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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

March 1, 2026 e-newsletter

Dear friends,

Blessings to you in this season of Lent! In addition to the historic liturgical themes of baptismal renewal and of repentance, Lent also gives us church musicians the opportunity to consider psalms and hymns of lament. Lament is a powerful devotional expression, where we in prayer can join our faith-filled voices with the psalmists of old, crying out “How long will you forget me, O Lord” (Psalm 13) or “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Psalm 22). Lament is framed by the faithfulness of God—the faithfulness of God is, you might say, both the prelude and the postlude of the lament. The faithfulness of God goes before the lament—God, you have been faithful—which leads to the lament—“where are you now?” And the lament is answered by the faithfulness of God—the God who was faithful is still faithful. It is no wonder that the Lord Jesus echoes this lament from the cross, praying Psalm 22, proclaiming the enduring faithfulness of God even on the darkest day of history.

So, in your dark days, when your prayers take the form of lament, receive the peace and comfort that comes from the faithfulness of God. God has been faithful. God continues to be faithful. The cross and the empty tomb of the Lord Jesus proclaim this to you, in you, and through you. And we lead the song of those who proclaim this faithfulness of God, even through lament.

In the name of Jesus,

Rev. Dr. James F. Marriott

This summer at St. Olaf College, ALCM is celebrating 40 years of nurturing and equipping musicians to serve and lead the church's song and looking toward the next 40. Through workshops, discussions, networking, worship, and hands-on learning opportunities, registrants will consider best practices for leading the church to sing about God's consistent presence in the world Now and Forever. Standing at the crossroads of the past legacy of ALCM, the present moment, and the future of paths yet untrodden, conference-goers will have the opportunity to form connections from Generation to Generation with the students, staff, and faculty of the Lutheran Summer Music Academy. A riveting performance of J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion, offered by the Bach Collegium Valparaiso, Christopher M. Cock, Artistic Director, brings it all together, telling the timeless story of God's grace given freely to all from the cross, uniting people from all times and places into one body of Christ. 

The emphasis of this conference is on practical skill-building. Check out the nearly complete list of presenters and workshops on the conference website. Early-bird registration, with reduced registration rates, continues through March 17, 2026. Reasonably-priced, air-conditioned dormitory housing is still available and can be booked at time of conference registration or at a later date. Register now and make plans to envision the future of Lutheran Church music. 

For those staying in the dorm at St. Olaf:

All guests are required to bring their own pillow and pillowcase.

The linen packet includes the following items per person:

● 2 flat sheets

● 1 fleece blanket

● 1 washcloth

● 1 bath towel

No pillow, pillow case, shampoo, soap or blow dryer is provided.

2027 Raabe Prize

Applications are now 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

Part Time Remote Position Available:

ALCM Education Coordinator

The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians is seeking a high achieving and collaborative part time employee to serve as the staff coordinator of ALCM’s Hearts, Hands, Voices local workshops, it’s even year national conferences and to provide support for ALCM projects. The individual will work with ALCM’s executive director and office staff as well as planning committees to ensure tasks related to ALCM’s educational programs are executed in a timely and high-quality manner. Essential qualifications: detail oriented; excellent written and verbal communication skills; successful project management and time management track record; proven ability to meet deadlines. Click here for a detailed task list. Exceptional candidates please email a cover letter and resume to jimrindelaub@alcm.org with “EDUCATION COORDINATOR APPLICATION” in the subject line. Interview scheduling to begin the week of March 16.

Direct Your 2025 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 2025 dollars "in the pot," remember that March 31 is the last day to direct those dollars to participating organizations. After March 31 the 2025 dollars go away and 2026 dollars start to accrue. Once again, many thanks to all who choose ALCM as a recipient of Choice Dollars!

What Is the Institute?

The National Lutheran Choir’s Summer Conducting, Leadership, and Vocation Institute is a five-day immersive experience for musicians exploring their calling through conducting, singing, leadership, and vocational discernment. Designed for students and emerging professionals at multiple stages, the institute blends artistic excellence with mentorship and community.

Participants engage in conducting study, vocal pedagogy, ensemble leadership, and career exploration while singing together as a festival chorus.

Institute Tracks

The institute is divided into three tracks, each tailored to experience level:

• High School (current grades 10-12)
• Undergraduate*
• Graduate & Emerging Professional*

*A limited number of fully funded choral scholar positions are available - by application (deadline: April 1, 2026)

For more information and to register: www.nlca.com/summer-institute

The 40th Anniversary Committee is overjoyed that we had 448 individuals make a gift to ALCM last year, surpassing our goal of 440! We thank everyone who made a gift in 2025. Now the Committee encourages you to help us meet or exceed that number in 2026. If you have not yet made a 40th anniversary gift, we invite you to join us - the celebration continues through 2027. Make your gift to Now and Forever: Endowing Our Future.

If you haven't already received it, you should be seeing the first In Tempo issue for 2026 in your mailbox very soon. As usual, this issue is full of useful information and ideas. Enjoy!

