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Worship BREAD BATH &

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Joyful

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Ancient-Future Worship?

CHOIR REHEARSALS ARE WORSHIP SERVICES TM OUR

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Volume 33 - Number 6

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20

Less Talk – More Participation

A Church Musician’s Bookshelf :

Front Page Marshall Sanders

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Feature

Bread, Bath, & Beyond Marcia McFee

TM Education

Lent and Easter Annette Bender

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Spotlight on Doug Albertson Bob Burroughs TM

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What is Ancient-Future Worship?

Reviews of Anthems Worth Having

Chris Alford

Staff

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28

Joyful Noise

Reviews of New Materials

Select 20

Worship

Good Stuff

Choir

Vern Sanders

Staff

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Last Page

Our Choir Rehearsals are Worship Services Vicki Carr

in this issue

we focus upon worship...during lent, during the course of choir rehearsals, and more...plus a spotlight interview with Doug Albertson, the Select 20, and some thoughts about Joyful Noise...

September/October 2011 | creatormagazine.com

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by Marshall Sanders

front page

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less talk – more participation

Each of us hopes for voluntary worship activity by each churchgoer, that they decide to block out their surroundings, put aside their daily struggles and open themselves up to concentrated worship of God. Reality, I’m afraid, dictates that we design our services for those at the other extreme of the spectrum, those who could be called “diversionary worshipers.”

These souls are so easily distracted that their attention must constantly be retrieved.

They are not the only beneficiaries of continual congregational participation, but they are certainly the most needy group.

So many congregations tend to “program” services for the benefit of the leaders,

one’s thinking, causing announcement time, interviews, and even performance-geared music to become higher place than reading Scripture and even praying. Churches who have flexibility should make every effort to assure their diversionary worshipers a meaningful and interactive time with God. Churches with a liturgical style often justify sufficient worship motivation in that very liturgy. For these churches, the decision is often not one of how to “program in” more participation, but rather how to encourage the congregation’s continual energy and enthusiasm for it. Even the most experienced congregant needs a regular reminder of their purpose as a participatory worshiper.

We should take a moment to revisit the level of participation that our congregants are offered in a given worship service leaving all participation by the congregation to be “from within the heart” only. Obviously the more liturgically minded a church is, the more is “required” of the congregant in active involvement. The more evangelical a congregational worship style is, the more flexibility is given the staff in determining appropriate activity from the pews.

Free worship style literally means “free to be flexible.” Certain elements of the service don’t have a written sequence or a “policy” of order or content. I’ve attended worship services at Bible-believing and Bible-teaching churches where Scripture is rarely, if ever, read during worship. The lack of policy among free churches can gradually change TM

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It must also be remembered that no matter what the style, it is unfair to make the assumption that a church’s “way” will be easily understood by everyone present. For newcomers, these procedural “assumptions” must be clearly explained, either verbally, on screen, or in the worship folder All elements of corporate worship are for the benefit of God, our real audience.

However, for God to hear and for us to expect His response, the participation level and sincerity of each participant become critical, with the responsibility for that energy falling on every planner and leader of worship. fine We believe that this editorial, originally published in 1991, remains relevant today, which is why we include it here.

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Volume 33 - Number 6 November/December 2011 publisher Vernon Sanders editor Bob Burroughs editorial board Christine Anderson Hugh Ballou Wendell Boertje Glenn P. Eernisse Allen Henderson Heather Hood Lloyd Larson Douglas Lawrence David Leestma William Lock Carl M. Peters, II Steve Phifer Paul Satre Pamela Urfer Thomas Vozzella Edwin M. Willmington Paul Leddington Wright John Yarrington computer engraving Geyser Ridge Associates printing coordinator Pete Moceri Creator Magazine PO Box 3538 Pismo Beach, CA 93448 (800) 777-6713 creator@creatormagazine.com Creator Magazine (ISSN #1045-0815) is published bimonthly by Creator Magazine. U.S. subscription rates are: $32.95 - 1 year, $55.95 - 2 years, $73.95 - 3 years. Foreign subscriptions (sent printed matter – airmail): Canada and Mexico, add $10 per year to above subscription rates. Other foreign countries, add $25 per year to U.S. rates. (All foreign payments should be made by check in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank.

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feature

theme? bread, bath, & beyond

by Marcia McFee

what’s in a

Greetings, fellow ritual artists! Yes, that’s what I call anyone who creates art (visual, verbal, musical, dramatic, media) for worship. Whether you come at this work of worship design from an arts background and found out you had to be a theologian as well, or if you came at this from a call to ministry and found out you had to be an artist as well, we are all ritual artists together.

In my online worship planning resource, the Worship Design Studio, I advocate for designing worship in extended, discrete chunks of time – themes – using the liturgical year as the structure and inspiration for our movement through that time. Using the theme I’m working on for this Epiphany Plus season (the

term I use for Sundays from Epiphany up to Lent) entitled Bread, Bath & Beyond, let’s look at some reasons to design around a theme.

Themes Create Meaningful, Intentional Spiritual Journeys for a Congregation Creating a theme for a season is not antithetical to following an organizing structure like the lectionary. In fact, creating a theme can help focus us for a meaningful viewpoint on a particular trajectory in the lectionary.

Too many times I hear preachers say, “I just tell my music person to look at the lectionary and pick music from

For the Choir – and its Director!

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that.”And I say, “that’s not enough direction to really create a collaborative and cohesive worship design.”

The Bread, Bath & Beyond series begins on New Year’s Day, which happens to be the first Sunday of the month – often a communion Sunday – and ends on Transfiguration Sunday – the Sunday before Lent begins.

The second Sunday of the series is Epiphany, or Baptism of the Lord, Sunday and so we have a focus on bapTM

tism. The rest of the season talks about moving “beyond” limitations.

Each Gospel lesson from the lectionary underscores this spiritual journey (“Beyond the Chaos,” “Beyond the Boundaries,” “Beyond the Fear,” etc).

Of course, themes can be created from other starting points besides the lectionary: a biblical author, a metaphor, a spiritual need of the congregation, world current events, books, movies, and much more.

Themes Create Memorable and Formative Experiences of Worship We want worship to be memorable.

When worship lives beyond sanctuary walls in our memory, it becomes formative for our lives.

Cognitive scientists tell us that memory is made both through repetition and distinctive experiences. In other words, we need to revisit concepts to deepen our understanding and we need those

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Clip Art Sale Order our special Clip Art Package for just $12 (postpaid) by calling 800-7776713. The package includes all of our available books and CDs.

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Dr. Marcia McFee

is a nationally known worship consultant, designer, leader, and preacher.

Planning ahead allows us to incorporate the theme into the rest of the life of the church... “ah-ha” moments that are “unforgettable.”

