". . .energizing: from the music to the fellowship.  The quality of the music is beyond my fondest hope and the quality of the choir is an achievement for which each should feel proud." ...Bill Selby

"He brings to all musical questions a penetrating curiosity and a useful skepticism.. . a provocative colleague.  Not since I participated in the Cleveland Symphony Chorus under Robert Shaw have I had such a satisfying musical experience." ...Mary Kime

top

---

---

His classes and workshops may explore the many musical forms of worship that have been created over the last 2,000 years.  Many ancient musical forms are still in use today; some are disguised and have taken on new flavors.  Some come straight out of the bible; others were created by bored monks during the middle ages.  Discover the history and meaning behind such auspicious sounding rituals as:

Missa di Gloria, Missa d' pro functo, Requiem, Te Deum, Cantata, Motet, Fraction Anthem, Oratorio, Magnificat, Canticle, and Vespers.

Be the life of your next dinner party as you elucidate on the following:
 

In the past several decades, the renewal of the spiritual life of the Church has created a pressing need for new hymns and service music.  This has served as a catalyst for a world-wide outburst of creative sacred music unparalleled since the reformation.  Many denominations, including United Methodist (1988), have re-constructed their hymnals to include this contemporary renaissance of music as an effort to respond to the challenge of spreading the Good News to a changed and changing world.  The goals of these revisions include:
Include texts which present the Christian faith with clarity and integrity;
Support the nature of toady's church by including contemporary and inter-cultural works;
Strengthen ecumenical relationships by including tunes used by other Christian communities;
Create a hymnal with both practicality and esthetic excellence.

The last goal, esthetic excellence, often causes confusion among church members.  Words and phrases like "classical", "contemporary", "long haired", "Christian music"are often tossed about without exploration or understanding of their representation.  It is sometimes tempting to connect a particularly favorite style to our definition of quality.  That is, "good music" becoming only that which reflects a particular stylistic or historic preference. 

There is good music.  There is also bad music.  Music is both art and craft.  Those trained in the craft, rather than simply observing the art, of music learn to understand the components of both.  Through that training, musicians are able to draw upon the longest and largest possible repertoire to provide a deep and lasting musical and spiritual experience.  An involvement that transcends that of any one style.

In the past we had offered: Handel's Messiah, The Mozart Requiem, Bach - B Minor Mass, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Dubois- Seven Last Words, and Rutter- Gloria and Requiem.

Since worship is the context into which music is placed, a unified understanding of that context provides the framework for integrating the component of music with other aspects of the experience.  Worship is the cultic act performed by all participants that reminds us of who we are and what we know.  Although a possible by-product for an individual, the intent of worship is not to be entertaining, educational, a performance for an audience or reprimanding.  Music, the most powerful method expression available, is the unifying mucilage of the service.

From earliest times the human race has expressed through music many of its deepest feelings, its jubilation, and such of its yearnings as can find only partial fulfillment in words.  The books of the old testament record the voice of Israel in song, and according to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, the Last Supper ended with a hymn.  It is this ancient tradition of liturgical song that served as the root stock for the creation of a body of music through which Christians enter into ritual dialogue with their Creator.  It is from the riches of this legacy that the Church offers music with which we can articulate our adoration, exaltation, and prayer to God.

The key points of the above are that:

Within the setting of worship, music propels the service, providing the rhythm and motion of the experience.  Song is used to express elements of the faith that would be inadequately stated by spoken word alone.  Bypassing the pitiful intellect within the brain, music reaches and speaks to the heart's ear, exposing the human spirit to God's message.

Music serves as a powerful expression of the faith of the church.  Musical expression of faith takes two musical forms: ones that involve the congregation (hymn or responsive singing), and ones that present an appropriate message through musical performance (choral anthems, solos, or instrumental music).  Music provides a form of ministry to the congregation that enables the entire body to feel and experience a connection to God and each other.  This is the purpose of congregational singing,  to corporately express a facet of faith as a unified supporting group.  The style of this expression shall necessarily change depending upon the aspect of worship being performed, that is, the style of music for consideration of the crucifixion would not be the same as for the resurrection.  It is the duty of the director of music to ensure consistency between musical style and theological theme.

Another very important aspect of music in the church is the ministry it provides to participants.  Just as involvement with the church enlarges people's sense of who they are, it is the fundamental tenet of the choral experience to provide singers with an experience of being part of something larger than themselves.  This extends particularly to children.  With the decline of musical teaching the schools, the church is becoming one of a few places where children can participate in this art form.  Just as Christian education serves to mold and guide our children within the values of Christianity, children's music provides the same exposure and training to the treasure of sacred music in areas not available elsewhere.  Many singers and performers of today had their first exposure to music in the church.

Finally, music can be a form of community outreach; even evangelism.  Performances held at the church (secular or sacred) serve to raise the level of awareness of the church in the community.  It is an opportunity, as we say each week, to live our lives in a way that will make people want to know our God.