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 think something similar could be said for church musicians in relation to their musical repertoire and libraries. Publishing companies continue to entice us with their latest offerings; yet we still have existing music waiting to be learned or looked at. To buy or not to buy? The related and potentially better question is: What is the Lutheran musician’s core repertoire (besides the hymnal)?
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 a complimentary download), mentions that Bach’s “unbelievable source of faithful confession, of teaching and admonishing, of prayer, of praise and thanksgiving, and of healing and comfort–has become a hidden treasure.”
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 volumes of Sasse’s Lonely Way for only $10.00 each (normally $21.00)).
Schalk’s premise is that while Bach is often considered the culmination of Lutheran church music in the 18th century, there was a period of 150 years before Bach that paved the way for the climate that he encountered. In other words, Bach did not just arrive on the scene and say “I have arrived.”
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.
And he is direct. Rule #11 of Elementary Rules of Liturgical Usage – “Churches are not carpeted.”
The Concordia Organist
I received an e-mail today from CPH that startled me even though I “knew” their new product would be coming eventually.
Wanted: One Outstanding Church Organist.
Music adds much to our worship, but musicians can be hard to find. Well, look no further.
The reality is that many churches have a difficult time finding an organist or even someone who can play the piano for worship services. Enter CPH. They have created Concordia Organist, a 31-CD set of all the hymns in LSB which can be used to accompany hymn singing.
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
Church Music Workshops
Don’t forget to take a look at the Church Music Workshops being offered at Concordia Theological Seminary this summer. They are well worth your consideration.
Church Music Workshops @ CTSFW
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! As the music of Holy Week and Easter Sunday continues to ring in our ears, I’d like you to think about summer.
What’s happening this summer? The Church Music Workshops at Concordia Theological Seminary – Ft. Wayne, IN. This year there are opportunities for organists, AND choir directors, AND handbell directors/ringers. In other words, bring the whole crew.
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.
Ambrose, the Children, and Advent
A few days back I was flipping through “First Person Singular: Reflections on Worship, Liturgy, and Children” by Carl Schalk. It is is a smallish volume of less than a hundred pages with brief reflections on various topics related to children in the life of the church.
Schalk had a reflection that was particularly relevant to the Advent season based on Ambrose, the author of the Hymn of the Day for this First Sunday in Advent – “Savior of the Nations, Come” (LSB 332)
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