conducting organ sacred music - rider university 2017_final.pdf · sacred music conducting, organ,...

Greetings from the Department of Con-

ducting, Organ, and Sacred Music. The

strength and magic of Westminster’s his-

tory and tradition have been brought into

full perspective with gravity and passion

during this academic year. The collective

commitment to excellence in teaching,

leadership, and performance continues to

guide our faculty and students as our

community enjoys a busy and successful

spring semester.

choirs, youth choirs, urban music, and

more. We are creating a new master’s

degree in the Sacred Music track that will

allow church musicians from all over the

world to obtain a degree from Westmin-

ster through study online and during the

summer. Our department is also collabo-

rating with Princeton Theological Semi-

nary to teach courses in Sacred Music,

and continues to provide internships to

students in area churches as conductors,

singers, and organists.

The Westminster Symphonic Choir, con-

ducted by Director of Choral Activities Dr.

Joe Miller, gave a magnificent perfor-

mance of Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil,

DEAR COLLEAGUES, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS,

The Sacred Music Department and West-

minster’s Office of Continuing Education

presented the annual Kemp Church Mu-

sic Symposium this past October, which

involved sessions by Westminster profes-

sors Tom Shelton and Dr. Kathy Price as

well as Dr. Michael Kemp, and a hymn-

sing accompanied by Westminster Organ

professor Daryl Robinson. Prof. Robinson

has earned extensive praise for his col-

laborative playing in Westminster’s major

performance events, and maintains a

very active schedule as a recitalist and

teacher. He was featured on the recent

Westminster Williamson Voices recording

Carolae: Music for Christmas (James

Whitbourn), conducted by Dr. James Jor-

dan. The Sacred Music and Organ areas

continue to present campus worship ser-

vices throughout the semester, prepared

by the students and faculty of Sacred

Music Lab and Colloquium. Our fall Com-

munity Sing-In, held in Bristol Chapel,

gave our talented Sacred Music graduate

students the opportunity to conduct Hay-

dn’s Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo.

Westminster Jubilee Singers recently

gained a new conductor with the appoint-

ment of Mr. Courtney Carey, a graduate of

Morehouse College and Eastman School

of Music. Prof. Tom Shelton is continuing

his important work with the Westminster

Neighborhood Children’s Choir, bringing

music into the lives of Princeton- and

Trenton-area youth, while providing in-

ternship experiences for our students. Dr.

Steve Pilkington, associate professor of

Sacred Music, is spearheading the devel-

opment of exciting new undergraduate

and graduate programs in Sacred Music,

including courses in plainchant and mod-

ern music and tracks in adult church

Organ Department Celebrates Joan

Lippincott, Announces Events and

Recitals

3

Joan Lippincott ’57, ’61, (hon.) ’01:

A Westminster Legend

5

Where Are You Now? Updates

From Three Recent Alumni

6

Summer Seminars for Ringing

Leadership, Taught by Kathleen

Ebling Shaw ’85

8

Arvo Pärt and the Faith Experience 9

Sacred Music Promotes Lifelong

Singing, from Young Achievers to

Mature Voices

10

RSCM America/Westminster Choir

College Youth Choir Festival

11

Upcoming 2017 Events — Join Us! 12

IN THIS ISSUE:

CONDUCTING

ORGAN

SACRED MUSIC

Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter

Spring 2017

continued on page 2

Guest conductor Gary Thor Wedow welcomes

singers in Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum

to a rehearsal for Mozart’s Requiem on

February 8, 2017

Op. 37, presented through the New York

Philharmonic’s Tchaikovsky Festival this

past February. The performance, sung by

nearly 200 of Westminster’s juniors, sen-

iors, and graduate students, filled the

rafters of the Church of St. Paul the Apos-

tle in New York City. Symphonic Choir is

now preparing Britten’s War Requiem for

performances with The Philadelphia Or-

chestra and conductor Charles Dutoit in

March, and will perform Beethoven’s

Ninth Symphony with The Philadelphia

Orchestra this May.

