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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

July 1, 2026 e-newsletter

In less than two weeks, ALCM members will gather on the campus of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota for the 2026 conference, “From Generation to Generation: Now and Forever.” I am looking forward to learning from talented colleagues in the many workshops, hearing the performance of the St. Matthew Passion, and sharing in worship with the Lutheran Summer Music community, which is also in residence at St. Olaf during the week. But permeating the entire conference will be the celebration and remembrance of the Constituting Convention of ALCM, which was also held on the campus of St. Olaf in 1986. The birth of ALCM and the growth that has occurred in our organization over the past 40 years is something to celebrate—and celebrate we will!

I know there will be much reminiscing during the conference as we remember and celebrate all that ALCM has been. This is as it should be; I am so grateful to all the people who took on the work of organizing and shepherding the organization in the early years. Like a family reunion, there will be stories shared of the good and the bad, the humorous and the sad.

But we will also look forward to the future for ALCM. There is still work to be done! We want to ensure that ALCM is there to nurture and equip musicians for the next 40 years and beyond.

If you are attending the St. Olaf Conference, I will be there celebrating with you. If you cannot be there, I hope that sometime between July 13-16 (or anytime!) you will raise a glass and give a toast to ALCM’s birthday! Maybe say a prayer of thanks for all that has been and is yet to be for this organization that means so much to so many people. And my prayer of thanks is for all of you who have joined us along the way.

Happy 40^th, ALCM!

Karen Black

ALCM President

Online Registration Closes July 6

It's almost time for the St. Olaf conference, so if you have not already done so, be sure to register as soon as possible. Those of you who have already registered should be receiving a number of informational emails. Address questions to Adam Hughes at education@alcm.org. Be sure to register by July 6!

St. Matthew Passion Tickets

Get your ticket to attend a performance of J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 7:00pm. An event of ALCM's 2026 Conference at St. Olaf, this concert is free and open to the public, but tickets are required to reserve your seat. Tickets may be reserved on LSM's website. NOTE: Registered conference attendees are AUTOMATICALLY issued a ticket and do NOT need to reserve one.

Join ALCM Virtually with Three Free 40th Anniversary

Conference Streams

Tuesday, July 14 - 9:00 am Central

“Taking ALCM Back to the Start”

St. Olaf College Urness Recital Hall (ALCM's birthplace)

Presenters:

Larry Christensen - ALCM Founding President 1986-1989

David Cherwien - ALCM President 1993-1997

Robert Buckley Farlee - ALCM President 2004-2007

Julie Grindle - ALCM President 2016-2019

Wednesday, July 15 - 7:00 pm Central

"Saint Matthew Passion" - Johann Sebastian Bach

St. Olaf College Boe Chapel

Bach Collegium Valparaiso - Christopher Cock, conductor

Thursday, July 16 - 11:00 am Central

Festival Eucharist with Farewell and Godspeed

St. Olaf College Boe Chapel

Links to the live-stream witll be posted on the ALCM website.

We are halfway through the year 2026 and on the eve of the St. Olaf Conference, where we will celebrate ALCM's 40th anniversary. It is a good time to say thank you to everyone who contributed to ALCM in 2025 and to those who have already given in 2026. 
Thank you!

It is also a good time for an invitation. In 2025 we had 448 donors; so far we have 115 in 2026.  If you made a multi-year pledge to the campaign, the invitation is to fulfill your pledge. If you gave in 2025, the invitation is to renew your joy by giving again. With your help we can add another 40 people to our happy group of donors this year!

"Capture the Conference" Contest

Conference attendees; get those cameras ready! We are excited to announce a "Capture the Conference" photo challenge that will take place during our 2026 St. Olaf conference this summer! During the conference, capture all your favourite moments on camera - an amazing workshop, catching up with friends, a moving concert, or beautiful worship space - and then keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages in the days following the conference for the official ‘Call for Photos’ post! Once this post is shared, you will have one week to post your photos, tagging ALCM and using our contest hashtag #ALCMcapturetheconference, to be entered into drawings for a variety of prizes! Stay tuned for more details! 

Be sure to follow and like our Facebook  and Instagram pages so you can tag us!

Welcome New Board Members

Welcome to the newly elected members of the ALCM board of directors! Sally Messner was elected as ALCM’s next president. She will serve as president-elect for two years before serving as president for three years. James Freese was elected to a director position, and Carol McDaniel and Wallace Horton were reelected to second terms as directors. We are so grateful to all for their willingness to serve ALCM in this important way!

