Spring is the time of year when God’s blessings are shown in magnificent splendor. Spring is when God’s mercy brings an end to the bleakness of winter and offers, instead, new life and new beginnings. Spring is when God’s love for us shines its brightest. There are as many kinds of love as there are…
Author: jonathanbmartin
VICTOR JOHNSON
Victor Johnson is one of our most innovative and creative composers. His music runs the gamut from concert hall compositions of scope and power to choral pieces that balance artistry and pedagogy intended to encourage the young developing musician. His sacred output is filled with a diversity of styles and a love for the traditions…
SENIOR SINGERS SUGGESTIONS:
I have an 87-year-old woman in my choir who sings baritone. Do you? Chances are, at some point in your career, you will work with aging singers. While working with young voices, one has the opportunity to shape and mold them as their voices mature, but when working with the mature voice, it’s pretty set….
A Mystery, the Holiday Care and Feeding of Church Musician’s
Chris Titko is a musician par excellence whether he is accompanying, directing, or editing the latest choral releases for the world’s largest music distributor. This classically trained church musician brings an impressive skill set to his daily enterprise that uniquely qualifies him for service to the modern church. An industry insider, he knows how to…
Everywhere Christmas Tonight
Even before school let out for winter, I knew it was Christmastime by the familiar signs that filled my childhood home with cheer: the scrumptious smell of Mom’s homemade Chex mix filling the kitchen, Dad pulling boxes of ornaments out from the garage, and classic Christmas melodies playing over the stereo. Next came the decorations….
What is the best holiday dish and worst holiday dish?
For this issue, we asked out composers to tell us their favorite and least favorite holiday dishes. ROBERT STERLING: Best: my older sister’s homemade pies. Worst: fruitcake TERRY YORK: Best holiday dish is oyster dressing. Worst holiday dish is mincemeat pie. MOLLY IJAMES: Best: Corn casserole Worst: Either fruitcake or boiled vegetables …
The Gift of Love
Every month I get a notice from my friend and yours, Joseph Martin, that it’s time for a new blog post (he’s nothing if he’s not persistent). This month, as in the past, the request came in an email addressed to a long list of contributors to this fine online establishment. Here’s what it said…
Hidden Christmas Treasures
After only a few years of assembling Advent, Christmas Eve, and Christmas services, I grew weary of the same old same old. Grab a few Messiah choruses, “I Wonder as I Wander,” and the rest of the usual fair I needed to begin looking for the “hidden Christmas treasures.” Of course, it is great when…
Joel Raney
Joel Raney is a multi-talented composer/pianist who has a reputation for musical diversity and meaningful texts. From sanctuary jazz and sacred theatre pieces to traditional anthems and classically inspired festival compositions, he can simply do it all! A favorite as a clinician, he is approachable and eager to share his faith and life journey. We…
NEW BEGINNINGS
New beginnings. Sounds redundant, I know. I almost changed that opening, but it’s really correct. New beginnings. One thing that all new beginnings have in common is that they are built on something that came before it. If you’re starting from scratch, then this isn’t a new beginning. It’s either new or it’s a beginning,…
LAYING FOUNDATIONS by Daniel Gawthrop
My wife and I have always been avid readers and listeners. When we met, mumblety mumblety years ago, that meant books printed on paper and music recorded on LPs. We used to joke that our marriage simply formalized the merger of two of the world’s great libraries. Moving days were particularly dreaded in our home…
PREPARING THE WAY
Every Sunday, the church is called to worship, and the choir serves a vital role in that sacred call. The new choir year offers directors an opportunity to remind our singers of the value of treating practice as sacred time. Beyond crunching notes and marking scores, there are many things about the time of preparation…
WorshipSongsOnline 