Westminster Choir College has estab-

lished a relationship with The Juilliard

School, a vision of our new dean,

Matthew Shaftel, and our department.

Westminster Chapel Choir (Dr. Amanda

Quist, conductor) and Westminster Schola

Cantorum (Dr. James Jordan, conductor)

collaborated in a performance of Mozart’s

Requiem in D Minor with The Juilliard

School’s orchestra, conducted by Gary

Thor Wedow. This was a new venture for

these ensembles, and provided the op-

portunity of singing this masterwork in

Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center as well as

bringing the Juilliard students to perform

in the Princeton University Chapel.

Westminster Kantorei, conducted by Dr.

Amanda Quist, will collaborate with Juil-

liard 415, that school’s early music en-

semble, in their joint April concert with a

performance of Buxtehude’s Membra

Jesu Nostri. Kantorei was recently invited

to perform at the Boston Early Music Fes-

tival, and completed its first recording in

March. Kantorei embarked on its first

European tour this past summer, perform-

ing as an invited choir for the Festival en

l’Île in Paris and touring throughout Eng-

land. Westminster choral musicologist Dr.

Carolann Buff participated in the tour,

providing students with a deepened un-

derstanding of the incredible spaces in

which they performed through lectures

and visits to libraries to see original man-

uscripts and documents. Dr. Buff is an


invaluable member of the department,

teaching graduate courses in choral litera-

ture, performance practice, and more. Her

essay “The Italian Job: Ciconia, Du Fay,

and the Musical Aesthetics of the 15th-

Century Italian Motet,” forthcoming in Qui

musicam in se habet: Essays in Honor of

Alejandro Enrique Planchart, explores the

motet genre in the period between the

end of the Middle Ages and the beginning

of the musical Renaissance.

Westminster Choir, conducted by Dr. Joe

Miller, has been invited to represent the

United States in performance at the World

Choral Symposium in Barcelona, Spain in

July 2017. Westminster Williamson Voic-

es, conducted by Dr. James Jordan, re-

cently finished a recording session for

GIA’s Teaching Music through Perfor-

mance series, and has released addition-

al recordings over the past year. Dr. Jor-

dan was also recently honored with the

distinguished alumni medal from Susque-

hanna University, and will again lead the

Choral Institute at Oxford with James

Whitbourn and Dr. Steve Pilkington this

July. The Westminster Concert Bell Choir,

conducted by Kathleen Shaw, has a se-

ries of performances throughout the

spring semester, and will embark on its

annual tour in May. Westminster Schola

Cantorum toured the Mid-Atlantic U.S. in

March. Westminster Choir just completed

a tour that brought them through Ohio

and the South, and included a perfor-

mance at the Florida Music Educators’

Association conference. Westminster

Chapel Choir will host its annual High

School Invitational Festival this March,

bringing over 400 high school singers to

the Westminster campus.

We are very proud of our students and

alumni, and are excited to see the growth

and success of the thousands of organ-

ists, church leaders, teachers, performers,

and conductors who have come through

Westminster Choir College. This is indeed

a magical place, and we are fed by the

strength of our illustrious past as we en-

thusiastically explore the most effective

ways to continue Westminster’s legacy in

the future. A special thank you to all who

support the work and tradition of West-

minster Choir College, the only school of

its kind in the world.

Amanda Quist

Associate Professor of Conducting

Chair of Conducting, Organ, and Sacred

Music

Our recent graduates and current

students are accepting positions and

entering graduate schools throughout

the world:

Nicola Bertoni M.M. ’16 began teaching

in the choral department at Fullerton

College this past year

Matthew Brady M.M. ’15 is finishing a

doctorate at the University of North

Texas, and is studying with London

Symphony Chorus director Simon Halsey

this year

Stephanie Council M.M. ’15 began as

director of choral activities at Mount

Holyoke College this fall

Meaghan King M.M. ’12 will graduate

with a D.M.A. from the University of

Southern California in May

Edward Landin ’12 recently had an an-

thology of organ works titled Flourishes

and Reflections published by Lorenz

J.J. Mitchell ’17 has been accepted to

the University of Notre Dame’s Master of

Sacred Music program with a full-ride

scholarship and stipend

James Roman ’14, ’16 has been

appointed organist and coordinator of

worship ministries at Grace Presbyterian

Church in Houston, Tex.