Designing worship in themes gives us both of these opportunities. The title of this series itself – a cultural play-onwords – creates an “ah-ha” moment

(no one will be able to see the home goods store ever again without thinking of the worship series). But over the course of a series, we must also revisit and deepen theological inquiry and spiritual practices as we can use what I call “threads” (consistent visual ele-

for further reading • The Questions of Worship (Gordon Borror) Sep/Oct 90 • Worship: Religion or Relationship (Jim Altizer) Mar/Apr 93 • Whatever Happened to God-Sensitive Worship? (Edwin M Willmington) Nov/Dec 95 • Taste Wars – and How to End Them (Stephen D Lawton) Jan-Apr 96 • Holy Week in the Early Church (Robert Webber) Mar/Apr 98 • Worship is Not a Matter of Taste (Marva Dawn) Nov/Dec 99 • Preparing for Ministry in a Postmodern World: The Worship-Driven Church (Robert Webber) May/Jun 00 • Where Two or Three are Gathered: Exploring Alternative Worship Strategies (Bradley Sowash) Nov/Dec 01 • Rethinking Chrsitmas: The Gospel as Incarnation and Identification (R William Muir) May/ Jun 02 • Don’t Plan a Service – Create a Moment! (Doug Lawrence) Mar/Apr 07 • Understanding Worship at Its Core (Tom Kraeuter) Sep/Oct 09 You can find many of these articles and/or buy the Choir Articles Compliation CD for just $24.95 at creatormagazine.com. All articles are available by calling 800-777-6713.

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ments, repeated musical refrains weekly for Calls to Worship, Prayers of the People, Benediction responses, etc).

For instance, we will underscore the “beyond limitations” idea each week of the series with sung prayer woven into spoken prayers:“Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.”

Designing Themes Helps Us Plan Together and Plan Ahead In the Worship Design Studio, we “preach” a “plan together and plan ahead” strategy that creates more fun and less stress for worship design – especially because Sunday comes around every week!

When we plan for chunks of time rather than weekly “one-hit-wonders,” it allows us to incorporate the theme into the rest of the life of the church.

For instance, Bread, Bath & Beyond could point us to focus on our work with local homeless shelters (why not even get the chain store from which the series’ name comes to put out donation boxes to collect supplies for shelters or families in need?).

what is ancient-future Worship?

I am blessed to be the pastor of the first-ever church start built intentionally from the ground up on Ancient-Future principles. We call it Epiclesis: An Ancient-Future Faith Community.

Ancient-Future is not a denominational affiliation. It is not a worship style or church growth technique. Ancient-Future is a worship theology – and it’s a living, present theology that goes beyond the Sunday worship event.

Robert Webber said that the “road to the future runs through the past” – that any meaningful living out of our faith in the here and now must engage the Tradition and practice of the early church and classic Christianity. Ancient-Future, to him, wasn’t some gimmick or latest fad, but rather a deep immersion in the common, refreshing waters of the well that is ancient faith and worship. Webber writes, “If you want a definition of ancient-future worship it is this: The common tradition of the church’s worship in Word, Table, and song, practiced faithfully and communicated clearly in every context of the world.”

How are we going about “doing” Ancient-Future? What does this mean for us at Epiclesis?

• It means that we listen to and learn from the past. The modern church would say that old ways of doing things are ineffective, inefficient, or inferior. But the Holy Spirit has a history and we would do well to learn how He has moved and worked in the lives of our spiritual forebears. Epiclesis draws upon the whole of church history – not one period or style – to inform and shape our worship and our faith.

• It means that we allow Scripture and God’s saving acts and deeds to order our steps. Epiclesis follows the ancient practice of the Christian year, along with the discipline of the common Scripture lectionary, to keep our eyes and feet on a path of close communion with the person and work of Jesus. We mark the passing of time according to God’s saving acts and deeds rather than our own.

• It means that we tell the whole story of God – from Creation to Consummation – in all of life, and most especially as a prayer that we lift up to God in worship. We recognize that we don’t so much invite God into our lives and story as much as we accept the invitation to join His. It is God’s great story that shapes and gives meaning to all of life.

• It means that we live life, and walk out our baptisms, in the reality that Christ’s work on the cross defeated the enemy – He redeemed not only me and you, but the whole of creation, that Jesus Christ is Lord over all creation and that He overthrew and dethroned the powers and principalities.

• It means that in our worship, we ask the Holy Spirit to lift us up to participate in the ongoing communion between Father and Son. Jesus Christ is our King, Lamb, and High Priest and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The historic content of word and Table – God’s ways of remembering His saving acts and deeds – stand at the center of our corporate worship.

If you would like to learn more about an Ancient-Future present, I encourage you to read the “Call to An Ancient-Evangelical Future,” a foundational document that anyone who hungers for renewal in the church and in her worship should read.

Chris Alford Pastor Epiclesis Sacramento, California Epiclesis.org

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Call it evangelism or call it publicity, planning ahead gives us time to get the word out...

Call it evangelism or call it publicity, planning ahead also gives us time to get the word out to folks who may find that something in the description meets their yearning for a spiritual journey. And planning ahead helps all ritual artists have time to create visuals, media, liturgy, and music that truly becomes part of the Word proclaimed.

I believe this planning together is one of the faithful ways that liturgy becomes truly “the work of the people.”

Planning a thematic series for worship is not just about “catchy” titles. A good theme is one that has substance and can sustain and guide the spiritual journey of a congregation over time. Like a good book has chapters and like a good hymn has verses, a good worship series will build anticipation, expand our awareness, and deepen our passion for the Holy Living God. fine

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LEADERSHIP!

MondayMorningEmail.com is a great educational tool to enhance your music ministry. Now even better with a fresh focus on Leadership! Sign-up TODAY at MondayMorningEmail.com to get the best in leadership articles and resources for your ministry.

And announcing the launch of the new Thursday Morning Email!

It’s all about Worship! Featuring these writers…

Tom Kraeuter

Marcia McFee

Steven Phifer

Chris Alford

...and YOU!

Thursday Morning Email is a gathering place for sharing creative worship ideas and staying on top of worship resources.

Thursday Morning Email starts January 2012 Sign-up TODAY and add your voice from the beginning!

Join the discussion at ThursdayMorningEmail.com.

WORSHIP! Creator Magazine is focused on giving you the BEST information and resources for ministry. Don’t miss ALL that Creator Magazine has for you online at CreatorMagazine.com…articles, interviews and reviews of the BEST music from ALL publishers.

Creator Magazine is…

MUSIC! MINISTRY! WORSHIP! LEADERSHIP!

...come join the discussion.

November/December 2011 | creatormagazine.com

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by Vern Sanders

choir

joyful noise

Vern Sanders is the publisher of Creator magazine. He blogs at dotdotdotblog. com.

The church choir, and the joy of singing in such a choir has been under attack for a generation At the church I served from 1984-1999, the youngest aged children’s choir was called “Joyful Noise.” And boy did they make some – along with, on a fairly regular basis, something unexpected. My favorite memory of this group is the young lady who simply rocked back and forth on her feet and, with a big smile on her face, waved continually at her family while the rest of the children sang their appointed round.

The sheer joy of the singing (and waving) participants in a children’s choir is easy to spot, and, for adults these days, somewhat harder to understand. It seems as if the whole generation of children from that time period, at some time around junior high school age – particularly boys – got that joy of singing in a choir ground out of them by culture, peer pressure, and, more and more, the allure of passive pursuits like watching television, playing video games, and texting. And those children are now in, or close to, their thirties – and many of them are pastors.

