Page to Pattern: How the score shapes conducting and rehearsal planning
Zebulon Highben
June 11, 2:00 pm
A choral score poses a wealth of questions to a conductor: What technical challenges does this piece present? Does the tempo affect perception of difficulty? What pattern should I use? How do I “make it work” with my singers? This webinar will use several excellent anthems—old and new—to demonstrate how careful score study can suggest teaching techniques, simplify rehearsal planning, and determine conducting gestures that will prepare both the conductor and the choir for a successful, musical learning experience.
Zebulon Highben
Director of Chapel Music
Duke University Chapel, Durham, NC
Associate Professor of the Practice of Church Music
Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC
Advent Folk Mass
Linda Borecki
June 25, 2:00 pm
- Responds to the plea “Can we please sing carols in church before Christmas?”
- Respects the distinction between Advent and Christmastide in the Church Year
- Follows Luther’s template for the German Folk Mass
- Well-known melodies, flexibility of instrumentation
- Invites your congregation to engage with the deeper actions of heart and soul in liturgy
- Prepares congregations for alternatives in liturgy and music style
- Bonus: suggested slight alterations to become “Christmas Folk Mass” for the two Sundays after Christmas
Linda Borecki
Editor, In Tempo
Director of Worship
Christ the Vine Lutheran Church, Damascus, OR
Orgelkids: Build A Real Pipe Organ (in 45 minutes)
Vincent M. Ryan
July 16, 2:00 pm
“You guys have to see this. This organ-in-a-crate-thing is sick!” -Alec, a high school junior to his peers.
Orgelkids USA is a small, fully functional instrument designed to teach how a pipe organ works. Though the name includes “kids,” it is exciting for people of all ages (as evidenced by the enthusiastic endorsement above. As a teaching tool it is cross-curricular, combining disciplines of music, physics, history, archaeology and more. From the OrgelkidsUSA web page: “Enticing the public to engage with the King of Instruments by empowering them to build a working pipe organ.”
Vincent M. Ryan
Minister of Music
Advent Lutheran Church, Harleysville, PA
Handbell Choirs: Glide and dab your way to better musicianship
Michael Joy
July 30, 2:00 pm
We all want our musical offerings to be worshipful and to reflect our best efforts. We often get so caught up in playing the right notes and rhythms that the musicianship isn’t as polished as it could be. This session will incorporate some basic ideas of how to improve the musicianship of any group. The ideas for this session are based on Rudolf Laban’s movement theory as applied to handbells by Kimberly Strepka.
