Greetings in this joyful Eastertide!
 
We have walked in the wilderness for forty days. Our thirst has been quenched with living water. Our eyes have been opened. We have witnessed Jesus demonstrate that he is the resurrection and the life. We have journeyed to Jerusalem where we welcomed our Savior with shouts of praise, then supped with him, then abandoned him, and then wept at the foot of the cross.  And now we revel once again in the joy of Easter Alleluias as we celebrate Christ's victory over death!
 
How blessed we are to proclaim our salvation story in song. On a wall in my choir room at church I've posted a few quotes about music. One of them is by John O'Donohue, who was an Irish poet, author, priest, and philosopher. His quote is, "Music is what language would like to be." We have the privilege of expressing Christianity's deepest truths and beliefs through music, a universal language that knows no boundaries and can resonate and inspire farther than the spoken word. What an honor it is to proclaim in music the good news of our redemption through Jesus Christ.
 
Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
 
Daniel Aune, Vice President
Region 1, Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

Welcome New
Region 1 Members Who Have Joined Recently

Linnéa Clark, Melrose Park, PA
Sarah Herzer, Wittenberg, Germany
John Johns, Cincinnati, OH
Rev. Marcy Miller, Grand Rapids, MI
Fran Morton, Montvale, NJ
Douglas Norquist, Palmer, MI
Rob Pedersen, Avon, OH
Sheila Stella, Putnam Valley, NY



Recent Events Featuring Region 1 Members

In October 2016, Vincent M Ryan, Minister of Music at Advent Lutheran Church, Harleysville, PA, completed a tour in Germany where he performed in several recitals. The impetus of the tour was an invitation to participate in the Organ Festival Week at the Castle Church, Wittenberg (where Martin Luther is said to have posted his 95 Theses). 
 
The festival, which ran from October 2 through October 9, celebrated the installation of the Chancel Organ, built by Alexander Schuke Orgelbau of Potsdam. It also began the yearlong Wittenberg celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. 
 
Ryan is scheduled to return to Wittenberg in October 2017.

Pictured: Joachim Schäfer, trumpet; Izumi Ikeda, Giorgio Parolini, Sarah Herzer, Vincent Ryan, Thomas Herzer, and Stephen Hoffman.

*               *               *

Michael Krentz, Director of Music Ministries/Seminary Cantor at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, was one of five recitalists who presented a program entitled "Bach and Other Reformers" at the Muhlenberg College Egner Memorial Chapel on Sunday, March 5. The recital was sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
 
Dr. Krentz served as Scholar in Residence at Reformation Lutheran Church, Media, PA on the weekend of March 11 and 12. On March 11 he presented on the topic "Living Voice of the Gospel: 500 Years of Lutheran Song." On Sunday the 12th he led some of the singing and provided commentary during two worship services, and presented "(Some of the) Greatest Lutheran Hits" at the adult forum.

*               *               *

Grace Lutheran in State College, Pennsylvania, was selected to receive a Reformation 500 ELCA grant to create and present an ecumenical concert that celebrates ways various denominations have used music to contribute to meaningful change in liturgical worship. The concert was based on parts of the mass (Roman Catholic - establishing a form for worship); chorales (singing as one body with a focus on texts); Psalm settings (Presbyterians, who took Psalm singing to its pinnacle); Hymns of Wesley (and Zinzendorf) - Methodist; the choral pairing of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (Anglican); and the influence of Spirituals and Taize music, which have touched us all, at least in this country.
 
The event was held on April 12 with approximately 130 musicians taking part from a wide ecumenical spectrum. Guest speakers from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and Penn State School of Music led presentations and the event concluded with a celebratory banquet. 



Regional Events Coming Your Way

Pentecost Vigil. The Delaware Mission District, representing 30 churches in southern New Jersey, will hold the third annual Pentecost Vigil on Wednesday, May 31 at 7:00 pm. There will be a massed choir, conducted by Austen Wilson from the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Haddonfield, NJ. The service will take place at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church located at  325 S White Horse Pike, Audubon, NJ 08106. For more information, contact Austen Wilson at [email protected] .
 
Singing our Faith into the Future . On Saturday, June 10, from noon to 4:00 PM, Zoar Lutheran Church, Perrysburg, Ohio, in partnership with the Northwestern Ohio Synod will be hosting a continuing education and fellowship event for synod musicians and other church leaders. Presenters/panelists will include ALCM members Scott Weidler, Paul Friesen-Carper, and Kari Files. The event will include a round table discussion, a salad bar and a service of blessing. A hymn festival open to the public will be held the following day, June 11, at 4:00 PM. This promises to be a rewarding and renewing event! Zoar Lutheran church is located at 314 E. Indiana Avenue in Perrysburg. For questions and to reserve seating, contact Omaldo Perez ( [email protected] ).

*               *               *

Beyond Region 1, if you have not yet registered for ALCM's Biennial Conference in Minneapolis, July 10-13, you can still do so! It promises to be a wonderful way that members from all the regions can benefit from time together. For all the details, visit   www.alcm.org.
 
Keep sending your news! If you would like to share with the regional membership a noteworthy event in your area, please email Jennifer Baker-Trinity, President, at [email protected].