No. 12 - Singing the Faith in WartimeEpisodes of armed conflict have occurred throughout America’s history, and despite the fact that any biblical defense of war is shaky at best, American Christians and their churches have had to respond. When historians write of the...
Dear Church Music Friends and Colleagues!I am thrilled to announce that my book, Servanthood of Song: Music, Ministry, and the Church in the United States, will be available for purchase as of June 1, 2024. For those wanting to be first in line to get a copy, I...
No. 11 - Song Leading: An Undervalued Art in Traditional WorshipLooking back, in the early years of my career in mainline Protestant church music, it seemed like there was almost an obsession with appearances. Concern over how things looked seemed to me to be taking...
No. 10 - The Musical Legacy of Cane RidgeThe word “spiritual”, referring to a musical form, is so commonly used that one might question the need to say anything further. For those hoping to know a bit more about the origins of the African-American spiritual beyond...
No. 9 - Toward a More Inclusive Church MusicThe inspiration for Servanthood of Song came from my almost fifty-year career as a church musician. Classically-trained as a singer, voice teacher, and conductor, I had to learn that church music, if it is to be the powerful...
