LCMS Worship Institute

The Propers draw deep theological connections in the hearts and minds of the faithful. By placing individual verses from the Psalter into a liturgical context, the Propers enhance the liturgy with profound commentary on the readings. The relatively lengthy historic Gregorian chant melodies facilitate this contemplation, as they stretch out the Proper texts to provide adequate space for meditation....

Improving the quality of singing doesn’t happen overnight. This session will give practical and simple techniques that should, over time, improve the sound of your church choir. Basic concepts of breathing, support, projection, balance and tone will be addressed. Bio: Kurt von Kampen is the fourth conductor in the 87-year history of the University A Cappella Choir at Concordia University, Nebraska...

Join Grammy-nominated composer Kile Smith to look at introits, psalms, alleluias and canticles that he has composed for non-professionals to offer at weekly services. Designed to serve the musical resources of a cantor, a small to medium choir and the congregation, these settings provide flexible options for churches large and small. Attendees will have fun learning and singing through each settin...

How does music pedagogy serve the spiritual purposes of the church? Do cognitive psychology and the processes of language acquisition offer any insight into teaching music in churches? This interactive lecture will explore ideas popularized by music psychologist Edwin Gordon and the resulting pedagogies of his more influential students, and explore how they provide a sensible, practical and resear...

Excerpts from currently available repertoire for organ, presented by Jonathan Rudy.  Bio: Jonathan Rudy, a native of Batavia, Ill., is proud to follow a sacred music vocation. He regularly appears in locations across the United States, including at the American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Convention in Houston, the 2017 Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) National Conference, as...

The church cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach are a rich treasury of theological commentary. Bach rightly uses Holy Scripture to musically interpret Scripture, allowing listeners to gain insight and clarity to the text. In this presentation, we will examine multiple examples of Bach’s treatment of the Psalms in his compositions. This will enable attendees to improve their understanding of Bach’s th...

Sacred art is a distant cousin of sacred music, but why is it often neglected in church sanctuaries? There is a strong argument to be made for including artwork in the house of the Lord. In spite of resistance against its presence, artwork is often the first to confess upon entering a sanctuary, is sometimes the loudest when confessing and is occasionally as beautiful in its confession as the stra...

The traditional prayers said by a pastor in between the parts of the liturgy (e.g., while washing his hands for Communion) are generally drawn from the Psalms. These portions of psalms, and their context, are instructive and serve to shed light on the significance of each part of the service. Considering these prayers, and the Psalms from which they are drawn, gives the pastor a firmer and richer...

Join Dr. Mueller for an organ masterclass to study intermediate and advanced organ literature. Participants should bring a portion of organ literature to play for the group and receive feedback from the instructor.  Bio: Tom Mueller serves as professor of music, university organist and Music Department chair at Concordia University Irvine (CUI), Irvine, Calif., where he directs academic programs i...

This session will provide strategies for, and concrete examples of, leading psalms in various styles from the piano. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how the sonorities of the piano can be used to guide, summon and encourage congregational song; accompany cantors and choirs; and illustrate the text.  Bio: Phillip Magness serves a dual call as cantor at Village Lutheran Church in Ladue...

Come hear examples of hymns and music suitable for each Sunday of the Church Year, mostly drawn from IMSLP’s (International Music Score Library Project) online and free printable database. Participants will listen to recordings of music and learn the ins and outs of searching for practical hymn-based music via IMSLP.  Bio: Benjamin Kolodziej is a performing organist and church musician and has an...

In the 1940s, Theodore Graebner and Walter Buszin identified certain people who were integral to the history of LCMS music, but who were at risk of being forgotten. They had intended brief bios of these musicians to be written for The Lutheran Witness (it never happened). Nonetheless, utilizing their framework/identifications, and with the assistance of materials from Connie Seddon’s archives, Kol...

Explore creative and appropriate registration ideas for hymn playing, solo organ music and choir accompaniment. To build a musically appropriate palate of sound for any piece, organists must understand how the musical texture, mood and construction of a piece of music will impact registration. This presentation will include musical excerpts and registration samples so that attendees will learn exa...

Come dig deeper into the design and theology of Book IV of the Psalter with our keynote speaker. Book IV’s two major sections (90–100 AND 101–106) begin with the Psalter’s only Psalm of Moses (90) and a Davidic triad of Psalms (101–103). We will explore the striking affinities between Psalms 93–100 and Moses’ Song of the Sea (EX. 15), and the 101–106 group’s shift of focus to “David,” as a Moses-l...

We continue to struggle with misunderstanding and debates over our understanding of worship, with terms like “liturgy” and “adiaphora” often thrown around without a clear sense of what they actually mean. Grime’s goal is to give the participants a clearer understanding of how our Lutheran theology is uniquely positioned to help us wade through this confusion. This presentation will be something of...

Based on Paul Grime’s recent CPH publication, come explore ways of crafting one’s own simple but effective hymn introductions. Such simple, yet creative, introductions can assist in inspiring the congregation to join in singing the hymn with vigor and life.  Bio: The Rev. Dr. Paul Grime joined the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), in the fall of 2007. He serves as dean...

In 1523, Luther penned his Formula Missae, a revision of the medieval Latin mass for use in Lutheran churches. For at least two centuries following, Lutherans continued to celebrate the mass, as well as the daily office, in the Latin language. Lutheran composers, up to and including Bach, composed settings of Latin texts for use in worship alongside chant and polyphonic settings. This session aims...

In 1523, Luther penned his Formula Missae, a revision of the medieval Latin mass for use in Lutheran churches. For at least two centuries following, Lutherans continued to celebrate the mass, as well as the daily office, in the Latin language. Lutheran composers, up to and including Bach, composed settings of Latin texts for use in worship alongside chant and polyphonic settings. This session aims...

This session will explore how the Church Fathers and Fathers of the Reformation saw suffering and how they sought comfort in the Psalms. Attendees will walk away with a better awareness of God’s use of suffering and how the Psalms are a resource of comfort and endurance. The attendees will be able to use these resources for their own comfort and for the comfort of their flock.  Bio: The Rev. Micha...

Even though the piano has more uniformity in sound than an organ with its many colors of stops, there are still many ways to create variety and draw out the meaning of the text when playing hymns on the piano. Whether you’re principally a pianist, or an organist who occasionally finds yourself at the piano, this session will provide you with various techniques to enliven your piano hymn accompanim...

Improvisation can be scary for the organist who hasn’t done it before, but it doesn’t have to be! This session will present techniques you can use to incorporate organ improvisation into your service playing, whether you’re a natural improvisor or not. We’ll look at hymn playing, hymn introductions and liturgical accompaniment.  Bio: Christopher Evatt has over 20 years of church music experience a...

When considering Who it is that comes before us in the Divine Liturgy, Whose place it is, Whose altar, Whose Word and Sacrament, something is called out of us also. Reverence is the respect and awe that fills our hearts with love, tunes our minds in attention and finds expression in the outward acts that comprise the conduct of the service. This session will reflect on how we do what we do in the...

The two people that congregations depend on most to lead them in worship are, unfortunately, all too often at odds with each other. What should we know and do, as pastors and church musicians, in order to work together well? What can we learn from examples of successful (and unsuccessful) musician-pastor teams? Whether you have a file full of horror stories or have always had a perfect relationshi...

The Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music is a multiday worship conference, presented by LCMS Worship, designed for musicians, pastors, teachers, artists, and Christians of all vocations engaged in the unique sphere of Lutheran worship. Thoughtful speakers draw us into the Scriptures and their proclamation. A barrage of presentations and workshops on wide ranging topics, some fresh, som...