Music and the Church with Sarah Bereza

Composer Kathryn Rose began Cecilia's List to help music directors find sacred choral music written by women. Her site links directors to music grouped by Season and by Lectionary readings.

Kathryn Rose hails from Canada, and is now based in London and studying for a PhD in composition at the University of Aberdeen.

We talk about Cecilia’s List and how musicians can more intentionally program music written by women. We also discuss Kathryn’s music and why she uses creative commons licensing for her music. Finally, we talk about Evensong and West Gallery Music, a style popular in the 1700s and early 1800s.

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Resources We Mentioned

Kathryn Rose's bio and composer websiteCecilia's ListWest Gallery Music

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Jazz composer and pianist Deanna Witkowski shows how hymn arrangements can enrich our interactions with familiar texts. And she discusses how we can better welcome guest musicians into our congregations.

Deanna Witkowski has a wide range of musical experience, including as a church musician and as a guest artist in churches. Many of her compositions are sacred works, including a song my choir often sings as an introit—"We Walk in Love." In 2017, her hymn "We Belong to God" won the Annual Hymn Search of The Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada. 

Among Deanna's many accolades, she has won the Great American Jazz Piano Competition. She has also released six albums, including most recently Makes the Heart to Sing: Jazz Hymns.

Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Resources We Mention

Deanna's website and her Bandcamp pageDeanna's sheet musicMakes the Heart to SingDeanna's article in Down BeatLectio Divina

Interested in Hearing More about Congregational Singing?

If you're interested in congregational singing, check out these other Music and the Church resources.

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If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with your friends who love all things church related. It's the best way for them to find the show!

What's the difference between ministry and a job when your income comes from a church but you're not a pastor? What is your vocation and calling?

In this week's podcast episode, church musician Crawford Wiley and I discuss how our personal identities align with our ministry in the church. Neither of us is a pastor, but we both feel a deep sense of fulfillment in our ministries through the churches we work for. We also care about having healthy boundaries so that we don't burn out.

What does church ministry mean to you? And is "job versus ministry" a fair question?

Some ways of thinking about church employment are:

Job, which often implies a singular source of income and a negative "it's just a job" connotationCareer, which often implies a longterm plan and potentially a source of longterm satisfactionVocation, with the sense of "this is God's calling for you," and something you can't "clock out" fromMinistry, including being a "pastoral musician," implies caregiving and helping other people (you can't minister just by yourself!)

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On Healthy Boundaries in Church Ministry

Fact: as much time as you give, that's how much time the church will take. Not because the church is bad, but because there are endless ways to serve. If you alway and only give, you will burn out. So, you have to find healthy boundaries and ways to replenish your soul and body.

On Why We're Here

Through all the heartache that ministry brings, remember that we get to see Christ in the people we minister to. Through all the heartache, the sadness, the continual encounters with death and dying, keep your eyes on Christ.

This Week's Podcast Guest: Crawford Wiley

Crawford Wiley is the Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Longtime listeners will know Crawford as the co-host of the first season of Music and the Church. It is a delight having him back on the show as conversation buddy!

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Catholics can sing! Here's how one music director leads congregational singing at Mass in bilingual and multi-ethnic parishes.

Darrell St. Romain is the Director of Music at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Farmers Branch, TX. With his background ranging from rural Louisiana to the Cathedral of Dallas (where he worked while studying for his Master's Degree of Sacred Music at Southern Methodist University), he has a keen understanding of leading music programs in bilingual and multi-ethnic parishes.

In our conversation we discuss:

Congregational participation that doesn't necessarily entail congregational singing (something I discussed with Mary Catherine Levri in an earlier podcast episode)Teaching new music to the congregationUsing Latin in bilingual Masses to build communitySupporting various music ensembles in your congregation without micromanaging the leaders of those groupsThe dangers of labeling services by musical style (the "Gospel Mass" at 9:30, the "Traditional Mass" at 11)

Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Favorite Quotes

Darrell on teaching new Mass settings: remember, "no matter where you are working, there are always going to be people who want to participate." (So help them out!)

