Dear Modern Protestant Pastor

I've recently been reading The Gift of Music: Great Composers and Their Influence by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson. This book is a collection of short biographies (really, biographical essays) on the lives and works of many of Western classical music's greatest composers. The spiritual lives of the composers are a large focus of the book. In the chapter on Bach, Smith makes the statement (as have many others) that "if there had not been a Luther, there would not have been a Bach." This started me thinking: if modern protestant pastors love Luther so much, and enjoy sharing that love with others who are like-minded, why are they ignoring the music of Bach, who (like they) found his spiritual heritage in the Reformation?

New Territory: Organ Offertories

During my recent trip to the state music teachers' conference, I picked up a couple of organ books by Gordon Young: Organ Voluntaries: Eleven Short Solos for Church or Recital, and Eight Organ Voluntaries on Familiar Hymn Tunes, both published by Theodore Presser Company. They are clearly a different style from what I usually play for the service (which would be Baroque-esque preludes or hymn arrangements), but majestic and perfect for Sunday mornings. From the first volume above, I recently played "Antiphon," a two-page selection with simple pedal points, modified by yours truly to be played with the left hand, since our church "organ" is actually a keyboard--no pedals available. Whether you have pedals or not, this is a lovely piece; and its form is conducive to repeats as needed, which makes it perfect for an offertory. I'm looking forward to checking out other pieces by Young in the coming weeks!

It's Not Elevator Music

What is an offertory? An offertory, or “musical offering,” is a piece of music played for the glory of God during the worship service. Its main purpose is to give glory to God, and it serves as a time of focus for the congregation. During the offertory, it would be appropriate to listen and enjoy it, or pray, or meditate on scripture, or otherwise prepare your heart for worship (especially if the offertory is before the sermon). The offertory is NOT elevator music. The point is not just some tunes in the background while the ushers are taking up a collection. Yes, this is happening at the same time, but it is not the primary purpose of the musical selection (unless you are planning to rewrite the song as “Bringing in the Dough”). Its function is the same as if there were no monetary offering being taken up at the same time. That being said, there are some technicalities to consider....

Music for Special Occasions Part 1: Easter and Christmas

Easter is only 3 weeks away—are you planning ahead? What kind of special music are you preparing for your church?