list that followsincludes repertoire that has beenselected for groups ranging fromtots to octogenarians, and fromnon-readers to amateur and pro-fessional musicians.

What a joy it is to hear a beauti-fully performed piece that hasbeen learned well and offered as“a sacrifice of thanksgiving.” It is atrue art to pick that perfect piecethat will challenge and inspireyour singers and congregation. Ihope you will find this list helpfulin your preparations—or at leastget you digging for what will workin your setting. God’s richestblessings as we all continue to“make a joyful noise to the Lord!”

ADVENTShirley McRae.A Litany for Advent.Two part (children or adult), keyboard,optional flute or soprano recorder,alto glockenspiel.Choristers Guild (CGA-570).Based on the lovely English folkmelody, O WALY WALY, this Adventprayer ends each of the four stan-zas with a solo voice singing “Ohcome to us, Immanuel,” accompa-nied with alto glockenspiel. Thethird stanza is a canon, and thefourth stanza has an optionalflute descant.

music in season Jean Boehler

The Christmas Cycle: My Favorite Things


sensitively sets the Isaiah text asshe uses melody, dynamics, andappropriate accompaniment foreach of the five stanzas.

Come, Thou Long-ExpectedJesus.arr. Nancy Raabe.S(A)B, piano, optional finger cymbals.Augsburg Fortress (978-1-4514-6231-9).Using the tune JEFFERSON, Raabeuses austere texture and slightly-dissonant harmonies to set amusical landscape of Advent long-ing. Modal touches and fingercymbals add an exotic touch tothis piece, which can be effective-ly performed by an ensemble ofany size.

Paul Manz.E’en So, Lord Jesus, QuicklyCome.SATB.MorningStar (MSM-50-1).This exquisite a cappella piece isa standard in choral repertoire.Written in homophonic style withcontrapuntal imitation, it utilizesthe full range of voices (from a D-flat 3 bass voice to a B-flat 6 sopra-no voice), blending in beautifulharmony.

Becki Slagle Mayo.Emmanuel Will Come.Unison/two-part, piano, optional 2octaves handbells, finger cymbals,tambourine.Choristers Guild (CGA1227).“We wait, we hope, we long forthe Messiah” is the recurringrefrain as a flowing piano part,handbells, and finger cymbalalternate with the second half ofthe refrain, “Open the gates tothe city!” with syncopated blockchords and tambourine. The mid-dle section introduces a counter-melody that is combined artfullywith the refrain melody.

John Ness Beck.Every Valley.SATB, organ or piano.Beckenhorst Press (BP1040).The simple recurring refrain isone you will keep humming. Therepeating Isaiah text is first sungby men, then women, and thensung in unison together. Thepiece continues to build with amodulation up a whole step, four-part harmony, and a concluding“Amen!”

Keep Your Lamps!arr. André Thomas.SATB, with conga drum.Hinshaw Music (HMC577).This traditional African Americanspiritual arranged by Thomas hasbecome a standard in SATBchoral repertoire. Thomas’ set-ting with conga drum adds rhyth-mic intensity as the text propheti-cally proclaims, “Be ready!”

Lost in the Night.arr. Kyle Haugen.SAB, piano, optional solo.Augsburg Fortress (978-0-8006-5924-0).Haugen sets the pleading text,“Will not day come soon?” to asimple but profound Finnish folktune, with arpeggiated pianoaccompaniment. The two unisonstanzas may be sung by a sectionor soloist.

Ruth Elaine Schram.Magnificat.Two-part, keyboard, optional flute.Augsburg Fortress (978-0-8006-7668-1).The memorable treble melodysoars in this setting of Mary’s songas recorded in Luke. The vocaldescant, independent flute line,and arpeggiated piano accompa-niment add to the simple beautyof the piece.

J.S. Bach, arr. Michael Burkhardt.Prepare Thyself, Zion.Unison voices, C Instrument, key-board, optional cello.MorningStar (MSM 50-0415).Michael Burkhardt’s edition ofthis favorite piece from Bach’sChristmas Oratorio sensitivelyweaves together C instrument,unison vocal line, and keyboard.The text is provided in bothGerman and English. While theremay be challenging vocal inter-vals, the piece is well worth theeffort.

