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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

March 1, 2025 e-newsletter

Greetings from your ALCM Board of Directors!

We church musicians, and indeed the whole church, find ourselves again in a transition time. Many of us will say farewell to our Alleluias as we exit a season of light, joy, hope, and peace. The ashes of Ash Wednesday will call us into a 40-day season of return, reflection, and remembering. Our Sunday readings will bring us the stories of Jesus’ 40-day fast and temptation, the return of the son to his forgiving feasting-spreading father, and Mary’s anointing of Jesus.

These stories teach us that God is gracious and merciful, and indeed slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Aren’t we blessed as leaders of the church’s song that our music brings all of this – the light, joy, hope, peace, returning, reflection, and remembering – onto the lips and into the hearts of our people! Our music is not just for a season but for all seasons, not just for a time but for all times.

Our singing is especially for a time like this. In the turmoil of our world, the gospel message of hope and peace, repentance and return, remembering and relying on God can be difficult to sing, difficult to hear, difficult to trust. May the 40-day season of Lent give you patience to listen, faith in the goodness of God, and strength to lead your people in song!

Post-script: There is one other number 40 for us in ALCM on the horizon. We are just shy of the 40^th anniversary of a meeting in Columbia, SC that led to the birth of ALCM in 1986. This August at our biennial conference in Raleigh we will kick off a three-year celebration of ALCM’s 40^th anniversary. Watch your email in the next few weeks for an important message about our anniversary!

Michael Krentz

Secretary/Treasurer

Join us in Raleigh-Durham in August!

Greetings, dear colleagues!

In August this summer in Raleigh-Durham we will give thanks "for all that is to be." This phrase from the hymn "O Christ the Same" has inspired our worship planning work. The worship team, including Renata Peperkorn, Pastor Steven Wilco and myself, has been working diligently to craft liturgies that give thanks for what has been, and look to the future of what is to be. 

The worship space for our opening eucharist, and compline at the end of the conference, will be in the magnificent Duke Chapel, and will feature ALCM members Chad Fothergill, Zeb Highben, Thomas Schulteis, and Renata Peperkorn (both of whom are Norma Aamodt-Nelson Student Scholar Award winners). At this service we will also introduce the 40th anniversary commissioned hymn from Pastor Stephen Starke and Robert Hobby. We will have morning prayer in the hotel ballroom on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as a gathering there on Monday evening as we begin our time together in song and prayer, thanksgiving and reflection. 

In addition to all the wonderful conference activities, there are opportunities to sing in the choir at the opening eucharist at Duke and with a community choir at the hymn festival. If you have not yet registered, please do so by March 18; on the 19th prices increase!

We trust in the God that is, and was, and ever shall be. Let us raise our voices together this summer. I look forward to seeing you there!

Julie Grindle

Worship Committee

Those who attend both the 2025 Composers Symposium and the Raleigh-Durham Conference will receive a $70 dollar refund at the close of the Raleigh-Durham conference.

Raleigh-Durham Conference Sponsorship Opportunities

Would you like to contribute to ALCM and support our August conference in Raleigh-Durham? Gifts are welcome to support the conference, and all donors will be listed in the conference book. Donations may be made at ALCM website. 

On March 15 ALCM is kicking off its 2025 Hearts • Hands • Voices events with "Love One Another," a children's choir festival at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. This event, also sponsored by Choristers Guild and Hennepin Avenue UMC, is a chance for children and youth to sing with Mari Espeland (1st-5th grade) and Jennaya Robison (6th grade and higher) to prepare an afternoon hymn festival. While the children and youth are practicing, choir directors will have the opportunity to attend workshops offered by Sara Lukkasson and Rebekah Schulz. For more information and to register go to the ALCM website. Cost is $25 for directors, $15 for children and youth. Scholarship money is available. Whether you register to attend the workshops or come to the afternoon hymn festival, we hope to see you there!

The Raabe Prize at 25!

We are coming to the end of our celebration of 25 years of the Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition. Endowed in 1999 by Dr. William and Pr. Nancy Raabe of Philadelphia, this prize is awarded every two years for a single musical work that reflects a larger history of excellence on the part of a composer. Its aim is to recognize and encourage significant accomplishments in composition contributing to the body of sacred music for the church in the Lutheran heritage. 

This month we are pleased to share two videos. Adam Lefever Hughes, ALCM''s Education Coordinator, and Zebulon Highben, former chair of the Raabe Prize selection committee talk about the 2015 and 2019 prizewinners: David Ashley White's "Spirit, Moving Over Chaos" (2015) and Timothy Shaw's "Jesus, Refuge of the Weary" (2019). Although we were unable to schedule a chat with the composers themselves, Zeb and Adam celebrate these two great pieces of music as well as offer a look behind the scenes of the prize selection process.

You can view previous interviews on the Prize Winners page on the ALCM website. Watch for new interviews in the coming months!

Around 40 composers are finishing up at ALCM's 2025 Composers Symposium "Where Do We Go From Here?" Over these three days, registrants had the opportunity to participate in skillshops, develop camaraderie, and discuss current and future trends in church music. Many thanks to ALCM member Bob Hobby, who so graciously hosted and planned this great event. Special thanks also to financial supporters The Lutheran Foundation, The Fred Jackisch Memorial Fund, and Trinity English Lutheran Church. 

