The Tallahassee Sacred Music Conference will take place from Thursday, January 22, 2015 to Saturday, January 24, 2015, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tallahassee, Florida.
[button link=”http://www.churchmusicinstitute.org/event/2015-tallahassee-sacred-music-conference/” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Register Now![/button]
[button link=”http://www.churchmusicinstitute.org/event/2015-tallahassee-sacred-music-conference-23rd-24th/” color=”purple” window=”yes”]Register for 24/25[/button]
[button link=”http://www.churchmusicinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Tallahassee-2015-Registration-Brochure-FINAL.pdf” color=”purple” window=”yes” size=”small”]Printable Registration Brochure[/button]
Any questions? Please contact TallahasseeSacredMusic@
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[button link=”http://www.churchmusicinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Conference-Room-Schedule-updated-Oct-28-1.pdf” color=”purple” window=”yes” size=”small”]Conference Schedule[/button]
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[button link=”http://www.churchmusicinstitute.org/speakers-at-the-tallahassee-church-music-conference-january-22-2015/” color=”purple” size=”small”]Conference Speakers’ Bios[/button]
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WORKSHOPS
Three Rhapsodies on the Psalms – Don Saliers (Keynote Speaker)
I: The Lamentable
II. The Prophetic
III. The Praiseworthy
These lectures explore ways in which the psalms and their varied musical settings both shape and express essential human emotions: sorrow, anguish, hope, trust, awe, wonder and praise. We will trace out implications for the multiple uses of psalms, as well as address questions of how these ancient poems are perennial musical resources.
Improvisation as Musical Health – Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra
Learn how improvisation can enhance your repertoire playing and expand your musicianship! Dr. Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra will explore some well-known repertoire (Lemmens Fanfare, Franck P, F, & V, Bach WTC Prelude) and work with participants to create new liturgical preludes inspired by these pieces. Then, to add some fresh rhythmic vitality to your church music, we will create hymn voluntaries based on Argentine tangos and jazz. Dr. Ruiter-Feenstra will provide handouts and a keepsake improvisation pedagogy anyone can own and apply. Oh, and we’ll sing together, of course!
A Place in the Choir, A Choir in the Place – Charlotte Kroeker
This workshop will focus on the significance of church choirs in the cultural landscape of their communities, the importance of good repertoire in their fulfilling the the mission of the church for service. Who are the conductors of church choirs? How are church choirs different from professional, university/school, or community choirs? What influence do they have in their communities? Why is excellent choral music in churches, temples and synagogues important to the cultural milieu of the U.S? Why do singers commit to church choirs? What keeps them coming back? How do participants in church choirs function otherwise in the church and in the communities where they live? Where are resources for church choirs? How do church choir directors work effectively with clergy to provide meaningful worship, aesthetically beautiful offerings, and satisfying experiences for the choral singers? Using recent scholarship and sources of choral repertoire, including a demonstration of the Church Music Institute database of 6,500+ octavos searchable by 24 criteria, these and other questions will be considered in this session of interest to all church musicians and conductors of groups using music with sacred texts from all periods and styles of music.
Using the Piano in Worship – Charlotte Kroeker
Given the piano does not have the historical association with the church that the organ has enjoyed, a pianist wanting to serve the church may not be able to rely only on the standards of the piano profession. This workshop will explore how a pianist with excellent piano training can build on that foundation to serve the worship of the church. Theological perspectives, performance practice and repertoire will be covered.
The Hymnody of the Moravian Church – Sarah Eyerly
This workshop will introduce participants to the rich tradition of Moravian hymnody, from the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Bohemian chorales of the Unitas Fratrum, to the improvised hymnody of eighteenth-century German and American congregations, to modern-day Tanzanian praise music.
Organ Repertoire – Iain Quinn
This workshop looks at repertoire for organists who are either new to the instrument or seeking to expand their horizons with shorter works that are ideal for liturgical use. Advice on planning repertoire will be given and conference registrants are encouraged to come with questions.
Service Playing – Iain Quinn
This workshop will included a discussion of service playing technique and the recent history of accompaniment in churches as well as demonstrations of service playing by FSU students. Course registrants are encouraged to bring examples of repertoire from their own churches to share and discuss.
The Aging Church Choir Singer – Larry Gerber
The Aging Church Choir Singer—keeping the voice healthy and the singer active. Singing is an activity that should be lifelong. This workshop will discuss some of the vocal problems encountered by the church choir singer as he/she ages. Included in the presentation will be exercises and strategies to assist in keeping the voice vital and healthy and the singer an active participant in the choir and the church community.
Small Choir Reading Workshop – Robert Mann
Anthems chosen for this workshop will be 2- part mixed, SAB, and easy to moderate SATB anthems. Selections will include the best of recently published anthems as well as timeless, superior anthems selected from more than 7,000 anthems in the CMI Library that you probably don’t know. In addition, four anthems will be included from CPDL, the public domain library.
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The Church Choir as the Community Bridge Builder – Ryan Luhrs with André Thomas
Based on the premise that every community has barriers (ethnic/racial, denominational, generational, etc.) and most communities also have choirs, this workshop will make the case for using the church choir as a vehicle to bring about ecumenical awareness and relationships. We will provide strategies to help the choir director successfully introduce music from diverse cultures. We will also provide ideas for engaging the larger church community through ecumenical hymn festival-like events, such as “Joining in Song” held in Tallahassee this past February. This event brought together over 120 singers who represented 20+ churches and a wide variety of worship styles.
Any questions? Please contact TallahasseeSacredMusic@