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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
December 1, 2023 e-newsletter
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Greeting from Secretary/Treasurer Mike Krentz | |
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What words come into your mind as you think about the themes of our beloved Advent/Christmas hymns? I think of longing, expectation, hope, joy, peace.
This is quite a mixture of themes and ideas, a mixture that reflects our world in 2023. At my congregation the first hymn we will sing in Advent this year includes these words (by William Gay, 1920-2009):
Each winter as the year grows older,
We each grow older too.
The chill sets in a little colder;
The verities we knew seem shaken and untrue.
When race and class cry out for treason,
When sirens call for war,
They overshout the voice of reason
And scream till we ignore
All we held dear before.
As you serve your people and lead their beloved songs in this season, remember that you are called to a ministry that does not shy away from the truth. Your ministry is to help your people sing their longing and expectation. Your ministry is to proclaim hope, joy, and peace. You have been nurtured and equipped along the way as you have followed your call. You are ready for this important ministry in this fraught time.
And don’t forget to pray.
O Child of ecstasy and sorrow,
O Prince of Peace and pain,
Brighten today’s world by tomorrow’s
Renew our lives again;
Lord Jesus, come and reign!
If ALCM has been one of the ways you have been nurtured and equipped, I invite you to make a gift to ALCM so that we can continue ALCM’s mission. You can make a gift at https://alcm.org/make-a-donation/.
Michael Krentz, Secretary/Treasurer
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Registration is now open!
Join us on the campus of Valparaiso University and the beautiful Chapel of the Resurrection as we Ponder Anew how to communicate God’s saving grace to all peoples in meaningful, relevant ways. Through workshops, discussions, worship, and hands-on learning opportunities, we invite you to strengthen your gifts and develop new skills in topics such as worship leadership, technology, composition, enriching assembly song and more, all the while forming connections from Generation to Generation with young musicians attending the Lutheran Summer Music Academy (LSM).
The emphasis of this conference is on practical skill-building. Registrants will be able to attend in-depth learning sessions on a variety of topics. These sessions are 90 minutes long and typically consist of multiple sessions, with each session building on the previous. In addition to the in-depth learning sessions, a variety of workshops will round out this practical learning experience. Many fine presenters will be on hand to lead us in a variety of learning opportunities.
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St. John Passion
The conference will celebrate a 300-year anniversary:
St. John Passion - J.S. Bach
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 – 7:30 pm – Chapel of the Resurrection, Valparaiso University
Bach Collegium Valparaiso
Christopher M. Cock, Artistic Director and Conductor
The Bach Collegium Valparaiso is an ensemble composed of the finest period instrument and vocal forces in the Chicago area. The mission of BCV is to perform the great masterworks of the 16th - 18th centuries with attention to historically informed practice and the highest standards of musical performance.
Made possible through the generous financial support of Pauline and John Kiltinen.
Additional information about the conference, including pricing, scholarships, accommodations and more is available on the ALCM website.
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In November 2020 over a thousand singers and instrumentalists participated in the creation of a virtual hymn setting of "Angels We Have Heard on High" in a new arrangement by Anne Krentz Organ. You are invited once again to include this virtual hymn recording in your Christmas celebrations. | |
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End of Year Gifts to ALCM
Thanks to all who have already given gifts to ALCM in 2023! Your generosity helps ALCM live into its mission to nurture and equip musicians to serve and lead the church's song. If you still plan to make a donation and want to have it counted as a 2023 gift, please note the following deadlines:
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Online donations must be completed by 11:00 PM Eastern time on Sunday, December 31.
- If you are planning to send a check, it must be received in the ALCM office no later than Wednesday, January 3. Postmarking by Wednesday, December 28 should ensure that we receive it by January 3.
Donations received after those deadlines will be considered 2024 gifts. If you have any questions about what you have already given in 2023, feel free to contact us at office@alcm.org.
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The Christmas Gift That Keeps on Giving
Looking for a gift for a fellow church musician or pastor? Consider the gift of membership in ALCM. If your gift recipient is already a member of ALCM, their membership will be extended by one year. If it is a new member, they will receive a new member packet filled with a wonderful assortment of materials to introduce them to ALCM. Because members receive publications and other benefits throughout the year, this is a gift that truly keeps on giving! To give a gift membership, complete the online gift form or print and mail the form with your check.
| Join us in creating a virtual chorale from the St. John Passion. Both singers and instrumentalists welcome. Be sure to submit your recording by Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Visit the web page for more details. | |
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Board Meeting Highlights
The ALCM Board of Directors met via Zoom on Monday, November 20. At the meeting the Board:
- Appointed Mark Pinnick to a five-year term as trustee for the ALCM Endowment Funds.