Joel Trekell ’17 will be the organ scholar

at Hereford Cathedral in the U.K. begin-

ning in August

DEAR COLLEAGUES, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS continued from page 1

https://www.lorenz.com/keyboard/organ/flourishes-and-reflections

https://www.lorenz.com/keyboard/organ/flourishes-and-reflections

continued on page 4


By Daryl Robinson

This spring, the Organ Department at

Westminster Choir College joins with the

American Guild of Organists in celebrat-

ing the 2017 American Guild of Organ-

ists Endowment Fund Distinguished Art-

ist Award honoree, Professor Emerita

Joan Lippincott ’57, ’61, (hon.) ’01. A

free recital featuring Mrs. Lippincott

along with Westminster alumni Eric Plutz

’89 and Scott Dettra ’97, ’98 will occur

on Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in the

Princeton University Chapel (followed by

a reception—advanced tickets required).

On Monday, April 24, Mrs. Lippincott will

present a master class for current stu-

dents at Westminster from 3 to 5 p.m. in

Miller Chapel at Princeton Theological

Seminary. For more information, please

visit agohq.org/2017-gala.

In August of 2016, Dayton, Ithaca, and

Princeton residence halls suffered flood-

ing following heavy rains. Scheide Recit-

al Hall in Dayton suffered the most dam-

age, with standing water and mold dam-

aging both the Casavant organ and the

hall itself. Westminster’s organ curators,

Dieffenbach Organs, LLC (formerly Em-

ery Bros.), have removed the organ, and

our superb facilities staff has ensured

the removal of all mold so that the room

will again be safe to inhabit. While the

organ is out for cleaning, we are making

the most of this unique opportunity by

fixing collapsed pipe toes and outdated

wiring. Additionally, the organs in Ithaca

20 and 21 (Holtkamps) and Dayton 8

(Ott) suffered minor water damage, and

ORGAN DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES JOAN LIPPINCOTT,

ANNOUNCES EVENTS AND RECITALS

Steve Emery ’76 working on

Casavant Op. 3009

Treble pipes cleaned and packaged to be

returned to campus in the coming weeks

First Prize: Matthew Smith M.M. ’17,

studio of Daryl Robinson

Second Prize: Jerrick Cavagnaro ’18,

studio of Alan Morrison

Third Prize: Connor Fluharty M.M. ’17,

studio of Daryl Robinson

As part of winning First Prize, Matthew

will be featured in a solo recital (free and

open to the public) on Thursday, April 20

at 12:30 p.m. at Princeton University

Chapel, featuring works of Franck, How-

ells, J. S. Bach, and Rachel Laurin. Con-

gratulations to each of our competitors!

March 31 and April 1: Catherine

Rodland, artist in residence at St.

Olaf College, will present a recital at 8

p.m. on the evening of March 31 and

a master class for Westminster and

Princeton students from 10 a.m. to

noon on April 1 at Nassau Presbyteri-

an Church of Princeton. Special

thanks to Noel Werner ’90, director of

music at Nassau, for co-sponsoring

this event.

April 24: Master class with Joan Lip-

pincott, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Miller Cha-

pel, Princeton Theological Seminary

July 2-15: Westminster Organ

Institute for High School Organists

ORGAN DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES JOAN LIPPINCOTT

their outdated wiring and control sys-

tems are being replaced to meet current

electrical codes. We anticipate that each

of these organs will be completely func-

tional, and improved, by the end of the

Spring 2017 semester.