Why is that important? The last thing I want to communicate is a “that younger generation!” kind of reactionary rhetoric. But the institution of the church choir, and the joy of singing in such a choir, has been under

this issue author contact Christ Alford ~ pastorchris@epiclesis.org Marcia McFee ~ worshipworkshop@aol.com Vern Sanders~ creator@creatormagazine.com

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attack across the US almost continuously – often from the pastoral office – during and since my time at that church. Let me count some of the ways: •

Choirs are not relevant anymore

•

Choirs are old fashioned

•

Choirs sing boring music

•

Choirs are made up of old people

Choirs became the casualties of a kind of vicious circle: The more people (especially marketers trying to sell “hip” new products to the leadership of “contemporary” churches) said to church leadership that choirs didn’t belong in the church, the more churches shifted resources away from choir ministries. As more and more resources were shifted away from choir ministries, those that participated in those ministries became increasingly marginalized. The more marginalized those that participated in choir ministries became, the less influence they had on leadership. Choirs became an “endangered ministry.” Choir ministry leadership abandoned the churches in droves.

Twenty plus years later, there are many towns and cities in America in which choir ministries are hard to find, if not completely gone.

We at Creator have watched – and felt – this killing off of choir ministries with a mixture of incredulity, horror, and helplessness.

Creator has supported, encouraged, and provided materials for choir ministries since we began publication in 1978. Surely, we

national choir appreciation Sunday January 8, 2012

has been designated as National Choir Appreciation Sunday – the first time that a campaign has been launched for churches across America to celebrate the musical members who volunteer their time to uplift and empower the church. According to Chorus America, there are more than 32.5 million choir members in churches across America, and collectively, they volunteer 8.5 billion hours every year. On National Choir Appreciation Sunday, churches across America will take time to recognize the musical volunteers in their congregations.

thought, something as basic as the Scriptural call to “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” could not deliberately disenfranchise any group of people who gathered to sing. Surely the desire to have someone lead a group of people who wanted to sing together could not solely be fulfilled by a person holding a guitar. Surely the longing to learn to sing with excellence was an acceptable way to “Bring honor to His name.”

Surely John’s Revelation that he heard “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing” meant that earthly choir ministries were the best possible preparation for eternity.

Choirs are Not Dead Apparently we were right. All of a sudden, in the last year or so, choirs seem to be everywhere: •

On television (Glee, and Sing Off, for instance)

•

On the internet (Choirs are one of the most common flash mobs going these days on You Tube, and Eric Whitacre’s

Virtual Choir videos are well documented viral hits) •

on singing in a Choir

On the big screen (for example the upcoming release of the “Glee for church choirs” movie, Joyful Noise)

And, believe it or not, in spite of all the efforts to do eliminate them, choirs are still found in the church.

According to a study done by Chorus America, there are more than 32.5 million church choir members across the US. To put that into perspective, that is roughly equivalent to the population of the state of California.

Those singers show up every week, and every week they make a significant joyful noise.

Choirs Are Communities There are several reasons for this choir survival in the church, one of the most important of which is that choirs – whether found in churches or not – create community. As wellknown soloist and choral conductor Doug Lawrence declares, “I know how encouraging, uplifting, and mysterious the human voice is, especially when joined with other

Growing up in the south, the choir was an essential and favorite part of my church-going experience. In fact, our choir was one of the main influencers that led me into the music business.

Dolly Parton

There are more than 32.5 million church choir members across the US

Quality

“The tour was very well planned and provided a great mix of tourism and missionoriented excursions. The choir was highly impressed – their favorite tour to date.”

Dennis Coleman, Director, First Congregational Church of Bellevue

corrections • We regret that in our last issue we incorrectly spelled Matt Rexford’s name

For over fifty years, we have customized tours to fit each group’s unique interests, abilities, and expectations. Many satisfied ensembles return year after year, knowing that we can provide them with a memorable experience every time.

800-627-2141

WST 601 273 533 • CST 2063085-40 Photo courtesy of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church Choir

ACFEA Tour Consultants 123 Second Avenue South, Suite 105 Edmonds, WA 98020 www.acfea.com . email: info@acfea.com

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on singing in a Choir After over 50 years as a choir director, I now attend choir rehearsals with my daughter and learn the music. I no longer sing vocally but in my mind and heart I worship as choir rehearses. Then on Sunday I sit in the congregation with my copy of music in hand and worship as they sing. The music and words mean so much more to me now even if and when the style of the music has changed. It also communicates between me and the choir members (and God!) with encouragement for service.

Elmer L. Crosby

www.thesingerlink.com

Choir communities are often the “biggest small group” in a church human voices. There’s a lot more to it than that, though. In the church the human voice forms microcosmic communities dedicated to enriching the lives of macrocosmic institutions.”

Those choir communities are often the “biggest small group” in a church. Because of the nature of choir ministry, people who participate in that ministry are leaders in the church, be they an elder, a deacon, or the church admin. In the best choir communities, people form close relationships. They take care of each other, like Alice White, who chauffeurs her friend Flo to and from rehearsals during the winter because Flo doesn’t like to drive in the dark, or Dan Odum, who sat next to his friend Charlie for years “for the good of the choir” because Charlie had trouble matching pitches when he decided to join the choir.

Why do choir members go the extra mile?

Because they are called to choir ministry.

As Heather G. Stubbs puts it: “I sing with a 60-voice choir. We’ve just finished a 3-performance weekend. Exhausting but great fun!”.

Vicki Carr, of First Baptist Church, Texarkana, Texas tells this story: “In our choir, we have a “special” friend, 24 years old, who has the mind of a 10-year-old. He listens to the rehearsal CD, constantly, and concentrates on learning our music with everything he has.

His nice voice, and his sincere worship and love of Jesus make him a delightful, if somewhat uninhibited, choir member. Our body has taken him in; some have bought him clothes, others transport him to his group home after a late rehearsal. [At the same time] he touches our hearts, as he prays, earnestly, for people in his group home, for his mother, and for the underprivileged.”

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That these examples are not unusual is evidenced by the fact that a choir as a community who cares, and challenges each other to be better – both musically, and as people – forms the plot line to the movie Joyful Noise, which stars Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton.

Choirs Touch People at the Deepest Level Choir is family, and together can experience God, and His blessings, in a unique and eternal way. Carr explains that when choirs sing, there is more to their message than just music: “[At a] Christmas rehearsal, our guest artist, Babbie Mason was rehearsing “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” a song R__ had never heard. Babbie delivers this song with passion, and I happened to glance in R__’s direction and saw him weeping. I went over and hugged him and said, ‘you have a tender heart, don’t you?’ He just shook in my arms. His own mother would not have understood, but I did. The music and the lyrics reached him at a deep level. And at that moment, his 10-year-old mind understood something the most sophisticated scholars cannot.“ Lura Milner says: “Years later, I still hear, in my head, choir music that I have sung, and I feel a deep sense of connection to the people with whom I was singing.”

