|
Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
May 1, 2025 e-newsletter
| | Greeting from Board Member Kyle Haugen | | |
I was recently pondering about the common phrase, mountaintop experience. I’m a bit of latecomer to the understanding that the phrase isn’t referring to mere earthly vistas from a great vantage point during a summer hike. No, the phrase is indebted to great biblical encounters— the giving of the Law (Mount Sinai), the Transfiguration (perhaps Mount Tabor), the mounts of Calvary (Good Friday) and Olivet (Ascension), and more.
As a musician of the church, I’m grateful for “mountaintop experiences” of music that unite Word and song in ways I can’t accomplish or could never have conceived on my own. And so, I hope you’re planning to join me at For All that Is to Be, the upcoming ALCM national conference this August in Raleigh-Durham, NC. If you haven’t already, you can find info and register here.
Whatever your plans this spring and summer, may you be guided by the Spirit and rooted in the Word as you continue to abide in the risen and ascended Savior— and may you be inspired and refreshed “for all that is to be” in your music ministry.
Thank you for your support and service to ALCM!
Kyle Haugen
Member of ALCM Board of Directors
| Join us in Raleigh-Durham in August! | | |
Dear friends,
I hope this finds you amid continuing celebration of the resurrection! The fact that we are now three weeks into the Easter season is an indicator that summer is around the corner. For many of us, that means a slightly more relaxed pace, a time to gather socially with friends and family, and a time to seek opportunities for further growth and enrichment.
If you have already registered for our summer conference in the Raleigh-Durham area, I can assure you that you will indeed have ample opportunity to relax with friends and colleagues, as well as find opportunities for growth and enrichment. If you have NOT yet registered, there is still time to join us.
Whether you are registered or not, I’m guessing you will certainly be aware of some of the bigger highlights of this conference, including opportunities to worship together, concerts by VOCES8 and the Raleigh Ringers, as well as a hymn festival led by Tom Trenney.
If you are “on the fence” about attending, let me also highlight the efforts of our committee to offer practical workshops led by some of our profession’s finest leaders. Whether your role in leadership is in a part-time capacity, or you lead a large dynamic program, there will be something for you! If you have not yet looked at the array of workshop offerings, please visit the site again.
In addition to the workshops worship and concerts, I’m also excited to share that we will be kicking off our 40th anniversary celebration with the premiere of a newly commissioned hymn with a text written by Stephen Starke and tune by Robert Hobby. No ALCM gathering would be complete without opportunities to sing together, and what a joy it will be to share this new hymn this summer.
In addition to attending, let me also highlight an additional way to support our conference. Perhaps you would like to help foster fellowship by sponsoring a coffee break during the mornings? Maybe you would like to support a particular opportunity for growth and enrichment by sponsoring a presenter and their workshop? You can also help make some of the “wow” moments happen by contributing to our hymn festival or the Raleigh Ringers concert. Your support of these conference components helps us keep our costs more manageable. There are support opportunities at a variety of levels.
For 40 years ALCM has nurtured and equiped musicians to serve and lead the church’s song! I hope you will join us this summer as we celebrate this milestone and continue looking forward to another forty years and beyond!
Jeremy Bankson
2025 Conference Chair
| | |
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 through the ALCM website.
| | ALCM's one-day workshops for church musicians begin next month with workshops scheduled in Stillwater, MN and Lansing, MI. You can find more information and registration forms for both these on the ALCM website. These reasonably-priced practical workshops are open to all so, register today and tell your friends! | |
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.
You can view previous interviews on the Prize Winners page on the ALCM website. Watch for the final interviews in the coming months!
| |
Congratulations, ALCM Members!
Sundays and Seasons 2026, Year A is hot off the press and as usual quite a few ALCM members contributed to this year’s resources: †Lorraine Brugh, Clayton Faulkner, Mari Espeland, Julie Grindle, Kyle Haugen, Jim Honig, Derek Hoven, Craig Mueller, Jonathan Niketh, Gail Ramshaw, Andrew Schaeffer, Michael Schaner, Mark Spitzak, Fernanda Van Atta, and Steven Wilco. Thank you to these ALCM members who contributed to this wonderful resource!
If you want to explore the Sunday readings in more detail, consider purchasing Sundays and Seasons: Preaching, Year A 2026 as well. Although this volume is designed as a preaching aid, it is a wonderful planning tool for musicians as well.
The two volumes are also available as a combo pack.
| | | |
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.