Paul Bouman.Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers.SATB, organ.MorningStar (MSM 50-4)Bouman sets this Advent bride-groom text to the familiar tuneHAF TRONES LAMPA FÄRDIG. Each ofthe four stanzas (1-unison; 2-women/men; 3-SATB a cappella;4-unison/descant) is artfullyarranged with a fanfare organaccompaniment sprinkledthroughout the piece.

Arthur Jennings.Springs in the Desert.SATB, tenor solo, organ.Alfred (GCMR00580).Jennings is a musical exegete ashe interprets the Isaiah textsthrough various voices in recita-tive and fugal form. The dramaticvocal lines will be most effectiveaccompanied by pipe organ witha variety of instrumental colors.

Don Besig and Nancy Price.We Want to Be Ready.SATB, piano.Shawnee Press (A-6814).This spiritual is in call/responseformat with a recurring refrain,making it easy to learn and fun tosing. The bass section or a soloistcould sing the leader part for thisAdvent piece, encouraging all“…to greet the baby who is com-ing soon.”


CHRISTMASMichael W. Smith and WayneKirkpatrick, arr. Ronn Huff.All is Well.SATB, keyboard.Word Music (080689360787).Ronn Huff’s arrangement of thissong originally recorded byMichael W. Smith is one that willkeep your congregation hum-ming as they ponder the mysteryof the Incarnation. The gentle,lilting beauty of this piece is cap-tured at the outset with a recom-mended child’s solo. The suc-ceeding stanzas build with an SABstanza and concluding SATB fullsetting of “All is well” with a des-canting Alleluia.

Carl Schalk.Before the Marvel of this Night.SATB, organ.Augsburg Fortress (0800646037).Poet Jaroslav Vajda and composerCarl Schalk collaborated to makemusical magic outlining theaction plan for the angels onChristmas night. Beginning softlywith unison women’s voices, thepiece builds in the succeedingtwo stanzas with a SATB a cappel-la stanza and the concluding stan-za with descant, as the angels aredirected to sing the message ofpeace, bliss, and love.

Robert Hobby.Bring a Torch, Jeannette,Isabella.SATB, organ, optional finger cymbals.MorningStar (MSM 50-1955).Hobby sets this French carol in aneasy SATB setting with a playfulorgan trio between stanzas. Thetransparent accompaniment withfinger cymbals contributes to thechild-like simplicity, capturing thefirst Nativity.

Craig Courtney.Carols of the Night.SATB choir, keyboard.Beckenhorst Press (BP1345).This lengthy piece (8-plus min-utes) pairs two favorite Christmascarols, “O Holy Night” and “SilentNight.” The entire choir willenjoy singing these familiar carolsin a comfortable range. While theoptional full or reduced orches-tral score would add much color,the arpeggiated piano arrange-ment also works well.

Barbara Wallace.Ding, Dong, Merrily On High.SATB, organ.St. James Music Press: The SewaneeComposer’s Project 2006.When easy and joyful is the pre-requisite for Christmas Day, thispiece may fit the bill. The inde-pendent organ accompanimentsets the joyful tone as the vocallines enjoy predictable harmonieswith many parallel sixths.

Robert J. Batastini.Gaudete.SATB/unison.GIA Publications (G-3056).The Renaissance dance-likerefrain scored for SATB voices issung in Latin and accompaniedwith finger cymbals and tam-bourine. The six unison stanzas,sung in English, alternate withthe refrain and are accompaniedby ten handchimes or handbells.

Giacomio Puccini, arr. MichaelBurkhardt.Gloria.SATB, brass quartet, organ.MorningStar (MSM 50-1600).Michael Burkhardt’s arrangementof this exuberant Gloria fromPuccini’s Messa di Gloria is funfor both the performer and listen-er. Upper and lower parts firsttake turns singing the repeatingmotives as Puccini modulateskeys, and then voices join togeth-er in the original key of C major.Burkhardt orchestrates the piecewith fanfare accompaniment fororgan and brass.

