Thursday night - Saturday afternoon
October 1-3, 2009
Sponsored by:
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Event Overview
WHO IS IT FOR?
For church music coordinators, choir directors, singers and song leaders, choir members, organists/pianists/keyboardists, instrumentalists, lay and ordained worship leaders, and all those interested in vibrant, relevant and faithful worship music.
WHAT IS IT?
A 2-1/2 day (Thursday evening through Saturday 3:30 PM) practical training event for all those interested in choosing music and leading community sung prayer. We will work with the historical pattern of Sunday worship and see how musicians can support the singing that is done around Gathering, Word, Meal and Sending.
We will explore Why we sing — the theological and liturgical rationale for sung prayer;
What we sing — looking at music, old and new, that makes for vibrant and faithful worship; and How we sing — developing skills for leading and animating an assembly. Our time together will include presentation, group singing and worship, and hands-on skill-building for song leaders and accompanists. The event will provide:
• Concrete and helpful suggestions for
effective worship leadership
• Presentations on how to animate your congregation’s song and prayer
• Opportunities to learn new music and worship resources
• Suggestions about how to enliven your existing repertoire
• Ideas for how to build and nurture a parish musical ensemble
• An evening concert by the team members
Click here for an informational brochure and registration form.
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Event Schedule
Thursday, October 1, 2009
6:00 p.m. Registration begins
7:00 p.m. Opening Music & Presentation: “Entering into the Song of God’s People ”
What mindset should we have as music ministers? What are some guiding principles? We’ll begin to explore how church musicians can approach the creative task of supporting the singing that is done around Gathering, Word, Meal and Sending.
8:30 p.m. Evening Prayer
Friday, October 2, 2009
8:30 a.m. Coffee, tea and fellowship
9:00 a.m. Worship and Session: “Enlivening the Song of God’s People”
We’ll look at the role of church musician as animator/enlivener and explore techniques and strategies for leading singing and empowering community prayer.
11:00 a.m. Practical breakout sessions: Depending upon the participant mix, sessions will be offered on topics such as keyboard accompaniment, guitar accompaniment,, and use of the choir as a song leading tool.
12:15 p.m. Lunch provided
1:15 p.m. “What song shall the people sing?”: A session focusing on analyzing hymn texts and tunes, developing criteria for choosing music, and discussing the kind of repertoire we might imagine for the church in our time. We’ll also spend time singing and learning new songs and their uses within the liturgy.
3:00 p.m. Break
3:15 p.m. “Using rhythm as another voice in the choir”
A mini-session to learn how to use percussion sensitively in worship, especially in accompanying hymns and songs from the global church. We’ll address the questions: Why sing music from around the world? How do I begin to think about using percussion and rhythm? What kinds of instruments might we learn to use?
4:00-7:00 p.m. Free time/Dinner on your own
7:00 p.m. Concert/Songfest: with Marty Haugen, Mary Preus & Tom Witt (freewill offering)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
8:30 a.m. Coffee
9:00 a.m. Brief worship and Session: “Shaping and Nurturing Those Who Lead”: How to form, nurture and sustain musicians in a parish setting. We’ll look at foundational questions as well as practical issues like recruitment, rehearsal styles, covenanting, and spiritual formation of your group.
10:45 a.m. Practical Breakout Sessions focused on developing song-leading skills. Participants will be invited to teach/lead a song in front of a small group of others, and receive feedback.
12:00 p.m. Lunch provided
1:00 p.m. “Building a Parish Ensemble”: Exploring in practical ways how all of the various elements — including instruments and voices — come together to support the community’s song.
3:00 p.m. Wrap-up/Taking it Home and brief closing prayer
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