Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
December 1, 2022 e-newsletter
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Greetings from Board Director Tony Cruz
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Dear ALCM Friends,
The gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent tells us this: For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
We can only imagine what was happening in the days of Noah. We know that there was continual evil. It was a dark time.
Probably people weren’t massacred at night clubs, at school, or while grocery shopping. We can’t know if their political climate was as strife-filled as ours. Did they forget the poor as much as they are forgotten today? Did the town crier continually alert them to one more bad news story after another? Did they try to outlive a global pandemic? That’s what’s happening around us today. It is a dark time.
Yet, even in this darkness, we are people who have seen a great Light.
It has been said that blue is the color of Advent because blue is a color that represents hope. Through our music we offer that hope to all who come into our churches. I hope that in this Advent and Christmas season you will find new ways to express hope. I hope that you will find new songs to sing of that Light. And I hope you will take some time to see that message yourself.
May the hope and light of Christ be with you!
Tony Cruz
ALCM Board Director
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End of Year Gifts to ALCM
Thanks to all who have already given gifts to ALCM in 2022! Your generosity helps ALCM live into its mission to nurture and equip musicians to serve and lead the church's song. If you still plan to make a donation and want to have it counted as a 2022 gift, please note the following deadlines:
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Online donations must be completed by 11:00 PM Eastern time on Saturday, December 31.
- If you are planning to send a check, it must be received in the ALCM office no later than Tuesday, January 3. Postmarking by Wednesday, December 28 should ensure that we receive it by January 3.
Donations received after those deadlines will be considered 2023 gifts. If you have any questions about what you have already given in 2022, feel free to contact us at office@alcm.org.
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Join Us in Philadelphia!
Celebrating diversity is one of our goals for the 2023 biennial conference in Philadelphia, and one way we will do that is with TWO contrasting hymn festivals. You won’t want to miss these!
At morning worship in the conference hotel on Friday, July 7, Omaldo Perez will present Dancing around the Cross, a festival embracing many different styles of popular music applied to traditional hymns. The instrumentation will include piano, trumpet, sax, bass, and percussion.
That same evening, at The Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square, another festival of song will explore hymns old and new, familiar and unfamiliar, through the church year. Selections from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, All Creation Sings, and other sources will be led by Andrew Senn with organ and brass, woven together with spoken commentary by the Rev. Dr. Frank Senn.
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Choral Reading Session
Packets Available
We have a number of extra packets available from the choral reading sessions at the Valpo conference. Packets are $8 each, which covers the cost of shipping. Limit 2 (two) packets. To place an order, please fill out this form. Credit card payment must accompany the order. Packets will be available for purchase through December 20 or when we run out, whichever comes first.
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Register now to access all of the recorded sessions and handouts--including concerts and worship services!
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Hearts • Hands • Voices are local half- or full-day skills-based workshops organized and hosted by ALCM members. These events provide opportunities to learn new skills, share best practices, build relationships and support systems among musicians in your area, and introduce others to the ALCM community.
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Plan your winter 2023 getaway now - and attend a
Hearts • Hands • Voices event while you're there!
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Saturday, February 4, 2023
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Ascension Lutheran Church
Kate Adelman & Lorraine Brugh, presenters
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Saturday, February 18, 2023
All day workshop
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
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Registration for both events is now open.
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Gmail users: be on the lookout!
Gmail users, if you access your email directly from the Google website, you may encounter a display issue with the monthly e-newsletter. Because of the file size, our newsletter may be truncated and only partially displayed. All ALCM emails sent through Constant Contact contain our ALCM-specific footer. If you are viewing the newsletter and see a funky display without the ALCM footer, check for a link on the bottom left side that says: "View entire message." Use that link to see the entire email.
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The Christmas Gift That Keeps on Giving
Looking for a gift for a fellow church musician or pastor? Consider the gift of membership in ALCM. If your gift recipient is already a member of ALCM, their membership will be extended by one year. If it is a new member, they will receive a new member packet filled with a wonderful assortment of materials to introduce them to ALCM. Because members receive publications and other benefits throughout the year, this is a gift that truly keeps on giving! To give a gift membership, complete the online gift form or print and mail the form with your check.
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Are you getting the most out of your ALCM membership?
Did you know that new member benefits are being added all the time to the members area of the ALCM website? You will want to log in whenever you visit the site to be sure that you have access to everything available to members. Can't remember your login information? In almost every case, your user name is your email address. You can change or reset your password by following the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box.
Items in the members area are available for unlimited use as long as your membership remains active. Here are a few items for members only:
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All issues of CrossAccent (from the very beginning) and In Tempo are available for viewing. These items are for sale in the Marketplace to non-members;
- Advertise your local events on ALCM's calendar;
- Listen to all ALCM recordings for free;
- Hymns, accompaniments, descants, concertatos, and hymn stanza alternations for choir;
- Other free downloadable seasonal and non-seasonal resources;
- Discounted registration fee for ALCM-sponsored webinars and conferences;
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Past issues of ALCM's original practical resource, Grace Notes, from 1997-2011;
- Discounts on purchases of CDs and other items in the Marketplace; and
- A host of other resources free for viewing and downloading.