Dan Roberts.Gloria in Excelsis.Unison/two-part with piano, optionalclaves, maracas, and bongos.Choristers Guild (CGA1365).A good introduction to singing inLatin, this anthem repeats thefirst two lines of text from theGloria in excelsis several times,combining them with a bouncy7/4 meter and lively percussionparts. The refrain (“Gloria inexcelsis Deo”) actually splits intothree parts, added layer by layerat the beginning. The verse (“Etin terra pax hominibus”) is inunison without percussion, pro-viding a brief contrast. Especiallyappropriate for the Christmas orEpiphany seasons, this anthemcould also be sung at other timesof the church year, whenever theGloria is part of the liturgy.

Michael Bedford.Hodie Christus Natus Est.Unison/two-part, keyboard.Choristers Guild (CGA-421).This Christmas anthem, usingboth Latin and English, workswell antiphonally. Music directorswill enjoy determining how to usethis versatile piece, whether withalternating ensembles, treble andbass, soloist/ensemble,choral/instrumental ensemble.Using rondo form, Bedford alter-nates the easy refrain with twoEnglish verses. The final refrain is


sung in canon, with both voicesjoining together for the final“Alleluia!”

J.P. Sweelinck.Hodie Christus Natus Est.SSATB.Hal Leonard (08596784).In his most famous choral compo-sition, Sweelinck intricatelyweaves the vocal lines as he pairsvoices, uses fugal imitation andhomophonic voicing in this a cap-pella Christmas motet. This sub-stantial work displays virtuosityappropriate for the festival of thenativity.

Michael Burkhardt.I Am So Glad Each ChristmasEve.SATB, organ.MorningStar (MSM 50-1039).Burkhardt chooses a lilting four-measure interlude to connect thefour stanzas of this familiarNorwegian carol. The four stanzasare sensitively set with the firstand fourths stanzas written forSATB harmony, the second stanzafor unison men, and the thirdstanza for unison women.

Dietrich Buxtehude.In Dulci Jubilo.SAB, 2 violins, and cello or string bass.Concordia (98-1501).This simple, yet elegant SAB set-ting of this favorite Christmastune is accompanied by a smallstring ensemble with interludesbetween each of the four stanzas.

The coda extends the finalphrase, “Oh that we werethere…”

Bob Chilcott.Mid-Winter.Unison/two-part, piano.Oxford University Press(9780193415232).While scored for either SATB ortreble voices, this expressive,memorable melody would beappropriate for a soloist after abusy Advent and Christmas sea-son. Chilcott successfully sets thewell-known Rossetti text to aneasy and original melody withharp-like accompaniment.

Lynn Shaw Bailey and Becki Slagle Mayo.Oh Come, Little Children.Unison/two-part with piano, optionalfinger cymbals, woodblock, handdrum, and five optional handbells orhandchimes.Chorister’s Guild (CGA 1099).From the very beginning of thepiece, simple ostinato patternsusing a hand drum, wood block,finger cymbals, and piano accom-paniment set a joyful tone to thisfamiliar German carol. Baily andMayo overlay a partner song thatcould easily be adapted for instru-ments or another ensemble.

Hector Berlioz, arr. Bob Burroughs.The Shepherd’s Farewell.SATB, organ.Carl Fischer (CM 8962).This musical gem from Berlioz’oratorio, L’enfance du Christ,Op. 25, is a blessing by the shep-herds to the Holy Child and hisparents. Each stanza begins gentlyin unison, building to SATB har-mony with a seamless harmonicchange, all in peaceful 3/4 meter.

Gerald Near.What is This Lovely Fragrance.SATB or SAB, organ.Aureole Editions/Paraclete Press(AE6).This simple French carol is setwith an independent organaccompaniment befitting the text.The first stanza is set for unisontreble voices, and the secondexchanging the melody betweentreble and lower voices with a sim-ple countermelody on “ah.” Thepiece concludes with 3- or 4-partmixed voices.

