It’s Wednesday at 5 p.m., two hours before choir rehearsal. You’ve just found out that an excellent soprano will be joining the choir for the following Sunday. Descants, something not often possible with a limited choir, would be a wonderful enhancement to the day’s hymnody, and with Prelude Music Planner, you have access to rich, soaring descants from Vocal Descants for the Church Year. Your Prelude membership to the rescue! Simply search by hymn name or tune in the title/theme/keywords search area, and filter “hymn/song” and “descant.” You can view and download the descants you need without using any of your Prelude points! Two possibilities for Christ the King are “Beautiful Savior” (ELW 838) and “Jesus Shall Reign” (ELW 434).
Read More > >Free Downloads? You Bet! — Maximizing Your Prelude Membership
Posted on Oct 19, 2016 5:03:53 PM by Jennifer Baker-Trinity in Assembly Song, in Hymnody, in Instruments and Ensembles, in Music Ministry, in Planning
The Splendor of the Earth: Worship Planning and Ecological Stewardship
Posted on Jun 2, 2016 2:13:26 PM by Jennifer Baker-Trinity in Assembly Song, in Hymnody, in Music Ministry, in Planning
On the fifth Sunday of Easter in our congregation, we, in company with many other lectionary-based Christian churches, sang Psalm 148. In this cosmic song of praise, all ages are invited to join the earth with its sea monsters, fire, hail, snow, fog, wind, mountains, hills, trees, wild beasts, and birds. “The splendor of the LORD is over earth and heaven,” we sang as a refrain. What a marvelous testimony to the fullness of God in all things!
Read More > >What Is Your Philosophy of Worship and Music?
Posted on Feb 8, 2016 9:30:43 AM by Tim Shaw in Assembly Song, in Hymnody, in Choral Techniques and Repertoire, in Planning, in Potpourri
Anyone who has interviewed for a church music position knows some questions are almost guaranteed to be asked: “How do you motivate volunteers? What style of music is your favorite? What does the ideal relationship between clergy and church musician look like? How do you feel about choir robes?” Tough questions, but not too difficult to answer. There is that one dreaded question, though, which is seemingly impossible to answer: “What is your philosophy of worship and music?” Whether you have been asked this question directly or not, you do have a philosophy that manifests itself in how you practice church music. Spending some time developing—even writing out—your own philosophy of worship and music is a valuable exercise that can have a direct, positive impact on your music ministry. Try this on your own, or together as a worship/music committee.
Read More > >All Hymns Were Once New: New Hymns for This Church Year
Posted on Dec 9, 2015 4:43:23 PM by Jennifer Baker-Trinity in Assembly Song, in Hymnody, in Planning
The radio program Composer’s Datebook regularly signs off with the phrase, “Reminding you that all music was once new.”
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