In the Joyful Noise movie, the plot revolves around the struggles a choir, and its members face, but the star of the movie is the music. In the pre-release screening I attended, it was the music (superbly written and arranged by former Take 6 member Mervyn Warren) that produced the biggest reaction. In talking with several of the reviewers after the screening, that was the common theme. The music genuinely moved people from where they were in life, to a place of praise.

Choirs Lead Worship in a Way that Is Hard to Duplicate There is something about the energy in a worship space when a choir is there that just doesn’t happen when a choir is not. Choirs give focus to congregational singing through their joyful noise, and project an energy from the platform that can’t be duplicated by turning up a knob on an amplifier. There is a visceral connection between a group of singers and a group of listeners that is almost like an invisible force. Choirs, through their joyful (and sometimes lamenting) noise, express feelings that congregants often didn’t know they had.

In his book, Ministry and Music, Robert Mitchell discusses Kierkegaard’s model of worship in which every person present is an actor and God is the Audience. In this context he writes, “...the choir exists to prompt and enable each worshipper to worship; each choir member is at the same time prompter and individual worshiper before God.” My Lutheran background meant that, growing up, the choir’s place was in the “choir loft” which was in the back of the church. At that time, and for many years thereafter, I believed that placing the choir in an unseen location meant that the congregation could concentrate upon listening to the beauty and majesty of the choir’s music without being distracted by the visuals. I have become convinced, however, that a choir’s place is with the rest of the worship leadership team, to serve as prompters in worship. Seeing the emotion of the choir members as they sing their message can be a powerful ministry – and can touch even those who suffer from hearing impairment. As Elmer Crosby says: “I no longer sing...[but] on Sunday I sit in the congregation and worship as [the choir] sings.”

Church Choirs Need to Celebrate, and to be Celebrated Personally, I have reached my limit. I am tired of apologizing for why choirs need to be in churches. (I hasten to say that at the church I now serve, there is a choir – a great choir – and both the leadership and the congregation at large is very supportive of the choir’s ministry.) If a choir knocked down the walls of Jericho, I say it is time to knock down the prejudices about choirs.

One small step in that process is for churches to intentionally celebrate choirs, and their ministries. Many churches have a “choir recognition Sunday,” where all the choirs in the church participate in the same worship service. Sometimes this service takes the form of a “dedication,” often with a commissioning liturgy, in much the same manner as a congregation might send off a missionary or a youth group mission trip. In other cases it is more of a “music is the message” event, where the choir(s) present(s) the sermon in a musical form, either by doing an extended sacred work, or several anthems around a specific theme.

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CONFUSED?

National Choir Recognition Sunday Interestingly enough, there is now an “official” National Choir Recognition Sunday. In 2012, it is slated for January 8. Among the people who are supporting this movement are Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah, each of whom have done public service announcements on behalf of this event. You can find links to those video PSAs here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6IScMC5UUg

HELP IS HERE The Choir in Modern Worship is now available for immediate download at www.creatormagazine.com

Whether you are a singer or a director, I encourage you to go to the official facebook page for the NCRS [http://is.gd/gH6xKY] and “like” it, if for no other reason than to show the extent of your support for choirs in churches, and their ministry. As of this writing, there are 19,501 people who “like” NCRS, and the more there are, the more people who will realize that church choirs are blessing and ministering to people.

We at Creator have never forgotten that choirs have been an integral part of music and worship ministry for over a thousand years. Even though choir ministry has been under attack, we believe that the stylistic pendulum has begun to move back, and that choirs will be a significant part of music and worship ministry as we go forward in the twenty first century. We intend to continue to provide resources for those involved in choir ministry, both singers and directors, both here in the magazine, and online at creatormagazine.com.

If you agree, I enourage you to lift your voice and make a joyful noise.

fine

The First National Choir Recognition Sunday is slated for January 8, 2012

for further reading • The Two-Edged Sword (Weston Noble) Nov/Dec 78 • Affect or Effect: The Role of the Choir (Dennis A Jewett) Jul/Aug 85 • The Incarnational Work of the Adult Choir (Philip L Mitchell) May 88 • A Called Choir: Playing for Keeps (Dan Bird) Jul/Aug 93 • The Choir in Worship – Any Choir in Worship (Sue Ellen Page) Nov/Dec 96 • The Choir as Worship Leader: Revitalizing the ministry from the Loft (Ron Man) Jul/Aug 99 • Growing Your Choir’s Relevance (Glenn A Pickett) Jul/Aug 09 • The Choir in Modern Worship (Vern Sanders) Jul/Aug 09 You can find many of these articles and/or buy the Choir Articles Compliation CD for just $19.95 at creatormagazine.com. All articles are available by calling 800-777-6713.

18

volume 33 - number 6 | creatormagazine.com

on singing in a Choir Aside from the first, and most obvious responsibility of leading the congregation in worship, being a choir member offers a chance to experience the most joyous microcosm of community. A choir that keeps an open door and open arms to newcomers can be the next thing to “family,” especially for a person experiencing life alone.

Vicki Carr

Pine Lake Music invites you to the 2012...

Composer’s

Symposium

T June 18-21, 2012

his 4 day seminar is designed to take new writers to the next step in their creative development and prepare them for publication. Established writers will find this an important time to refresh their skills and study the craft of sacred and educational composition.

One unique feature of the conference is the Master Classes. Registrants are encouraged to bring one of their pieces for presentation. Our panel of leading writers and arrangers will offer encouragement and advice in an open forum designed to focus on making your composition the best it can be. Whether it is your first anthem, a lyric, a simple worship song or an arrangement of a wellknown hymn or folksong, this is your chance to receive training from the best.

Students will receive a packet of important information about the submission process and how to maximize their efforts to get published.

Thursday evening will feature a special dinner with the presentation of awards and entertainment by the clinicians.

The seminar will be held at our showroom/conference facility in Decatur, GA (east of Atlanta).

Joseph Martin Jean Anne Shafferman

Richard Nichols

Sheldon Curry

Robert Sterling Cherry Garasi

for more information and to register, visit...

Pepper Choplin

PineLakeMusic.com Also, visit our site to download the new Easter/Spring 2012 Catalog

November/December 2011 | creatormagazine.com

19

by Annette Bender

education

a church musician’s bookshelf

You want to learn more about how to do your ministry better, but you don’t have the ability to go to seminary. What can you do?

You can read all about it by assembling a bookshelf of valuable resources. The books on this list form a core collection in the areas of church growth and outreach. They are taken from an extensive collection assembled by a person with a career of more than forty years as a church musician and worship leader, and can be considered classics. Enjoy!

Fresh Out of the Box, Vol. 1: Digital Worship Experiences for Palm Sunday through Pentecost Sunday. (CD included). Lumicon Digital Productions, 2002 Griggs, Patricia & Donald, Mary Corman, illus. Teaching and Celebrating Lent-Easter.

Rev. ed. Abington Press, 1975.