Kyries & Glorias

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

Kyrie

Luke Tegtmeier

Mark & Kathy Helge

Bob & Lois Rimbo

Bob Hobby*

Jenny Hobby

Gloria

Nate Crary

In memoriam

Martin Marty

Mary Bolek

Andrew King

Carol T. Clausen

Betty Gehring

Paul Baker (Jennifer Baker-Trinity's father)

Lorraine Brugh*

Rev. James Capers

Rev. Louis Nuechterlein*

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.

* indicates a Founding Member

2025 ALCM Membership Directory

2025 membership directories are in the mail. Many thanks to R.A. Colby Inc., whose sponsorship made this year's directory possible.

Volunteer Position Opening: CrossAccent Reviews Editor



The CrossAccent journal includes reviews of books, recordings, podcasts, and other professional development resources. We are seeking a new volunteer willing to serve as Reviews Editor and coordinate the publication of these reviews. A full position description can be found here.

Direct Your 2024 Thrivent Choice $$$ by March 31!

Thrivent Choice Dollars allows eligible clients with membership to choose where Thrivent distributes a portion of its funding each year. A profound thank you to those of you who have designated ALCM to receive your Thrivent Choice dollars. In the past 10 years over $20,000 has been contributed to ALCM through Thrivent. Especially for those of you who still have 2024 dollars "in the pot," remember that March 31 is the last day to direct those dollars to participating organizations. After March 31 the 2024 dollars go away and 2025 dollars start to acrue. Once again, many thanks to all who choose ALCM as a recipient of Choice Dollars!

View the complete ALCM calendar.

Do you have practical thoughts, suggestions, or resources that could help your fellow ALCM musicians? In Tempo is always looking for new contributors! The deadline to contribute to the next issue is March 1st. Questions and submissions may be directed to intempo@alcm.org.

LAST CALL for LSM 2025! Enrollment for this summer is over 80% full, but there’s still time for young musicians to apply, and for you to nominate students. Lutheran Summer Music is the nation’s premier faith-based music academy for high school musicians. Students come together from around the country for a joyful summer of music-making through large ensembles (band, choir, orchestra), chamber music, private lessons, elective classes (conducting, composition, jazz, musical theatre, handbells, pipe organ) and use their musical gifts in performance, and in worship.

LSM 2025 | Valparaiso University, IN | June 22-July 20 | Grades 8-12 |

Learn more: LSMacademy.org/program 

Hymn Resources

On Ash Wednesday, will you sing the hymn "Savior, When in Dust to You" set to the tune ABERYSTWYTH? Below you will find a part for B-flat instrument by Jean Boehler and a setting for organ and with soloed melody by Paul Otte.

ABERYSTWYTH – Boehler instrumental parts



ABERYSTWYTH – 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, send an email to office@alcm.org and we'll be happy to help.

St. James Music Press is once again awarding a grant to a church starting or revitalizing a choir program. The purpose of this grant is to support new music programs or established music ministries that are adding a new element by offering resources and professional support.

Elements awarded in the grant include -

• Complementary 1-Year Membership to St. James Music Press
• $1000 - To support ministry needs
• Quarterly program consultations with SJMP colleagues to help recipients maximize their SJMP membership, discuss program challenges, and celebrate/build upon program successes.

The deadline for submissions for this year's grant is May 30, 2025.

The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada is conducting a competition for one or more theologically rich hymn or song texts for congregational singing that could be used in celebration of God the Creator. The search is for a text, whether written for an existing or a new musical setting. The writer of the winning entry will receive a $500 prize. Second and third place prizes of $250 may be awarded to other writers if there are additional outstanding entries. Deadline for submissions is May 2, 2025. Complete information, guidelines, and submission form may be found at https://thehymnsociety.org/2025-hymn-search/.

The Center for Church Music at Concordia University Chicago publishes video interviews with promient church musicians titled "Profiles in American Lutheran Church Music." Each video is about 45 minutes long. If you browse the list of interviews, you will recognize the names of many ALCM members, including Lorraine Brugh and John Ferguson, both of whom died within the past month. The videos are fascinating, insightful, and at times quite entertaining!

Embark on an unforgettable European adventure enriched by a captivating blend of history and natural beauty from Poland to Tallinn, Estonia. Begin your travels in Warsaw, then proceed through the Polish countryside to Zakopane, nestled at the base of the Tatra Mountains. Explore Krakow’s rich history, including visits to Wawel Cathedral and Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory. Journey onward to charming Tallinn, Estonia, where you’ll celebrate the 28th Estonian Song and Dance Festival. The Song Celebration tradition began in 1869 as a way for Estonians to meet, share their national spirit, and celebrate their unity in times of oppression. Hear tens of thousands of voices lifted in song and see the performers colorful regional costumes. Reserved seats are included for the final day of the festival. 

Additional information.

Register for the event.

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. These items are for sale in the Marketplace to non-members;
• 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.