Thanks to Outgoing Board Members

We give thanks for Tony Cruz, who is completing his years of service as a director, and also to the nominating committee and chair Nancy Raabe for their work in the nomination and election process. This year also marks the end of Nancy Raabe’s term as past-president, and we are so thankful for her five years of service as president-elect, president, and past-president! 

Are you attending the AGO National Convention in St. Louis?



All ALCM members and friends are invited to an informal ALCM dinner (pay your own check) on Thursday, July 9 at 4:00 pm at the 360 Rooftop Bar, One S. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102 (a 4-minute walk from the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch). Email jimrindelaub@alcm.org with AGO DINNER in the subject line by Sunday, July 5 to reserve your seat.

Meet ALCM's Incoming Education Coordinator

Call for 2027 Conference Workshop Proposals

ALCM is calling for workshop proposals for the worship and music conference to be held in St. Louis, June 28-July 2, 2027. To submit your proposal complete this form by August 1, 2026. Workshop proposals accepted by the committee for the 2027 conference will be notified by mid-fall, 2026. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee a workshop spot although proposals will also be considered for ALCM’s seasonal webinar series and future conferences. 

ALCM at 40 - Reflections from

2027 St. Louis Conference Chair Lara West

Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM

Friday, July 24 - 6:00 pm Eastern

Recognizing that virtual community IS real community, you are warmly invited to join "Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM" on Zoom every fourth Friday. Moderated by former president Nancy Raabe and executive director Jim Rindelaub, discussion is oriented around a general theme each month, but the larger purpose is to encourage conversation, sharing, and community. Bring whatever thoughts, comments, or concerns are on your mind, and of course a libation of your choice. 

Click on this recurring link to join each month.

Watch LSM 2026 Live This July

Join us online through Live from LSM and enjoy more than 30 free concerts, recitals, and worship services streamed live from Lutheran Summer Music at St. Olaf College.

Highlights include a special guest performance by Cantus, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, the Bach Cantata Eucharist, the Festival of Hymns, and joyful performances by the Festival Band, Choir, and Orchestra.

View the full schedule and watch live at LSMacademy.org/calendar 

Reserve free tickets for the St. Matthew Passion at LSMacademy.org/2026season

Kyries & Glorias

Kyries (prayer concerns) and Glorias (thanksgivings) as well as In memoria are posted on the ALCM website.

Kyrie

Mark & Kathy Helge

Jenny Hobby

Denise Kettelberger

Lois Rimbo

Ann Samuelson

In memoriam

Dr. James Harris, Jr. (Detroit Folk Mass)

ALCM members are invited to submit Kyries and Glorias following the link in the members area of the website. Non-members may contact the ALCM office at office@alcm.org with information for posting.

A note from the editor:

I am always pleased to see statistics on the number of people who visit the Kyries & Glorias each month. If you or someone you know should be included in this list, please let us know. Don't assume that your news is something we've already heard. We'd rather hear about it from many people than to miss it altogether. Also let us know if you have updated information about someone included in the list.

Many thanks!
Cheryl Dieter

call for manuscripts

Anointing, Fall on Me: The Healing Power of Music

Issue 34:3 (Fall/Winter 2026)

Manuscript deadline: 15 September 2026

CrossAccent Wins Prestigeous Award

Congratulations to CrossAccent designer Kathryn Brewer and editor Clayton Faulkner for receiving third-place in the Associated Church Press "Best-of-the-Press" awards for Journals Best-in-Class. The Best-in-Class award category looks at the journal as a whole, including design, writing, scope, technical production, etc. The second place winner was the Concordia Seminary Magazine, and first place went to Yale University's Reflections Journal. ALCM is proud of Kathryn and Clayton's work in communicating the ALCM mission and applauds them for this exceptional achievement!

Hymn Resources

The highlighted tune for July is BEACH SPRING. Settings for this tune include a part for B-flat trumpet written by Jean Boehler as well as a soloed-out organ setting by Paul Otte. A number of different hymn texts are set to BEACH SPRING, which makes these two settings very useful.

BEACH SPRING – Boehler

BEACH SPRING – Otte harmonization

As part of your regular worship planning, be sure to check your hymn selections against the list of Hymn Settings in the members area of the ALCM website. (See the link under the "Quick Links" heading.) There are hundreds of hymn settings to support congregational singing as well as many free downloadable resources in the members area. If you haven't looked for a while, log in and do some exploring!

Having difficulty logging in to the members area? First check to be sure that you are using the email address that we have on file (the address at which you receive the e-newsletter). Click on the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box and follow the instructions to reset your password. If you still have difficulty logging in, or if you are logged in and cannot access the members area page, send an email to office@alcm.org 

and we'll be happy to help.