Lewis, C. S. A Clean Heart Create in Me; Daily Lenten reflections from C. S. Lewis. (pamphlet)

Annette Bender recently retired from a position she loved – being a school librarian – and is an alto in her church choir.

Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary; Lent/Easter. Abingdon Press, 1993.

Stallings, Joseph. Rediscovering Passover; a Complete Guide for Christians. Resource Publications, 1988.

Strobel, Lee. The Case for Easter; a Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection. Zondervan, 1998.

Taliaferro, A.A.. Sermons for Lent. St. Alcuin’s Press, 1970.

Phyllis Cole and Everett Tilson, Litanies and Other Prayers for the Revised Common Lectionary. Abington Press, 1993.

Talley, Thomas J. The Origins of the Liturgical Year. The Liturgical Press, 1986.

Mazar, Peter, art by Evelyn Grala. To Crown the Year; Decorating the Church through the Seasons. Liturgy Training Publications, 1995.

Webber, Robert E.. Rediscovering the Christian Feasts; a Study in the Services of the Christian Year. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1998.

Butcher, Carmen Acevedo. Following Christ: a Lenten Reader to Stretch Your Soul. Paraclete Press, 2010.

Morneau, Robert F. Ashes to Easter; Lenten Meditations. Crossroad Publishing Co., 1996.

Weems, Ann. Psalms of Lament. John Knox Press, 1995.

Dawn, Marva J. I’m Lonely, Lord-How Long?

Meditations on the Psalms. Rev. edition.

Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998.

Pennington, M. Basel, O.C.S.O. Seeking His Mind; 40 Meetings with Christ. Paraclete Press, 2002.

Episcopal Musician’s Handbook. The Living Church Foundation, Inc., 2008.

Hostetter, B. David. Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People; Worship Aids for the Revised Common Lectionary. Abington Press, 1997.

Barnhouse, Donald Grey. The Cross Through the Open Tomb! Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1961.

Bread and Wine. Readings for Lent and Easter. Orbis Books, 2003.

Lent and Easter

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volume 33 - number 6 | creatormagazine.com

Weems, Ann. Searching for Shalom: Resources for Creative Worship. John Knox Press, 1991. .Worship Blueprints; Series A Planning Ideas for the Seasons of the Church Year. Board of publication of the American Lutheran Church. Augsburg Publishing House, 1980.

fine

by Bob Burroughs

spot light

Doug Albertson

Director of Creative Arts Ministries First UMC Santa Rosa, California Creator: We are pleased you are “in the spotlight” for this issue of Creator magazine, Doug. How long have you served this great church in your current position and where did you serve prior to coming to this church? What sequence of events led you here?

Doug Albertson: Thanks for giving me this opportunity to talk about my church work with your readers. I’ve been a member of the National Association of Church Musicians (NACM) for over 25 years, and am extremely proud to have been chosen for “Spotlight.”

TM

TM

My first church position was in high school. Someone needed a baritone. I had no idea it would be a career path… working for churches, that is. I got my initial shot at directing a church choir in the mid 80s. Thanks to that experience, I became a serious church musician, serving two congregations in Oregon before returning to Santa Rosa FUMC as a part-time staff member in 1997, moving to full-time in 2002.

Creator: Tell our readership a bit about your background – what your music history is, and so forth.

Doug Albertson: I received my BA in Music from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.

During my post-college wandering years, I eventually went back to school to earn a Teaching Credential from the University of Alaska/Anchorage, where I got my first good taste of choir teaching. I took that experience to the Bay Area to search for a music teaching job in post-Proposition 13 California.

Bad timing for career start!

Looking back, though, I’m so thankful God got hold of me during this time!

TM

TM

leadership network

creator celebrates every church musician and worship leader...

TM

and the ministries of which they are a part. We regularly turn the spotlight on people involved in ministry in order to help inspire and provide ideas for others. If you would like to recommend someone for our spotlight let us know.

November/December 2011 | creatormagazine.com

21

After giving up trying to land a full-time choir job, I returned to school for a Masters of Teaching in Choral Conducting from Portland State University, where I had an incredible 2-year tenure working with Bruce Browne. That led to my stint as a secondary-level choir and drama teacher in Tillamook, Oregon and then ultimately, back to California, where I’ve been ever since.

Creator: Do you have opportunity outside the church to participate in events that are close to your heart, such as musical theater?

Doug Albertson: Your question rightfully implies the challenge of having spare-time outside the church, which is not a lot. One non-church, semi-annual event both near to my heart and home is the annual Rural Cemetery fundraiser called “Lamplight Tours,” where guests wander the wooded old graveyard late at night to watch us re-enact scenes from the lives of historical figures.

My wife and I also love being arts patrons throughout the Sonoma County region. There are so many good amateur music and theater organizations around here, as well as countless art studios, and we love being audience support to them. I just wish I had more time each month for all the shows and concerts I’d like to attend!

Creator: You serve a church that was established in the 1850s and now ministers to over 700 families, making it one of the largest Methodist Churches in Northern California. What are the one or two things that keep you active, interested, challenged and excited to be where you are now and challenges you to look to the future.

Doug Albertson: The best parts about working for this church are the people and their support. The church’s creative arts ministry has grown directly out of these two key things. I truly think there’s no limit to the types of projects and activities we could do.

There’s been a rich tradition here of singing – that’s partly because we are Methodists! So whenever we need a special seasonal group (like our presently-at-work pick-up choir we call “The Christmas Singers”), or we have an interest in trying a new art project (like our summer all-church gallery show called “Yellow”), or someone wants us to do a worship drama (like the just-completed “Tithing” skit for

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volume 33 - number 6 | creatormagazine.com

Stewardship), then usually enough core people are willing to step forward to offer their gifts and services.

It’s also been interesting to discover how my theater background has fit well for this church, whose congregation warmly supports such artistic expressions. Even though there typically is little money in the budget for worship drama, the inclusion of a decent short skit can be done for next to nothing.

And things have grown from there.

Creator: How large is the creative arts ministry program?

worship experiences. It’s a multi-media, multi-use facility that holds about 150.

Since it was built in 2006, we’ve used it in various ways for different arts events. Last Christmas for example, we produced a cantata that required full sound enhancements, and a timed “click” track to coincide with the video, while 50+ voices and an enhanced Praise Band performed “live.”

This upcoming winter, on our main stage at the downtown site, we’ll be producing the musical “1776” – a timely show during this contentious election season.

Doug Albertson: We have nearly 100 regular creative artists involved in our worship life. The Chancel Choir sings an average of two services per Sunday, plus there are three very different singing groups who usually present a song a month. Then there are all our drama participants (actors, writers, producers, and tech crews) who serve as needed, plus behind-the-scenes committee people who meet monthly, as well as countless volunteers who perform various tasks from hanging art to changing banners.

Creator: Give our readers a bit of information about your family. Tell us about them and are they involved with you in the creative arts ministry of the church?

Creator: How large is your Chancel Choir?