EPIPHANYMartin How.Arise, Shine for Your Light HasCome.Choir (equal or mixed voices), congregation, organ, optional solovoice.Ionian Arts (CH-1009).The versatility of this piece will beappreciated by a conductor whohas little time to prepare afterbusy Advent and Christmas sea-sons. The recurring, triumphantrefrain, “Arise, shine, for yourlight come” may be sung by con-gregation (with bulletin pageincluded in the octavo) or by thechoir. The texts from Isaiah 60between each of the refrains maybe sung by a cantor, small ensem-ble, or full choir. The well-craftedorgan accompaniment played onfull organ will set a festive tonefor the season of Epiphany.


Pepper Choplin.Deep Waters.SATB.Beckenhorst Press (BP1636-3).This a cappella piece enjoys pre-dictable harmonies and feels likean old American folk hymnyou’ve always known. Based onLuke 5:1-11, it tells the story ofJesus calling his disciples. Afterthe congregation has heard thecatchy refrain several times, theymay be invited to join for thefinal refrain, “Go to deep waters,deep waters, where only faith willlet you go. Go out to deep waters,deep waters, harvests of faith willoverflow.” A reproducible page isprovided for the bulletin.

Charles Stanford.Nunc Dimittis.SATB, organ.Choral Public Domain Library(http://www.cpdl.org).A well-trained SATB choir accom-panied with pipe organ will pro-claim the words of Simeon withboldness in the Epiphany seasonwith Stanford’s glorious setting ofthis canticle. Stanford employsharmonic richness as he accentu-ates the text. The piece concludesmajestically with the Gloria Patriand concluding Amen.

Felix Mendelssohn.There Shall a Star from JacobCome Forth.SATB, piano.Concordia (98-3783).This beloved chorus fromMendelsohn’s Christus is a glori-ous anthem for Christmas 2 orEpiphany. John Leavitt hasarranged this edition well for thepianist, with left hand octaves andtriplet figures for the right handthat fit the hand position com-fortably without sacrificing theharmonic structure.

Karen Black.Shine like the Sun.SATB, keyboard, violin or C instru-ment.Augsburg Fortress 97814514858943.This setting of John Ylvisaker’stext set to the Scottish folk songWild Mountain Thyme incorpo-rates themes of light, of God’s sal-vation, and saints who have gonebefore us who “shine like thesun.” Equally fitting for All SaintsDay or the Epiphany season, thealternating unison/four-part tex-ture, the lush harmonies, and thepentatonic descanting C instru-ment create warmth and beautyin the celebration of Christ’s lovedemonstrated through the saintsand continuing in our lives today.

Knut Nystedt.This is My Beloved Son.SAB, organ.Concordia (98-1805).Immediately grabbing the atten-tion of the listener, this piecebegins with an organ chord clus-ter followed by a recitative sungby a cantor, setting the stage forthe words of God the Father.Tranquilly, a unison mixed choirsings the words in long note val-ues, “This is my beloved Son withwhom I am well pleased.” Theshort piece dramatically con-cludes in harmony and growingvolume, “Hear ye Him, hear ye,hear ye Him.” This piece wouldbe appropriate for the Baptism ofour Lord or Transfiguration.

Mark Patterson.This Little Light of Mine.Unison/two-part, piano, optional tambourine.Choristers Guild (CGA1108).The piano accompaniment withits syncopation and bass addsmuch to this song, which isscored either for unison/two-partor SATB (CGA1309). There isopportunity for three soloistsbefore the full ensemble enterswith “gospel joy” and optional

tambourine. This rousing piececould also work well for com-bined choirs.

Ed Thompson.We are Walking.Layered 3 parts with optional two-part cantor line.Church Publishing (0898695902).If you haven’t discovered thedelight of leading ensembles orassemblies the “paperless way,” it’stime! Thompson’s We areWalking is a perfect Epiphanypiece to teach with the text, “Weare walking with the light ofChrist.” There are three parts tothis song, which may be taught byrote. When combined, the musi-cal result is magical (and pain-less!).

Mark Sedio.We Believe that This is Jesus.SATB, soprano or tenor solo.Concordia (98-9720).This versatile African Americanspiritual in call/response formatbegins with the soloist heartilysinging and the SATB choirresponding in harmony, “Comeand see.” While the first stanzawould be appropriate forTransfiguration (“The light ofGod lights up His face”), the gen-eral nature of the text would alsobe appropriate during theEpiphany or Easter seasonrecounting the miracles of Jesus.The final refrain builds excite-ment as it is sung in four-partcanon and dramatically concludeswith a fortissimo phrase followedby a phrase sung piano.