If you have any difficulty logging in or if you have questions or comments about the website or your membership, please feel free to contact us by email at office@alcm.org.
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Speaking of getting the most out of your membership, log in to the members area and then go to "Shop Recordings" in the Marketplace to purchase ALCM's collection of congregational song CDs. All but one are available to members at a discounted price.
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Since the nineteenth century, households and congregations have marked the days before Christmastide with many types of Advent calendars. The season of waiting and longing for the “already-but-not-yet” incarnation of Jesus unfolds amidst waning daylight in the Northern Hemisphere, a time of yearning for hope, joy, and peace.
This Advent season, LSM is thrilled to offer a musical Advent calendar – a daily moment of music and reflection that will be posted on social media between November 27 and December 24, and later archived on our website. Please feel free to share and enjoy with your friends, family, and congregations as you feel led. Have a wonderful and blessed Advent and Christmas!
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Celebrating Member Retirements
The last Sunday of the church year was also the last Sunday "on the bench" for three long-time ALCM members, all three of whom retired on November 20:
Mark Sedio retired after 22 years as cantor at Central Lutheran in Minneapolis.
Bob Farlee and Martin Seltz retired from their shared position at Christ Church Lutheran in Minneapolis after 41 years and 21 years respectively. Also, after more than 28 years of service, Martin will also retire from his position at Augsburg Fortress at the end of this year.
We wish all three of you--and other ALCM members who are retiring--blessings in this new phase of your lives!
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In November 2020 over a thousand singers and instrumentalists participated in the creation of a virtual hymn setting of "Angels We Have Heard on High" in a new arrangement by Anne Krentz Organ. You are invited once again to include this virtual hymn recording in your Christmas celebrations.
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Come, Let Us Sing to the Lord:
Psalmody in Lutheran Worship
Issue 31.1 (Spring 2023)
Manuscript Deadline: 1 January 2023
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Last Chance to Purchase 2022 Webinar Series
Webinars in 2022 were offered in three separate series (spring, summer, and fall) at a discounted price. Through January 10, 2023, you may purchase any or all of the three series at the original reduced prices. Beginning January 11, 2023 webinars will only be available individually at the regular per webinar price of $25 for members and $39 for non-members.
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In Tempo, ALCM's practical resource publication, invites article proposals for these two topics:
1. Your "Worst and Best” story. The best and worst experiences or advice regarding playing, conducting, singing, hymn introductions, worship planning, technology, resolving conflict, any and everything church music and Lutheran worship. Which strategies turned into train wrecks? Which have you absorbed and made standard practice? Your stories of “bumps along the way” as well as successes can teach, cheer, and encourage us. If you would be willing to share your hard-earned wisdom and practical tips, please contact intempo@alcm.org.
2. Contemporary, folk, or alternative music in worship. “Contemporary” spans a variety of interpretations and practices, as does “folk” and “alternative.” What have you learned about employing alternative music forms? If you’d like to share your suggestions (especially with musicians of modest congregation size and budget), email intempo@alcm.org for more information and writer guidelines.
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Events are published both in the website calendar and in the monthly e-newsletter. Do you have an event that you'd like to include? ALCM members should log in and follow the link on the main members area page. Non-members should send event details to office@alcm.org for consideration.
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NOTE: Fourth Friday will NOT be held in December. Next date is Friday, January 27.
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Kyries & Glorias
Kyries (prayer concerns) and Glorias (thanksgivings) are posted in the members area and on this page on the ALCM website. Kyries and Glorias for the following people have been recently posted:
In memoriam
Kyrie
ALCM members living in or near Hurricane’s Ian’s Florida eye landfall:
Cape Coral – John Renfroe
Fort Myers – Richard D. Jaeggi, Joyce Reitz, and Jacob Roggow
Naples – Joyce Finlay
Sanibel – Mark & Kathy Helge
Gloria
ALCM members are invited to submit Kyries and Glorias following the link in the members area of the website. Non-members may contact the ALCM office at office@alcm.org with information for posting.
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ONE LICENSE recently announced the launch of its Spanish Website Interface, which is now available for all license holders. Continuing their mission to serve the global church, this new website design allows Spanish-speaking users to use the ONE LICENSE platform more easily. The website includes the same titles, functionality, and reporting process, now with more accessibility.
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Are you a congregation looking for a musician?
A musician looking for a position?
ALCM can help!
Employment resources have been developed to assist congregations in the process of searching for and hiring a musician. Presented in a step-by-step format, these resources will guide you through the entire employment process.
The ALCM job listing service connects those looking for positions in the field of church music with congregations and other institutions that have openings. By completing an online job posting form, congregations can post their positions on the ALCM website where those looking for employment may view them.
Musicians searching for a job may view posted job openings on the ALCM website, where those looking for positions can view them. Both full-time and part-time positions are listed, and new positions are added as received.
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A list of ALCM member-led
Sunday worship streams & recordings is available at:
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The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians
nurtures and equips musicians
to serve and lead the church's song.
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