Our best friendships have come from our church family. My wife and daughter also have been participants in some of the church drama productions, plus Avery went through the Sunday School and Youth programs. Presently, she is a college sophomore at a school that requires 3-classes in world religions, so we occasionally have interesting SKYPE chats about her studies.

Doug Albertson: About 40 singers. We meet every Thursday night, Labor Day through Father’s Day. Their Board of Officers handles the choir’s business, and about every 4 years we undertake a major international tour.

Creator: Do you have a vital and active Youth Choir, Children’s Choir, and Instrumental program?

Doug Albertson: We do a broad mix of Creative Arts with our Children and Youth, which gives them exposure to music, drama, and fine art projects. We also have an awesome Praise Band, which operates pretty independently at our other ministry site across town.

There are in the church family several gifted instrumentalists who accompany the choirs as needed. At holidays or special events we hire local players in order to form brass ensembles or chamber orchestras.

Creator: What else goes on around there?

Doug Albertson: I alluded to our cross-town Community Worship site, where we hold our more contemporary

Doug Albertson: I come from a long line of Methodists, with most members of the clan still associated with our family’s denomination. My wife Shelly and daughter Avery are my biggest supporters, attending all the church’s special worship celebrations, as well as our concerts, shows, events, etc.

Creator: With all your responsibilities related to being a creative arts minister, how do you manage your time with the family responsibilities and multiple tasks that face you day after day, month after month, year after year?

Doug Albertson: One of the reasons I love being a church staffer is the freedom to build my own schedule. Of course, weekly pressure and seasonal expectations can also be the bane of the job, especially in preparation for Christmas and Easter.

To keep balanced and refreshed, I carve time out from work to “get-away.” We live in “…the chosen spot of all this earth as far as Nature is concerned.”

(Santa Rosa citizen Luther Burbank, 1875) So besides acting like tourists and exploring our local Sonoma County countryside, we love to sightsee in

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we have nearly 100 creative artists involved in our worship life the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as various Pacific Coast communities.

I’m a bogie-golfer and a total Giants fan, the latter being a lot more of a fun recreation lately. In 2001 I planted 33 olive trees – my peace grove – making olive oil for our pantry, and as gifts for friends and charities.

Creator: Serving where you serve, I assume that you must have a wide array of talent from which to draw, including college students and other professional people. How do you balance the use of outsiders while trying to use your own people?

Doug Albertson: We don’t have many professional arts people in our church.

The bulk of professional musicians we employ play for a number of groups around the Bay Area, as well as teach privately to make enough income to live on. I have developed many very

nice relationships over the years with local players, and try to get on their schedules early when I might hire them for upcoming concerts or shows.

Most of our connection to the local community and state college comes when we’re producing special events.

I’ve also been able to bring in high school music students to play in our seasonal orchestras, and we recruit young people from the colleges to work with us whenever possible. We’ve also made our stage and sanctuary easily and affordably available to school and community groups who want to perform in a unique, attractive, and well-equipped performing space.

Creator: Do you try to attend music conferences to keep yourself updated, fresh and on the cutting edge?

Doug Albertson: Yes, definitely, if only for putting high quality choral sounds

back in my ears. There’s nothing that compares to the top-flight choirs who succeed in gaining spots on the main stages of regional and national ACDA conventions. I’ve long had church financial support to attend such meetings, as well as a few IFCM and NACM conferences. I must add that most of the new music I peruse comes from regularly visiting websites and reading Creator’s Select 20 reviews. What a great boon the Internet has been in my search for quality, cutting-edge sacred choral music.

Creator: What advice or tips would you provide our readership concerning the “art of having an effective creative arts ministry?” In other words, how can the church musician/conductor/singer/ educator keep himself/herself sharp and in tune with the craft and art of church music and other art forms?

November/December 2011 | creatormagazine.com

23

Doug Albertson: I think it’s really important to stay aware of and involved with new music. I personally save performing classic choral literature for special events, opting instead to keep our weekly worship offerings relevant to more common every-day listening sensibilities. I’m not advocating singing with tracks or praise bands, which can be fun and different but are not a good diet for me.

I look for the many excellent choral composers and publishers who are currently selling tasteful and intelligent songs for today’s good church musicians. I also champion local people who don’t make music but have really great artistic gifts. If they’re coming to our church, then they can be invited into worship life, and perhaps in ways beyond just Sundays. I’ve been impressed and happy how their creative expressions take my ministry into wholly new directions...new directions that are good for me, good for the church, and good for the artists.

Creator: In your opinion, what are some ingredients that can make a person effective in leading a creative arts ministry?

Doug Albertson: I think effective church leadership requires good team playing.

Positive things really started happening for me at work when I admitted that I could not do everything I wanted to do unless I got help.

Forming a choir board, for example, allowed a lot more projects to be considered, and gave me a sounding board for new ideas without worrying about how to figure it all out. I also realized I wanted ways for Theater and Fine Arts people to participate in church life; so we formed a Creative Arts Ministry Advisory Board, and their leadership unleashed unimaginable new areas of artistic offerings.

Another key ingredient that helps me be more effective in my ministry is focusing on the quality of caring. I am truly interested in the people who are involved in our ministry, and hope I show that when we’re working together.

I try to know a little something about everyone who volunteers to help in our activities, and I believe it’s important to recognize aloud the good things seen done in the Creator’s name. Sunday recognitions, concert programs, and after-glow parties really help towards that end! It’s the relationships that make this job both incredibly challenging and incredibly satisfying. There’s no way I would still be doing this work if it weren’t for all the incredible people who volunteer to support our church’s creative arts ministry.

Creator: Could you tell our readership the names of a couple of your personal heroes...those who have meant a lot to you in your career, musical and/or spiritual pilgrimage?

Doug Albertson: My dad, Dick Albertson, worked in Organization Development and taught me the value of personal responsibility and conflict management. My high school choir teacher, Robert Shafer, taught me a rehearsal ethic of hard work and high standards. My grad school mentor, Bruce Browne, taught me to seek out new music and strive for gorgeous sound. Over the years I’ve admired various teachers and colleagues, like Doug McEwen and Rod Eichenberger, who instill passion in and exhibit compassion towards their singing groups. I give much credit to my former pastor, Dave Slorpe, newly retired back into our community, who taught me generosity of spirit.

Creator: If you could do anything you wanted to do at this time in your life, what would it be – or are you doing it now?

Doug Albertson: Yeah, I’m doing what I love. I joke that they’ll have to pull my corpse off the podium. I do imagine, though, doing church-music only

Please notify us at least 8 weeks in advance, and authorize the postal service to forward second-class mail until the change takes effect. If you have a question about your subscription, just call us at 800-777-6713. volume 33 - number 6 | creatormagazine.com

Creator: What was your greatest professional accomplishment in the last three years?

Doug Albertson: The multi-media collaboration for Christmas 2010 took more skills than I had, and it was only doable because I was lucky to be able to work with an A/V tech pro who covered the areas I couldn’t. Also, doing an original, full-stage musical show called “Away to Sea” in 2009 literally raised the ship of my professional journey – our set guy built a nearly life-size bow of the Queen Mary for our titanic cast!