2027 Raabe Prize

Applications are being accepted for the 2027 Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition. The Raabe Prize is established to recognize a recent musical work that promotes and extends the practice of church music as it is informed and shaped by Lutheran theological insight and worship practices. The composition so recognized will have been written during the five-year period prior to the year in which the prize is awarded and should be representative of a larger body of work by the composer. Preference will be given to those compositions that grow out of the heart of Lutheran worship – the song of the assembly that enables all to lift their voices in prayer, praise, and proclamation as they gather around Word and Sacrament.

Submissions for the 2027 award must be received by October 1, 2026.

2027 Raabe Prize Description & Guidelines

Save the date!

Presenters include Rev. Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor, keynote; Marin Jacobson, Tuesday choral; Choral Evening Prayer with Kantorei from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Kevin Hildebrand, conductor; hymn festival with Daniel Schwandt.

Workshops; choral reading sessions; publisher exhibits.

Registration information available mid-July.

Share Your Psalm Refrains

As part of a larger project to develop psalm resources for members, a page for psalm refrains has been created and is accessible in the members area of the website. Refrains are listed by psalm number and verse and contain an accompaniment, a graphic for insertion in a service folder, suggested psalm tone(s), and other supporting materials (instrumental parts, descants, etc.). There are only a handfull of refrains right now, but we invite you to help the number grow by sharing your psalm refrains with other ALCM members. Be sure to review these guidelines before submitting your psalm files.

Please address any questions, suggestions, or corrections to Cheryl Dieter at office@alcm.org.

AGO and ALCM Dual Certification

We are excited to announce the inaugural year of a new joint certification opportunity between the American Guild of Organists and the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. Members of both organizations may apply for the joint Service Playing Certificate (SPC) through this collaborative program. The Service Playing Certificate (SPC) is a comprehensive, performance-based examination designed to assess organ skills in a worship setting. It includes psalm, anthem, and vocal solo accompaniment; hymn playing and transposition; sight reading; improvisation; and repertoire performance. The exam is administered in a live setting with a proctor and recording engineer present and is designed to simulate the demands of professional worship service playing. Candidates will pay the standard application rate, and at least one examiner will be a member of ALCM in good standing. Both organizations will formally recognize the resulting certificate. The application process for the 2027 service playing certificate will open in July.

Additional information will be available in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, we invite all ALCM members to fill out this brief one-question survey to let us know whether you:

• Might be interested in participating in the certification process
• Have no interest in the certification process
• Already have the AGO Service Playing Certificate

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer grader for ALCM service playing tests, please contact jimrindelaub@alcm.org with Service Playing Grader in the subject line. ALCM service playing graders must be members of both ALCM and AGO.

Kampen Gets International Organ Academy

The Kampen International Organ Academy Foundation in The Netherlands was established in May 2026 to educate (semi)professional organists and conservatory students in the art of organ playing, particularly in the organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach, and in concert and liturgical improvisation.

An organ festival will be held annually in the autumn, focusing on a specific annual theme.

This year’s festival takes place from October 19-23, 2026. During the day, there are masterclasses and lectures. In the evenings, there are organ recitals given by the teachers. The week concludes with an organ concert by the active participants, where an organist is nominated from each discipline. For additional information, go to www.kampen-int-organacademy.eu.

Are you getting the most out of your ALCM membership?

Did you know that new member benefits are being added all the time to the members area of the ALCM website? You will want to log in whenever you visit the site to be sure that you have access to everything available to members. Can't remember your login information? In almost every case, your username is your email address. You can change or reset your password by following the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box.

Items in the members area are available for unlimited use as long as your membership remains active. Here are a few items for members only:

• All issues of CrossAccent (from the very beginning) and In Tempo are available for viewing. Paper and downloadable versions of CrossAccent are also available in the Marketplace;
• Advertise your local events on ALCM's calendar;
• Listen to all ALCM CD recordings for free;
• Hymns, accompaniments, descants, concertatos, and hymn stanza alternations for choir;
• Other free downloadable seasonal and non-seasonal resources;
• Discounted registration fee for ALCM-sponsored webinars and conferences;
• Past issues of ALCM's original practical resource, Grace Notes, from 1997-2011;
• Discounts on purchases of CDs and other items in the Marketplace; and
• A host of other resources free for viewing and downloading.

If you have any difficulty logging in or if you have questions or comments about the website or your membership, please feel free to contact us by email at office@alcm.org.