"Why do we have to be comfortable when we come to worship? I don't think anybody who had an encounter with Jesus was comfortable the whole time." –Darrell St. Romain on congregational singing at Mass

Resources We Mentioned

Another perspective on congregational participation at Mass earlier on Music and the ChurchFlor y canto Lead Me, Guide Me (1st and 2nd editions)"Alabaré a mi Señor""Taste and See""Holy, Holy, Holy""Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"

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Church ministry usually brings radically flexibility to our work schedules. And a balanced life means embracing both the pros and the cons of that flexible schedule. Focusing only on the pros can leave you disappointed when a con comes up. And only looking at the cons might mean you miss out on the pros. Music and the Church will be back next week with a regular episode. In the meantime, check out our back episodes at musicandthechurch.com

Want to get kids to church VERY early on Sunday mornings? Here's how one music leader uses bands to get youth invested in music ministry.

Anny Stevens-Gleason knows something about getting kids to church. She’s the Minister for Liturgy and Incorporation at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (Cincinnati, Ohio). She directs three bands that cover the contemporary service at the church—one for 5th through 8th graders, one for high schoolers, and one for adults.

For the musicians, that means rehearsing on Saturday afternoons, showing up early on Sunday mornings, practicing the music at home, and maybe studying it in a private lesson.

When I was the interim organist at the the church, I saw firsthand how well this program worked. These young people made high-quality music, and their investment in the band was long-term.

Helping Youth People Engage More Fully with Their Faith

For me, the big goal in learning about Anny’s ministry is that I want to help young people engage more fully in their faith.

What I like about the band model is that bands intrinsically have room for a wider range of musical skills than choirs do. For one, you don’t have to sing in order to participate. If you do sing, you might have the skill to sing lead, or you might have the skill to sing melody on the refrain with a chorus of other people. And all of those roles are important in the band, and they all engage the musicians.

Is This Just About Pop Music?

No, this episode is primarily about the band model—the way the musicians form an ensemble. We’re not really talking about a particular music style.

Second, if you’re thinking, “I don’t do that top 40 hits stuff,” know that Anny starts with the hymnal. In fact, she encourages us to start with the songs the congregation and musicians already know.

Finally, Anny’s background is in classical voice, so we’re talking about how classical trained musicians can do this—and why.

Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Key Takeaways from the Conversation

Give musicians a safe place to learn and grow, and you give them confidence that leads to excellence.It’s important to discuss song lyrics, especially when connecting secular lyrics to a sacred context.If you are starting a band, choose songs the musicians and congregation already know. Think of it as familiar songs with a different accompaniment.When introducing a new song, it’s okay (even good!) to repeat it for several weeks. In Anny’s case, it is easy to keep the same song feeling fresh because the accompaniment changes every week as different bands lead.The learning curve for a mixing board can be steep. If you are thinking of starting a band, take this necessary education into account. Is there a volunteer in the church who can take lead on this? If you are the person who needs to manage the sound board, how much time can you allot to continuing education?

Resources We Mentioned

Anny's SoundcloudAnny's Spotify PlaylistSpikenard, the high school band Anny leadsShruti boxMusic That Makes CommunityYou Call That Church Music?Singing from the Lectionary"The Scientist" by Coldplay"Shine" by Collective Soul

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We might be the experts in the room, and our expertise is valuable, but so are experiences of the people we lead.

Teaching with Respect: Inclusive Pedagogy for Choral Directors by Stephen Sieck has a message for all of us in leadership positions. We who are leaders need to respect the experiences of the people we lead. 

Dr. Stephen Sieck is Associate Professor of Music and Co-Director of Choral Studies at Lawrence University. He has also ministered in church choirs and is an accomplished vocalist.

In our conversation, we talk about respect and vulnerability in choir rehearsals, and we discuss how we express values through our musical programming.

Key Takeaways from the Conversation

Imagine how a choral experience could affect someone who is not you.In a church choir, respect is not just for the choir members. It's also for the whole congregation, and for the Church in its universal, global, and historical senses.Think of the church choir as a kind of Sunday school, small fellowship, or Emmaus group.Examine the music you program and think about the values you are expressing through your choices.

Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Favorite Quote

Stephen Sieck's encouragement for congregational singing and volunteer church choirs:  "Music is very clearly valued as part of the worshipping experience all throughout the Bible. Being perfect at it is never in there."

Resources We Mentioned

Webcast Archive at Lawrence UniversityAdolphus Hailstork"O Love" by Elaine Hagenberg"Blessed Be the Lord, My Rock" by Abbie BetinisAndrea RamseyThe Spark Story Bible

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If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with your friends who love ministry. It's the best way for them to find the show!

What are artists-in-residence and how can they benefit churches and musicians? Learn from concert organist Chelsea Chen about artist residencies and visioning for concert series.

Chelsea Chen has held Artist-in-Residence positions at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fr. Lauderdale, FL). She draws on her experiences there as well as in her career as a composer, concert artist, and church musician as she shares how churches can support the arts through their staffing and in the concerts they sponsor. We also discuss using organ in blended church services, and the music she has planned for her upcoming wedding!

Key Takeaways from the Conversation

Consider using rhythm charts if you are integrating organ into a band in a blended service.When planning a concert series, start with the vision, then think about specifics.If your church owns an organ in good repair and runs a concert series, include organ in the regular series (not a separate “organ only” series).

Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Resources We Mention

Chelsea Chen's compositions and albumsFanfare, Op. 85, by C. S. LangLaudate Dominum by MozartNocturne (from the String Quartet No. 2), by Borodin"Let Us Love and Sing in Wonder" – hymn text by John NewtonPrélude, Adagio et Choral varié sur le thème du 'Veni Creator', Op. 4 by Maurice DuruflêExplorations for Cello and Organ – album by Chelsea Chen and Joseph Lee

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Church services can be incredibly distracting places, especially for leaders—you’re in the choir, you’re reading the scriptures, you're leading prayers, you’re preaching the sermon. What does it mean for us participate with our hearts—not just our lips!—when we’re busy with mundane things like adjusting a microphone or remembering a last minute announcement? 

Dr. Mary Catherine Levri, Music Director at the Atheneum of Ohio, brings wisdom to this topic and draws us to a heart of worship. Mary Catherine speaks from her personal faith and comes to this topic from her background in music and theology, including earning a D.M.A. at the University of Notre Dame. As part of her position at the Atheneum, she instructs seminarians in music.

Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

Key Takeaways from the Conversation

Think of "active participation" as the coupling of two things—our interior, in-our-hearts participation, and also our exterior, what-we-are doing participation. To paraphrase Isaiah 29:13, we should approach God with both our lips and our hearts.Active participation for those of us leading the service (as pastors, readers, cantors and so on) can include our participation prior to the service—Scriptural reading ahead of time, singing hymns thoughtfully as we practice, praying the prayers that the congregation will pray together.If you are selecting music for your church, focus first on the music you sing most often. The congregation will always have that music to sing well, whether or not they join in on other pieces. And you will welcome young children to participate, since they can learn this music by rote.

Resources We Mentioned

Tra le sollecitudini, a motu proprio issued by Pope Pius X in 1903St. CeciliaWhy Catholics Can't Sing by Thomas DayCarrie Allen Tipton on early Lutheran congregational singingHarrison Russin on the musical training of Eastern Orthodox seminarians

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If you’re in a majority-white American church, singing global songs like “Siyahamba” brings up questions like — “Is singing this cultural appropriation or ethnotourism?” and "What is the relationship between global song and the universal Church?"

In her research with music directors and church members in mainline Protestant churches, ethnomusicologist Dr. Marissa Glynias Moore, a Lecturer at Yale University, finds that by singing global songs, directors intend to express their beliefs about hospitality and what the universal Church is. For them, “the point of singing” global song “is to sing this music so much that it stops feeling Other.”

Resources We Mentioned

"Reamo leboga" ("We Give Our Thanks")"Njalo" ("Always"), also published in Njalo (Always): A Collection of 16 Hymns in the African TraditionC. Michael HawnBrian HehnThe Hymn SocietyJohn L. BellThe Sonic Color Line

Enjoying this podcast episode? Click here to find other Music and the Church episodes, or subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

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If you enjoy this podcast, please consider sharing it with your friends who minister in the church—it's the best way for them to find the show!