Creator: What was your greatest struggle or disappointment in the last three years?

Doug Albertson: We’ve all been trying – in our homes, our jobs, and at our churches – to make ends meet in a shrinking economy.

Because of the sad trends from these difficult past 3 years, we have felt a negative impact on some of our Creative Arts possibilities. The 2012 outlook will most likely continue to put pressure on our budgets, so I pray God helps me maintain current programs, be able to develop new ones, as well as give my heart comfort of spirit for things that might not be sustainable.

I also champion local people who don’t make music but have really great artistic gifts

Moving?

24

part-time, and using the other hours to perhaps drive a fairway mower on my neighborhood golf course.

Creator: Name the name/author/ publisher of the last book you have read and would recommend to us?

Doug Albertson: I love quick-read mysteries and epoch 19th century Western sagas. So besides recommending such brilliant who-dunnit authors as Tony Hillerman and J.A. Jance, for stories of the Old West I’m

currently reading everything by Ivan Creator: Do you have a final thought Creator: Thank you, Doug. It has Doig, whose especially notable trilogy would you like to leave with our been our pleasure to interview you. about Montanan sheep-farmers kept me readership?

May the Father continue to bless and spellbound me summer. encourage and lead you in the creative Doug Albertson: I’d just like to thank arts ministry. I applaud a church that those who took time to read thru this Creator: What is the title, composer or mentions their church is located “in the arranger, and publisher of the bestinterview. And if you would like to heart of the world renowned Sonoma received anthem, hymn arrangement or follow-up on anything in the article, County Wine Country!” fine spiritual you used in 2011?

I’d be happy to correspond with you: ds.albertson@gmail.com.

Doug Albertson: To name one good new church composition we all liked,

I’d recommend Kevin Memley’s Take My Life, which is easily accessible and one he self-published on his website. I’d recent posts like to also plug our church’s awesome Gospel group, who mainly do the songs 2 Ways to Prevent Seasonal Exhaustion for Your Music Ministry Volunteers of Byron J. Smith or Carol Cymbala.

Being a Practictioner of Learning is Better Than Being an Expert Creator: What was the last concert you attended and who were the performers?

Thanksgiving, Advent, and Bach

...

dotdotdotblog

Doug Albertson: My friends Michael Van Why and Sheri Mignano did a very cool program of French Café songs to celebrate Bastille Day. And I went to the ACDA convention last March to hear, among other things, Helmuth Rilling conduct the Chicago Symphony and Chorus in Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

Trust is the New iCurrency You Are What You Sing, But a Congregation Needs Expert Help Find these posts and more @ http://dotdotdotblog.com.

scan the QR code with your smartphone to go directly to dotdotdotblog.com

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November/December 2011 | creatormagazine.com

25

TM

TM

TM

select twenty TM

TM

codes

what it is Creator’s Select 20 has always featured the best new church choral music – 20 anthems that will serve most any ministry. We choose by using criteria which include the full spectrum of musical and worship styles. We draw from all publishers, traditions, and styles, regardless of our personal taste.

On the actual review (see below to find the detailed reviews) we include a “worship-style bar-graph” to assist you in applying a S20 title to your ministry.

The graph, and the “theme” graphic identifiers on the next page, are not used to “pigeonhole” music, but to help our readers in understanding style.

The left edge of the graph would be complex music which is less predictable, often incorporating mixed or no meter, and less familiar tonalities. Texts here focus on poetry or more abstract word painting. The graph’s center represents present-day anthems written in a traditional, non-pop, non-gospel style, with texts that are commonly scripture based and written in second or third person. The right extreme would be pop, gospel, and rock musical styles, commonly including chord symbols in the accompaniment.

Texts will be less poetic, more straightforward, and primarily written in first and second person.

V

voicing

#

catalog number

C

composer

M

music sources

E

editor or arranger

T

lyricist and/or source

A

accompaniment information

U

usage

P

publisher imprint

©

copyright year and holder



highly recommended

The following are used at the end of each full review/comment: L

for November/December 2011 Creator has changed the way we list Select 20 titles. We now list important information for each Select 20 title here in the magazine, with complete reviews on our website at creatormagazine. com. In addition, one new S20 review is featured each Thursday at http:// dotdotdotblog.com.

Our general rules for inclusion in each issue through the editorial selection process are as follows:

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volume 33 - number 6 | creatormagazine.com

• No more than two titles by any composer, arranger, or publisher • Copyright dated this year or last year Scan the QR code to the left of each title to be taken directly to the complete review. The graphic gives an indication of the anthem’s primary use in a worship service.

End D

length using (S)hort, (M)edium, and (L)ong dynamic level of the ending difficulty using (E)asy, (M)edium, and (D)ifficult

Advent

Easter

Palm Sunday

All Saints

General

Pentecost

Baptism

Good Friday Maundy Thursday

Praise

Benediction

Lent

Call to Prayer Prayer Response

Call to Worship

Lord’s Supper

Offering Stewardship

Christmas

Missions

Thanksgiving

Christ Is Risen

Blessed Be V: Solo w/SATB #: 0 80689 08823 0 E: Robert Sterling A: Piano, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Palm Sunday, General, Praise P: Word ©: 2010

V: SAB #: 30105748 C: Matt Maher and Mia Fieldes A: Keyboard, Guitar U: Adult • Easter, General P: spiritandsong.com ©: 2011

Mandatum Novum

Risen Today!

V: SATB #: BP1947 C: Dan Forrest A: Piano and opt. Organ and Tambourine U: Adult • Easter P: Beckenhorst ©: 2011

Hosanna!

V: SATB #: 32401 E: Lloyd Larson A: Keyboard, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Palm Sunday, Praise P: Alfred ©: 2010

Gethsemane with The Power of the Cross V: SATB #: C 5744 E: Lloyd Larson A: Piano U: Adult • Maundy Thursday, Lent P: Hope ©: 2012

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded V: SATB w/solo #: 4575720537 E: Travis Cottrell A: Piano, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Easter, Good Friday, Praise P: Benson©: 2010

There Was a Lamb V: SATB w/solo #: 9780834181571 E: Geron Davis and Bradley Knight A: Piano, opt. Orchestration, opt. Trax U: Adult • Easter, General P: Lillenas ©: 2010

God Loved the World V: SATB #: 6-34337-181141 E: Cliff Duren A: Piano, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Easter, General P: Lifeway ©: 2010

All Because of the Cross V: SATB #: 0 80689 08623 6 E: Robert Sterling A: Piano, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Easter, General P: Word ©: 2010

It Is Finished V: SATB #: 4575720527 E: Daniel Semsen A: Piano, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Easter P: Benson ©: 2010

Christ Arose V: SATB w/solo #: 9780834181564 E: Cliff Duren A: Piano, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Easter P: Lillenas ©: 2010

Alleluia, He Lives! don’t have a smartphone? go to http://cmag.ws/1c to link to all these reviews

scan the QR codes to the left of each title with your smartphone for the complete review

V: SATB #: 30105766 C: Luke Mayernik A: A Cappella U: Adult • Lent, Holy Week, Concert P: OCP ©: 2010

V: SATB #: C 5731 E: Joel Raney A: Keyboard with opt. Handbells and Brass Quartet U: Adult • Easter P: Hope ©: 2012

There is a Redeemer V: SATB w/duet #: 6-34337-181226 E: David Hamilton A: A Cappella U: Adult • Easter, Concert P: Lifeway ©: 2011

God Breathe V: SATB #: 34804 E: Vicki Tucker Courtney A: Piano, opt. Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • Pentecost, General, P: Alfred ©: 2011

Counting on God V: SATB #: PA8184 E: Jay Rouse A: Piano, opt.

Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Youth • General, Praise P: Adoration ©: 2011

A Debtor to Mercy Alone  V: SATB #: BP1941 C: John Hudson A: Keyboard U: Adult • Maundy Thursday, Lord’s Supper P: Beckenhorst ©: 2011

I Will Follow V: SATB #:TR8143 E: Jay Rouse A: Piano, opt.

Orchestration; opt. Trax U: Adult • General, Praise P: praisegathering.com ©: 2011

Blessing V: SATB Chorus #: 7347 C: David Conte A: Keyboard U: Adult • Benediction, General P: ECS ©: 2010

A Prayer Before Singing V: SATB chorus #: HMC2269 C: Dan Forrest A: A Cappella U: Adult • General, Concert P: Hinshaw ©: 2011

November/December 2011 | creatormagazine.com

27

Dupré: The Stations of the Cross, Opus 29

The [expanded] Bible

Stephen Tharp, organist JAV Recordings For organists wanting to have an audio reference for this Lenten classic, Tharp’s recording, done on the organ at St. Sulpice in Paris, will serve nicely.

Thomas Nelson ©: 2011 The Bible presented with [extra added information] to provide context and further meaning to Scripture.

Songs of Rejoicing

good stuff

Word Instrumental Library, Volume 1

Selah ©: 2011 A new hymnal filled with new hymns written by contemporary hymn writers. The package also includes a Leader’s Edition CD, with lots of extra goodies.

Word ©: 2011 A collection of 15 full orchestrations for Christmas, Easter, and general use.

Six Meditations

Things we think would be helpful resources for church musicians and worship leaders...

The Creation and Missa Solemnis

for Violin and Piano Arranged by Kurt Kaiser Latham Music ©: 2011 Six titles for the intermediate violinist.

Expressions for solo piano Joel Raney Hope ©: 2012 6 concert hymn arrangements for the proficient pianist.

Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic and Choir/ Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Gulbenkian Choir Conducted by John Nelson idéaleaudience ©: 2011

These two wonderful DVDs of performances of classical period choral masterpieces from the Soli Deo Gloria Collection are each a work of art – and of love. Nelson is recognized as one of the great interpreters of large-scale sacred works, and his love of music, and the ministry it can be, even on the concert platform, shines throughout the performances, and the “extras” like the rehearsal footage and the interviews.

The Essential Collection for the Church Soloist Arranged by Lloyd Larson Hope ©: 2011 A large collection of vocal solos for general and seasonal use.

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volume 33 - number 6 | creatormagazine.com

new stuff

Back Issue Article Compilation CDs 0991staf1 Choirs ARTICLES INCLUDE

· 101 Things Every Choirmember Should Know · Choir Renewal · Helps for the Active Singer · The Incarnational Work of the Adult Choir

0991staf2 Leadership

ARTICLES INCLUDE

· Becoming the Complete Church Musician · Dealing with Criticism · Identifying Tensions over Musical Style · The Church Musician as Transformational Leader

0991staf4 Small Church

ARTICLES INCLUDE

· Any Church Can, Regardless of Size · Drama in the Small Church · Music Search on a Small Budget · The Small Church Primer

0991staf3 Worship

ARTICLES INCLUDE

· A Theology of Worship · Don’t Plan a Service – Create a Moment · Eight Common Elements of Worship Renewal · The Worship Driven Church

Each compliation CD contains at least 40 articles (includes shipping)

Choir Articles CD is just $20 Leadership Articles CD is just $20 Small Church Articles CD is just $20 Get any two of the Choir Leadership and Small Church CDs for just $30 Worship Articles CD (60 Articles) is just $25 All 4 CDs are just $60 Order by phone 800-777-6713 Use your credit card Visit our website @ creatormagazine.com

Send order to Creator Magazine ~ PO Box 3538 ~ Pismo Beach, CA 93448

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our choir rehearals are worship services

by Vicki Carr

Vicki Carr is Pianist at First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas.

When our Minister of Music of 30 years retired last February, Mike Harris began a relationship with our church, not as “interim minister of music,” but as “transitional worship pastor.” Our choir membership immediately dropped by 20, and he had to scramble together the first several weeks of worship music for a smaller choir the moment he walked in.

ment factor. Rehearsals are the highlight of our week. I am sorry for those who quit, because they have missed such a blessing.

Mike teaches a Sunday School class between the early orchestra rehearsal and the choir warm-up. We have in-depth discussions about the essence of worship and what pleases God.

Rehearsals are the highlight of our week

ful worship experience so that the person who eventually comes to permanently fill the post does not have to rebuild a program.

Mike will hand off the baton to the new person and move on. We will miss him terribly, but he is an expert at this, and he will prepare the choir, joyfully, to receive the new Worship Arts Pastor with enthusiasm.

So I am a Mike Harris fan, but more importantly, I would encourage any church who is facing the task of replacing a Minister of Music to consider a “transitional worship pastor” such as Mike. It relieves the panic which can cause a church to rush into an imperfect choice just to fill the job. fine TM

No preparation had been done for Easter, but Mike managed to do beautiful Easter Week services while flying back and forth from his home in Colorado Springs to the church in Texarkana. We noticed from the very beginning that he was bringing a new energy and depth to our services, but after the dust had settled following the Easter week, he began to grow us in earnest.

Mike has incredible talent. He improved our sound EQ, brought the praise team out of the loft, enhanced the rhythm section, and taught our choir how to get out of our robes, both physically and emotionally. Now we wear coordinated color in comfort, and we worship freely, leading the congregation in doing likewise.

God has prompted talented singers to join the choir; they have “upped” the excite-

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In our rehearsals, Mike prays earnestly for specific needs – prayer that makes the Holy Spirit so real you can feel its presence. He will stop in the middle of hymn/praise song preparation and revitalize the text for us, relate it directly to scripture and the nature of God, and demonstrate how to show that in our voices. Then we sing again, and there is new understanding, restored energy, and strength in the vocals.

The same thing happens on Sunday morning as we prepare to lead the service.

When the choir sings the call to worship, the congregation is drawn into the worship experience immediately. The feedback we hear is proof that God is at work among us.

Mike’s purpose was never to fill the empty job as its replacement, but to help the choir and church transition into a more meaning-

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In each issue we give one church musician or worship leader a chance to have their say. There are no restrictions on topic here (other than the obvious ones of slander, libel, and silliness). If you’d like to contribute your thoughts email us at creator@creatormagazine.com.

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