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| Luther's hymn "In the Very Midst of Life" comes to mind as I greet you today. Rehearsals and services have resumed their regular fall patterns here at Valparaiso University. I am finding my practice time often squeezed out by those urgent details that need attending to immediately. Sometimes I enjoy the rush of the day. At other times I just feel swamped. In whatever midst of life this greeting finds you, I offer these closing words from Luther's hymn, "Lord, preserve and keep us in the peace that faith can give. Have mercy, O Lord!"
Wishing you well in the midst of things,
Lorraine Brugh
ALCM President |
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Renowned Lutheran Musicians To Lead Hymn Festival
ALCM National Conference, July 31 - August 3, 2011 Seattle, Washington
Post-conference Master Classes August 4
ALCM continues the tradition of fine worship and music with the conference hymn festival planned by two respected musicians, scholars and practitioners in the field. We are pleased that Dr. John Ferguson and Dr. Anton Armstrong, both of St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, will serve as co-creators and leaders of this special event. Dr. Ferguson is nationally known for his gifts in leading congregational song, especially in utilizing the organ to call forth the congregation's voice; and Dr. Armstrong frequently leads choral music in a variety of massed choir settings. They will team-lead the 2011 American Choral Directors Association Christian worship service at the upcoming ACDA national convention in Chicago this March.
ALCM conference attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a massed choir of both conference and Seattle-area singers. It will require an early arrival, but the chance to rehearse and sing under the direction of these two great musicians will be worth the extra effort! Complete rehearsal schedules will be listed soon at www.alcm.org.
Check out our pages at www.alcm.org. To follow our planning progress "friend" our page on Facebook at ALCM Seattle. If you have specific questions about the conference you can email us at: [email protected]
David Hein
Program Chair |
Opportunity for High School Singers
 The Lutheran Youth Choir, founded in 2005 by Philip Spencer, a charter member of ALCM, is inaugurating a new international Festival of American and Global Vocal Music for high school youth, July 27-August 9, 2011, co-sponsored by the ELCA Wittenberg Center and the International YMCA. American and German students will stay for one week in a restored medieval castle near Wittenberg, Germany, singing a variety of American sacred and secular vocal music together. In addition to rehearsals and music workshops, there will be 20 hours of documented mission and community service opportunities, recreation and sightseeing. In the summer of 2012, the festival reconvenes back in the Chicago area for a week of global music, drawing upon the musical resources of that world-class city.
Visit www.lutheranyouthchoir.org or the Lutheran Youth Choir on Facebook for complete information about the 2011 and 2012 festivals. Early discount registration deadline is December 31, 2010. |
Young Lutherans Sing DVD Available
Want to see first-hand what this amazing program is all about? DVDs of the final worship service from the 2010 program (plus some extra photos) are available for purchase from Curt Vollman, father of one of the YLS campers. To purchase a DVD, print out and complete the order form and mail it with payment to the address listed on the form.
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Regional Election Results
Thanks to all who participated in this summer's regional elections: those who agreed to run for office as well as those who took the time to cast online or mail-in votes.
The results of the elections are as follows:
Region 1
President: Linda Kempke, Rocky River, OH
Vice-President: John Weit, Worcester, MA
Secretary/Treasurer: Nancy Raabe, Bexley, OH
Region 2
President: Kathleen Cartledge, Augusta, GA
Vice-President: Carol Henderson, Buffalo Junction, VA
Secretary/Treasurer: Tony Cruz, Jacksonville, FL
Region 3
President: Michael Costello, River Forest, IL
Vice-President: Chad Fothergill, Saint Peter, MN
Secretary/Treasurer: Sarah Schott, Lincoln, NE
Region 4
President: Joy Berg, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Vice-President: Katherine Crozier, Honolulu, HI
Secretary/Treasurer: Carol Churchill, Redmond, WA
These new officers officially take office on October 1. Regional presidents are members of the ALCM board and their first official duty will be to attend the board conference call on October 28th.
Many, many thanks to the regional officers who have served for the past two years (names are listed in the front of the membership directory). |
Choral Composition Contest Winner
 The Lutheran Youth Choir of North America is pleased to announce the 2010 winner of its first annual International Choral Composition Contest: Ronald A. Nelson of Minneapolis, Minnesota, composer of the winning anthem, "Why Not the Earth?" This contest en-courages the composition of excellent sacred music for high school age choirs. Entries were received from Canada, Italy, Japan, and the United States. In addition to the $500 cash prize, Nelson's piece will be performed at the Lutheran Youth Choir's Festival of American and Global Vocal Music in Germany, August 2011. Nelson is a well-known and beloved composer of choral, organ, and church music. He was Director of Music at Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, MN, where he built a parish choir school that became a model for church music education across the nation.
A recording of Nelson's music, "Thankful Hearts and Voices Raise: The Music of Ronald A. Nelson", was produced by ALCM in 2008. |
Additional Webinars Coming
 We hope that you were able to take advantage of the jointly-sponsored webinar on the Psalms. Although only one hour long, John Witvliet managed to share a wealth of thought-provoking information.
The National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) is now offering a seven-session webinar series called Sing to the Lord. These sessions will be based on a 2007 document by the U.S. Catholic bishops that provides a comprehensive guide for music in the liturgy.
Although ALCM is not in a co-sponsoring relationship for this upcoming webinar series, NPM has graciously extended member rates to the members of ALCM who wish to register for the series. When asked for a membership number, enter "11004." Have you been thinking about joining NPM? You can do it as part of the webinar registration process.
Each webinar is $25 or you may register for all seven for $100. Details regarding the series, online registration and a printable registration form are all available on the NPM web site at www.npm.org.
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Back issues of e-newsletters available
Trying to find information from one of the issues of the ALCM e-newsletter? Back issues of the e-newsletter can now be accessed on the ALCM web site under both "Publications" and "News & Events." |
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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
Valparaiso University
810 Freeman Street
Valparaiso, IN 46383
800-624-2526 |
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