Call for Essays:
CrossAccent, Summer 2025
Essays on the topic “Church Music in a Plural World” are welcomed for the summer 2025 issue of CrossAccent. Click here to read about this issue’s theme. Manuscripts are due on May 15, 2025.
| |
Do you have practical thoughts, suggestions, or resources that could help your fellow ALCM members? In Tempo is always looking for new contributors! The deadline to contribute to the next issue is July 15th. Questions and submissions may be directed to intempo@alcm.org. | |
|
Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM
Friday, May 23 - 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 President Nancy Raabe and Executive Director Jim Rindelaub, discussion will be 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.
| | |
Hymn Resources
In making suggestions each month, we try to include hymns that are found in each of the three major denominational hymnals. This month's suggestion for the Day of Pentecost is "Come Down, O Love Divine" (tune: Down Ampney). Although the hymn does appear in all three hymnals, each hymnal includes it in a different section/category. Lutheran Service Book includes it within the section of Pentcost hymns. Christian Worship (2021) places it in a section called "Work of the Spirit." In Evanglical Lutheran Worship, it is found in the section called "Commitment, Discipleship." What is interesting about this is that all three topical placements reflect different aspects of the hymn. Yes, it is a hymn perfect for the day of Pentecost, but it also relates in a more general sense to the work of the Holy Spirit beyond just the day of Pentecost. And our response to the work of the Spirit in our midst is commitment and discipleship. "Down Ampney" is one of those hymns that almost begs to have the melody soloed out. Consider using Paul Otte's setting to introduce and/or accompany this hymn.
DOWN AMPNEY – 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.
| |
|
Association of Anglican Musicians Conference Opportunity
The Association of Anglican Musicians (AAM) invites you to attend their 2025 Annual Conference "The Lord is my Strength and my Song" in Cincinnati (June 15–19, 2025). Old friends and new will gather for a week of inspiring liturgies, relevant workshops, and beautiful music in buildings with renowned ecclesiastical architecture and world-class organs. Members of ALCM can register at the AAM member rate. Find out more and register at: www.anglicanmusicians.org/conf.
| You are invited to freely make use of the ALCM virtual hymn "O Day Full of Grace." Share the hymn with everyone. All copyright restrictions are waived. If you own a One License subscription and offer the hymn recording in worship, please include it when submitting your One License report. | | |
Events are published both in the website calendar and in the monthly e-newsletter. Adding your local event to the calendar is easy. Members can simply log in to the members area of the ALCM website and select "Add an event to the calendar" under "What would you like to do?" Click on the "Post Your Event" button and complete the form. Non-members should send event details to office@alcm.org for consideration.
Your event will appear on the main event calendar, on the main page of the website, and in the e-newsletter for the month in which the event will take place. Good advertising - and it's free to ALCM members!
| | |
Meet the Worship Faculty of LSM 2025
Join Us In Person or Virtually This Summer!
Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) is delighted to announce the 2025 Worship Faculty of The Eugene and Mary Sukup Church Music Program, led by Cantor Chad Fothergill (LSM 2000). These gifted and highly respected leaders will guide students and the broader LSM community through a rich tapestry of sacred music experiences during morning and evening prayer, rehearsals, concerts, and more.
Whether you can join us in person or tune in from afar, we invite you to be part of this vibrant, creative community that nurtures the next generation of church musicians and breathes new life into the future of sacred music.
LSM 2025 | Valparaiso University, IN | June 22-July 20 | Grades 8-12
Learn more: LSMacademy.org/program
| | |
Historic Pipe Organ Composition Competition
Sitka Lutheran Church in Sitka, Alaska, is enthused to invite young composers to submit organ works for a composition competition! This fall, Sitka Lutheran Church is celebrating the 30 year anniversary of its volunteer program. This program spreads faith, history, and love to Sitka visitors. As part of this celebration, a concert will be performed on its 1844 Kessler pipe organ, which is the oldest organ west of the Mississippi River. The winning composition will be premiered at this concert. Get the full details.
The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2025.
| | |
Happy Easter from Lutheran Summer Music!
Happy Easter from your friends at Lutheran Summer Music! Please enjoy this musical offering of Michael Boo’s Alleluia Tapestry, performed by the LSM 2024 Festival Band, conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Scott Doebler.
| | |
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/. | | |
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.
| | |
Are you a congregation looking for a musician?
A musician looking for a position?
ALCM can help!
Employment resources have been developed to assist congregations in the process of searching for and hiring a musician. Presented in a step-by-step format, these resources will guide you through the entire employment process.
The ALCM job listing service connects those looking for positions in the field of church music with congregations and other institutions that have openings. By completing an online job posting form, congregations can post their positions on the ALCM website where those looking for employment may view them.
Musicians searching for a job may view posted job openings on the ALCM website, where those looking for positions can view them. Both full-time and part-time positions are listed, and new positions are added as received.
| |
The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
nurtures and equips musicians
to serve and lead the church's song.
| | | | |