Jean Boehler serves as Cantor atRedeemer Lutheran Church, avibrant and diverse LCMS congre-gation in The Bronx, New York. In2010 she founded Arts in Mission-NY and continues to serve as itsdirector and head teacher. Jeanhas a DMA in organ performancefrom the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


Dear Trying,It looks like you are experiencingthe “new face” of Christianity andthe growing diversity of our socie-ty and thus, the Church. Whowould have thought there wouldbe these kinds of complications?While there can be beauty indiversity, there can also be musi-cal challenges.

How to go about it? Your usualapproach of tackling issues headon with a positive attitude maywork, but this is unique, as yousay. I would suggest that youmight get the help of a womanwho could bridge the ethnic and

because I need help.” Please beaware that your sense of the musi-cal ideal and her sense of it arelikely not the same. And thenplunge into the issue of matchingconsonants for quality choralsound and appropriate chorusblending. Offering to work withthe whole choir and/or with asmaller group of the soprano (oralto) section might be moreacceptable to her (and helpful toall).

We have a problem sometimes inthe church with being “nice.” Wedon’t want to offend; we want tounderstand. We don’t want toalienate; we want to empathizewith others. This is good, becausesometimes we have been all tooinsensitive. AND we also want tobe clear. So you are strugglingwith how to be nice and how tobe clear.

I would welcome ALCM choirdirectors to offer suggestions andhelp to us all concerning this sen-sitive issue of choral pronuncia-tion. Let’s hear it from those whoare experienced, please.

St. Cecilia

Oh for a Thousand Tongues to SingGreetings St. Cecilia,I am the organist/choir director for a wonderful congregation. Recently ourcongregation started an ethnic mission that holds a service in their nativetongue. One of the members is a pleasant lady who has joined our choir (Idirect the music for the English speaking services only) and sings with uswhen there is not an ethnic worship service at the same time. Due to the lin-guistic differences she pronounces some consonants in ways that are differentthan most English speakers. These issues wouldn’t be so challenging if she alsodidn’t sing with a very strong voice with, frankly, an unpleasant tone. All ofthese combined cause frustration for me as I try to achieve uniformity in vow-els (and consonants I guess) and achieve a good choral blend.

I generally try to tackle issues head on with a positive attitude so problems donot fester, but this one has a unique component. I think she is a fairly newChristian, and I do not believe her husband comes to church with her. One ofthe other choir members has befriended her and brings her to choir rehearsalsand worship. She has an agreeable, upbeat personality, yet she seems to shyaway from eye contact and conversations with me. (Is it because I’m male?) Ihave a fear that if I were to take her aside and mention that she should singsofter it might turn her away from the church and I clearly don’t want that tohappen. The other choir members are friendly to her, but I have heard com-ments that show that her voice is causing some negative feelings. What shall Ido?

Many thanks, Trying to be Sensitive

“Dear St. Cecilia,” previously published in ALCM’s Grace Notes, is back in print bypopular demand. Pastor Ron Koch, the “Dear Abby” of the Lutheran church musicworld, is the voice behind St. Cecilia, and he welcomes your questions and concerns.You can reach Ron at [email protected] or by snail mail to Good Shepherd LutheranChurch, 1735 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy, CA 95020. Phone calls are also welcome at(408) 842-2713. If the writer wishes, his/her identity may remain anonymous.

Dear St. Cecilia Ron Koch

gender gaps to help with this con-versation. It’s not that you don’tknow how to approach this kindof subject under these unique cir-cumstances, and you need somehelp. You might start by askingabout her involvement in churchlife: How did she hear about yourcongregation’s ethnic mission?How has she been involved incongregational life before shecame to your church? You mightget to the point of your conversa-tion with some kind of self-disclo-sure. “I’m not sure how best tobring up this issue, so I havebrought a friend to help me,

In TempoAssociation of Lutheran Church Musicians

810 Freeman St.

Valparaiso, IN 46383

Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDValparaiso, INPermit. No. 105

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