Prelude Blog

Using the Nairobi Statement in Worship Planning

Posted on Mar 7, 2024 9:00:00 AM by Andrea Baxter in Music Ministry, in music, in culture, in worship, in Cultural

As a music educator and children’s choir director, I know that it is very important to expose children to a variety of repertoire. Variety means ensuring that they are singing in different modes, meters, and languages. It means including something that was written generations ago, as well as something that is newly composed. It means exposing children to rich, poetic texts that need exploration to understand and texts that are simple and repetitive with the potential to easily remain with them during the week. Not only does variety in music selection keep things interesting, but it ensures a curriculum that weaves a thread of connection to different times, places, and styles.

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Practicing and Noticing Courage as a Church Musician

Posted on Oct 10, 2023 9:00:00 AM by Sarah Hawbecker in Music Ministry, in music

I recently commented to a friend that a singer in our church’s youth choir was the bravest young man I know. The last time he was in choir was before COVID, when he had sung treble beautifully. Now his voice has changed, and he is struggling to figure out how to work this new instrument, which feels and sounds so different. An additional challenge is that his peers are reluctant to join the choir, so he sings alone in the bass register. I admire his tenacity and his positive attitude, even when he makes mistakes. I say that he has courage. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Of course, singing in a choir is not dangerous, and he doesn’t seem to be afraid, but it is difficult for him.

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The Rhythm of Rehearsals

Posted on Jul 12, 2023 9:00:00 AM by Chris Cherwien in Music Ministry

Planning and executing effective and enjoyable rehearsals is an art! Too often, I am tempted to do other work and not carve out time to thoughtfully plan each choir’s rehearsal. Experience is my friend but should not be an excuse for skipping this important work. When we only have one rehearsal per week, we have to make the most of every minute. It feels like so much to do and so little time to do it in. We have to prioritize and map out the allotted time. There is a rhythm to the rehearsal that allows the singers/ringers to warm up their brains/voices and move toward the most challenging pieces. Effective rehearsals model a beautiful musical phrase.

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A Summer Celebration with John the Baptist

Posted on Jun 6, 2023 9:00:00 AM by Omaldo Perez in Music Ministry, in Summer, in john the baptist

The commemoration of John the Baptist falls, as it has since the fourth century, six months before Christmas Eve, on June 24. The annual remembrance, three days after the summer solstice, is a calendrical reflection of the relationship between the last Old Testament prophet and the Messiah, the Long-Awaited One.

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Music Suggestions for Fewer Musicians on Pentecost

Posted on Apr 25, 2023 9:00:00 AM by Sarah Hawbecker in Music Ministry, in Pentecost

This year, the festival of Pentecost falls on a holiday weekend in the United States. Memorial Day weekend signals the beginning of summer vacation, and many people choose to travel. As a church musician, I know that it is not wise to plan for a four-part anthem with brass quartet accompaniment on a Sunday like that. So how does one make a festival Sunday feel special when one has limited resources?

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Building Trusting Relationships

Posted on Mar 7, 2023 9:15:07 AM by Chris Cherwien in Music Ministry, in relationship, in trust

Recipients of our appreciation are apt to express their own gratitude to others, lengthening the unending, golden chain of connections-in-goodness that stretches across the world. —Mary Ford-Grabowsky

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A Healthier Holiday Perspective

Posted on Dec 1, 2022 9:00:00 AM by Sarah Hawbecker in Music Ministry, in Advent, in Christmas

There are certain seasons that are inherently stressful, and we are currently in one of them. There were Christmases past in which it was difficult for me to keep the proper perspective. I felt overworked and underappreciated, and the added pressures I put on myself to have a beautifully decorated home and provide a “perfect” holiday for my family only produced feelings of personal failure and silent resentment toward others whom I believed had it easier than I. Does this sound vaguely familiar to anyone?

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Rethinking the Role of the Children's Choir in Worship

Posted on Apr 26, 2022 9:00:00 AM by Andrea Baxter in Children Ministry, in Music Ministry, in children

Theologian and teacher Marva Dawn once said that children are the fingers and toes of the body of Christ that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians. The metaphor works beautifully for many reasons, not least of which is the wiggling nature of both fingers/toes and children. Dawn’s point was to drive home the importance of children in the worshiping body; children bring unique characteristics of innocence, openness, joy, playfulness, and enthusiasm, among others. When those qualities are missing in worship, the body is not whole.

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All Creation Sings Hymns and Songs Available as Anthems

Posted on Apr 19, 2022 9:00:00 AM by Augsburg Fortress in Hymnody, in Music Ministry, in music, in All Creation Sings

Many of the hymns and songs from All Creation Sings, our new worship and song supplement, are available as choral anthems, either from Augsburg Fortress or from other music publishers. As publishers of All Creation Sings, Augsburg Fortress staff have curated a helpful listing of almost fifty anthems in various voicings and styles.

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This Is the Night! The Vigil of Easter

Posted on Mar 3, 2022 9:00:00 AM by Chris Cherwien in Music Ministry, in Easter, in Lent

This is the night! The Vigil of Easter is the heart of our celebration of the Three Days and the pinnacle of the church’s year. We gather around a pillar of fire, hear ancient stories of our faith, welcome new siblings in Christ at the font, and share food and drink. We proclaim Christ crucified and risen!

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