- Also appointed Mark to the Board Finance Committee (where he joins Board members David Werth and Michael Krentz).
- Heard from President-Elect Karen Black that several suggestions/nominations for people to serve on the Board beginning in August 2024 have been received; additional suggestions or nominations can be sent to Karen at karen.black@wartburg.edu.
- Heard from Jean Boehler that the Scholarship Committee received 17 grant applications and awarded grants to five recipients; the Board hopes to be able to continue this program in future years.
- Heard from Executive Director Jim Rindelaub about some generous gifts and pledges that have been received in recent weeks.
The Board thanks the staff and all members of ALCM who make our Association strong!
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Conference Recordings Available for Purchase
Philadelphia conference recordings are available for purchase ($345 for members; $395 for non-members). Like the Members Area of the website, you will have access to the conference recordings as long as your ALCM membership remains active.
Included in the package are recordings and handouts from:
- Worship services, concerts
- Plenaries, choral reading sessions, ALCM business meeting (including awards)
- Skills workshops and masterclasses (first session Wednesday; continued on Saturday)
- Workshops (workshops were offered twice, so there are two recordings of each workshop)
Additional information about conference offerings is available in the conference book.
Click here to purchase the conference recordings package. ALCM members: be sure to sign in to the Members Area of the website in order to secure the reduced member rate. If you have forgotten your password, or if you have never logged in to the members area, click the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box to set your password.
Questions? Send an email to office@alcm.org.
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Philadelphia Conference Attendees - Reports Invited
The first issue of CrossAccent for 2024 will focus on July’s conference in Philadelphia. If you attended the conference, we invite you to submit reports/reflections on the conference plenaries, workshops, concerts, and other events. We are especially interested in sharing multiple reports from differing vantage points, so all comments are welcome. Reports are due January 5, 2024 and can be emailed to crossaccent@alcm.org.
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Since the nineteenth century, households and congregations have marked the days before Christmastide with many kinds of Advent calendars. The season of waiting and longing for the “already-but-not-yet” incarnation of Jesus unfolds amidst waning daylight in the Northern Hemisphere, a time of yearning for hope, joy, and peace.
Join Lutheran Summer Music, December 3-24, for our third-annual Musical Advent Calendar–a daily moment of music and reflection on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages as well as archived on our website: LSMacademy.org/acal
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Introducing two FREE compositions from Lutheran Summer Music 2023 by Anne Krentz Organ: Holy Manna, for solo instrument with keyboard accompaniment, and Be Thankful, for SATB chorus, descant, keyboard accompaniment, optional: assembly, handbells (full or condensed). Free sheet music download: LSMacademy.org/resources. | |
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There will not be a December Happy Hour
Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM
Resumes
Friday, January 26 - 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.
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Post Your Own Event!
Adding your local event to the calendar is easy. Just log in to the members area of the ALCM website and follow the "Add an event to the calendar" link under "What would you like to do?" Click on the "Post Your Event" button and complete the form. 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.
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2024 Philadelphia Organ Festival
Composition Competition
Submissions are now being accepted for original works for solo organ for the upcoming 2024 Philadelphia Organ Festival. The festival features a partnership with the Philadelphia Orchestra and will highlight both musicians from the Orchestra and leading organists from across the nation. The winning composition will be performed by organist Darryl Robinson in a featured performance of the Festival on Thursday, March 21, 2024. A cash award of $7,500 will be provided to the composer of the selected first-place work. Second and third place winners will also be acknowledged and included in a festival performance TBD.
A link to the submission form with more detailed information on the competition requirements and eligibility is found here: Composition Competition for 2024 Philadelphia Organ Festival
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Three Old Hymns and Your New Ideas!
The 500th anniversary of the first Lutheran hymnal Etlich Cristlich Lider (also known as the Achtliederbuch) is 2024. These three hymns are still in our hymnals:
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Nun freut euch - Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice
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Es ist das Heil uns kommen her - Salvation unto Us Has Come
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Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir - Out of the Depths I Cry to You/From Depths of Woe, Lord God, I Cry
Do you still sing any of these hymns in worship? If so, In Tempo invites your insights into (re-)introducing these hymns for worship, breathing fresh life into them, and adapting them to your context. Please send a paragraph or two or three with insights into your best practice for enlivening these ancient hymns in modern settings to intempo@alcm.org.
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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 user name 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:
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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;
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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.
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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.
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The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
nurtures and equips musicians
to serve and lead the church's song.
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