Bach and Japan
Over at Cyberbrethren, Paul McCain is featuring a fascinating article by Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto on Bach’s music as a servant of the Gospel in Japan. It’s a great read worthy of your consideration. I found it thought provoking to read of a Japanese woman, who probably like many others, found what God’s love means to [...]
Shakespeare and Church Musicians
In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” we find Juliet in a conundrum. The problem? Romeo, the love of her life, is a Montague — the family that is warring with her family, the Capulets. Juliet determines (in a soliloquy no less) that the name Montague is the issue, not Romeo himself. What’s in a name? that [...]
+ Paul Manz + A Retrospective
I remember the first time I heard of Paul Manz. My organ mentor was passing the torch, so to speak, and she passed along her sheet music to me. Included in that collection were my introductions to Burkhardt, Behnke, and of course Paul Manz. Of all the books, the several Concordia Manz editions were the [...]
Gregorian Chant in Worship
When most people think of Gregorian chant they likely think of Roman Catholics or cloistered monks (with their cowl) chanting in a dimly lit church. This past Monday on Issues, Etc. Dr. Ben Mayes provided an interesting discussion on the history of Gregorian chant and its relevance to today’s Reformation Christians as part of our [...]
Handbells Ringing Again
When September comes around, there seems to be a “Back to . . . ” frenzy. In the church that often means Back to Sunday School, Back to Choir, and Back to Handbells. This past Monday, the handbell group I ring with started our Fall season — we were fewer in number (only 6), but [...]
The Other Essential Lutheran Library – Musician Edition
As I was browsing at the music store in Portland on Saturday, a quote from Luther came to mind: Many books does not make one learned, nor much reading either; rather to read a good thing and to read it often, regardless of how little it is, that makes one learned in the Scriptures. I [...]
J.S. Bach: Kantor for Today
Today the church commemorates Kantor Johann Sebastian Bach, a gifted musician and servant of the church. Because of his combined musical creativity and fidelity to Christ, he has become known as the Fifth Evangelist. Kantor Resch, in an essay in the first journal of the Good Shepherd Institute (which by the way is available as [...]
Pre-Bach: Shaping the Tradition
It seems fitting that on the eve of the commemoration of J.S. Bach’s death that I have just finished reading “Music in Early Lutheranism: Shaping the Tradition (1524-1672)” by Carl Schalk. (As a side note: CPH is having a phenomenal sale on books. I picked up Schalk’s book for only $15.00 (normally $32.00) and both [...]
Elements of Liturgical Style
Most of us have probably heard of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White — those terse commands like “Omit needless words.” Recently I came across Elements of Rite: A Handbook of Liturgical Style by Aidan Kavanagh that had the same directness toward rite and liturgical style as Strunk and White had to writing. [...]
Children and the Organ
This past Sunday as I was playing the organ postlude, I saw in my peripheral vision someone standing off to the side. I lost my focus for a beat as I wondered who it was and what he wanted. To my surprise it was a father with his 3 or 4-year old son. The little guy [...]
Kantor’s Reading List- Circ de Soleil -- From Church to Circus Pastor Peters
- Can We Still Call Ourselves the Church of J. S. Bach? Pastor Peters
- Pastoral Care Done by the Laity; Lay Work Done by the Pastor Pastor Peters
- Your Church May Not Be a Church If . . . Paul T. McCain
- What Makes Lutheran Worship Lutheran? Stephen R. Johnson
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