Lutheran Musician Quote
One more reason to consider attending the Church Music Workshops in Fort Wayne this summer.
“The richer the background in Lutheran doctrine, mores, and music, the more nearly will the musician approach the true ideal of a Lutheran musician and servant of God in church.” — Hugo Gehrke
Bach’s Road to Leipzig
I’d like to commend for your reading a paper written by Steven Cholak entitled “Behold, We Go To Jerusalem . . . ” on the history of how J.S. Bach became Kantor in Leipzig and an analysis of one of his audition cantatas – BWV 22. If you can muster up a copy of the cantata to listen to while reading, it will enrich the experience even more.
Buszin on Church Musicians
I’m in the process of rereading the essays by Walter Buszin in the “Music for the Church” published by the Good Shepherd Institute. It’s a great book and the essays, though written about 40-50 years ago, are still fresh and speak to our times today.
Nurturing Future Church Musicians
A few months back in the Lutheran Witness (official periodical of the LCMS), the issue was centered around the need for pastors and how we can encourage men to consider this vocation. The August 2008 edition of the Lutheran Witness has an article that explores the need for church musicians and encouraging children to consider the vocation of church musician. A portion of this article can be found here – “Music to the Ears: Inspiring Children to Enrich Worship“.
The article spread begins with this “teaser” to draw us in:
“I am constantly getting calls from pastors, especially pastors in our smaller parishes, who have no organist,” says Rev. Jon Vieker, assistant director of the LCMS Commission on Worship. “They tell me their organist is 85 and can’t play for services anymore, and there’s no one to take her place. Now what are they going to do?”
Thoughts on the Prelude
When you look back on this past Sunday (or any Sunday you can remember), what were you doing while waiting for the worship service to begin? Praying? Reviewing the service? Talking? Listening to the prelude?
Hymn Playing for Organists
As I was preparing and practicing the hymns for today, I came across the following quote from Luther Reed in a book of Creative Hymn Accompaniments by Gerhard Krapf:
A poor organist will make of hymn playing a commonplace thing. A good organist will challenge the intelligent interest of the congregation and charge its hymn singing with thought and feeling.
Acts 29
1. AND IT CAME TO PASS, when Paul was in Corinth, he and certain disciples came upon a mob that was stoning an organist.
Singing Advice from Luther
This practical bit of advice from Luther regarding the starting pitch of a song: “No one should try to sing such a song in a higher key, for he will surely become hoarse and make a botch of it before he reaches five notes.” Thus saith Luther.
Johann Walter – First Lutheran Kantor
On April 24 (based on the Calendar of Commemorations for Lutheran Service Book), the church remembers Johann Walter – the first Lutheran kantor. Here is a brief biography from the LCMS Commission on Worship page.
The Kantor "Attitude"
“. . . The Lutheran cantor viewed the use of his artistic gifts primarily as a summons from God to preach the Gospel. He did not consider himself an individual artist who was to receive honor and acclaim through his own doing. He regarded his work as existing only for the reason of purposeful union with God and the church.” (Key Words in Music [1978 ed], editor Carl Schalk, page 47)
Share your thoughts . . .