Do you have practical thoughts, suggestions, or resources that could help your fellow ALCM musicians? In Tempo is looking for additional entries for upcoming issues! The deadline to contribute to the next issue is March 15th. Questions and submissions may be directed to intempo@alcm.org. 

New Music for Easter

ALCM member Laurel Sanders has three Easter compositions that are now available on the J.W. Pepper website. She is making them available to ALCM members for free, which is permitted by J.W. Pepper. The two brass selections have been played by ensembles in Central PA with great response, and the choral piece is new. Audio & score links (from J.W. Pepper), available for all three pieces, are included below. 

Jesus Lives! Let All Earth Praise Him! (SATB choir and piano)

Easter Prelude for Brass Quartet

Easter Offertory for Brass Quartet

Links to the scores for all three pieces are posted under the "What's New for Members" section on the Members Area page. The two pieces for brass are also included under their tune names in the "Hymn Settings" section.

Congratulations, Laurel, and thanks for sharing these pieces with ALCM members!

Something new on the ALCM website!

If you have recently visited our website, you will notice that you are now being asked to verify that you are human. Although WE know that you are human, the website does not, and this extra step helps to ensure that the website will not be hacked or invaded. A small price to pay for security!

40th Anniversary Hymn Commission:

"O God, You Saw My Early Being"

In celebration of ALCM’s 40th anniversary in 2026, the ALCM board of directors commissioned Rev. Stephen Starke (text) and Robert Hobby (tune) to write a new hymn. “O God, You Saw My Early Being” is the result of that collaboration.

Permission for ALCM members to use the hymn and setting in worship has been extended to April 1, 2026. Both Concordia Publishing House (text copyright) and MorningStar Music (tune) are covered under OneLicense.net. Please remember to report hymn usage.

Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM

Friday, March 27 - 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 Past-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.

Kyries & Glorias

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

Kyrie

Bob & Lois Rimbo

Mark & Kathy Helge

Bob Hobby*

Jenny Hobby

In memoriam

Martha Fisher*

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

Hymn Resources

March 29 is Passion/Palm Sunday, and this month's hymn suggestion is VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN/All Glory Laud and Honor. Settings include a B-flat trumpet part written by Jean Boehler as well as a soloed-out organ setting by Paul Otte. In addition, Larry Finke provides several options for introduction to the hymn. NOTE: Be sure to check the length of the first note of the hymn. Different hymnals use different note values!

VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN – Boehler

VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN - Finke

Processional/hymn introduction for choir and/or handbells

Choral hymn introduction   

Introduction with trumpet

VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN/All Glory, Laud and Honor – 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.

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.

LAST CALL for LSM 2026!

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 2026 | St. Olaf College, Minnesota | June 21 - July 19 | Grades 8 - 12

Learn more: LSMacademy.org/program

Mount Calvary Academy of Music is excited to announce:  

Music of the Church with Inaugural Instructor Dr. David Cherwien! 

Private lessons with David Cherwien 

in the Minneapolis/St Paul area starting February 2026 

Private lessons offer one-on-one learning to mentor student skill in your choice of focus areas in sacred music. Inaugural options are taught by instructor Dr. David Cherwien in private lessons with curriculum specific to each purpose. Choose your option for Lesson Purpose with systematic learning! Lesson Purposes include: 

1. Congregational Song – for experienced organists 
2. Improvisation – for experienced organists 
3. Basic Organ Lessons  
4. Composing/Arranging for the church 

THERE'S STILL TIME TO ENROLL FOR THE SPRING TERM February - May!  

Enrollment is accepted by term. Summer Term and Fall Term lessons will also be offered. Enrollment is always open for an available spot in Dr. Cherwien’s studio, including mid-term for remaining lessons in that term.

Read more about David Cherwien and Music of the Church.

Music of the Church is only one of the many programs offered by the Academy at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Excelsior, MN. Read more about this extensive arts program at www.mcaom.org.

Questions? Email mary.lechelt@mountcalvary.org.

The 2026 Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition

If you missed Anne Krentz Organ's free webinar last Thursday, you will still be able to view it on the Augsburg Fortress website starting sometime this week. Like David Cherwien's webinar on January 27, Anne's webinar was FULL of great ideas, many of which can be used during Holy Week and Easter. When you visit the page, note that some of Anne's and David's compositions are available at a discount. You'll want to return to these two webinars again and again!

Visit augsburgfortress.org/MusicWebinar.

The 2026 William Wolfram Student Award in Liturgical Art

Recognizes student artists who evidence:

• Commitment to Christian faith and practice
• Excellence in artistic expression
• Commitment to creating pieces purposed for use within worship settings

$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: May 1^st, 2026 - Submit a single PDF with quality images of your work, one full image and one or two detail images along with title, media, dimensions, year created, and anything else you want the judges to know.

Send to Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu

(Recent grads--since May 2024--may also apply.)

Additional information is available on the Center's website.

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.