Fall 2016 Organ Events

October 24-25: Dr. Robert Bates

(professor of Organ at the University

of Houston) presented a recital of

early music from France, Germany,

and Spain at Princeton Theological

Seminary and a class on the early

development of the organ in France

November 13: A studio recital fea-

tured undergraduate organ majors at

St. Paul Catholic Church, Princeton

Spring 2017 Organ Events

February 11: The Organ Department

held the 2017 Joan Lippincott Com-

petition for Excellence in Organ Per-

formance. The judges this year were

two Westminster alumni: Edward

Landin ’12, assistant director of mu-

sic at Bryn Mawr (Pa.) Presbyterian

Church, and Robert McCormick ’01,

director of music and organist at St.

Mark’s Episcopal Church in Philadel-

phia. The results were:

Spring 2017 Student Recitals

February 4 at 4 p.m.: Thomas

Heidenreich ’16, ’17 at Princeton

Theological Seminary

March 27 at 12:30 p.m.: Matthew

Smith M.M. ’17 at Marble Collegiate

Church in New York City

April 8 at 1 p.m.: Philip Fillion M.M.

’17 in Bristol Chapel

April 8 at 8:30 p.m.: Matthew Smith

M.M. ’17 in Bristol Chapel

April 14 at 8:30 p.m.: Christopher

Engel M.M. ’17 in Bristol Chapel

April 20 at 12:30 p.m.: Lippincott

Competition winner Matthew Smith

M.M. ’17 in Princeton University

Chapel

April 22 at 4 p.m.: Joel Trekell ’17 in

Princeton University Chapel

April 22 at 7 p.m.: Thomas

Heidenreich ’16, ’17 in Princeton

University Chapel


continued from page 3

Pictured left to right are judges Edward

Landin and Robert McCormick, and winners

Matthew Smith and Jerrick Cavagnaro

Professors Alan Morrison, Daryl Robinson,

Matthew Lewis, and organ students following

the November 13, 2016 studio recital at St.

Paul Catholic Church in Princeton

Lucas Brown M.M. ’17, Stephen Buzard ’10,

Prof. Daryl Robinson, and James Roman ’14,

’16 at the 2016 American Guild of Organists

National Convention in Houston, Tex.


By Scott Dettra ’97, ’98

When one considers the short list of

great American organ teachers and per-

formers over the past half century, Joan

Lippincott’s name is sure to be among

them. Her teaching career at Westmin-

ster Choir College spanned some four

decades, during which time she taught

hundreds of students and influenced

many more through her playing at chap-

el services, convocations, and com-

mencement ceremonies. She has played

more than 600 recitals in 40 states and

six foreign countries, and her discogra-

phy includes more than 20 solo record-

ings. Her influence on organ playing and

church music in this country is vast, and

her legacy lives on in the careers of the

many Westminster students who were

privileged to study with her.

A student of the legendary Alexander

McCurdy, she earned two degrees from

Westminster Choir College and the

Artist’s Diploma from the Curtis Institute

of Music. Dr. McCurdy appointed her to

Westminster’s organ faculty in 1960—

a year before she earned her master’s

degree from the Choir College in 1961.

She had already emerged as one of

JOAN LIPPINCOTT ’57, ’61, (HON.) ’01: A WESTMINSTER LEGEND

McCurdy’s star students, and was well

on her way to establishing a reputation

as both a master teacher and performer.

When McCurdy retired from Westminster

in 1965, she was named chair of the

Organ Department (the largest in the

world at the time), a position she held

for the next 30 years. A skilled adminis-

trator, she hit the ground running, estab-

lishing various new programs, most no-

tably a series of summer organ insti-

tutes—including one for high school stu-

dents that continues to this day—and a

series of European organ study tours,

16 of which were undertaken between

1969 and 1992. In addition, she devel-

oped innovative curricula and appointed

many distinguished faculty members. All

of this work brought new levels of schol-

arship to Westminster’s Organ and Sa-

cred Music programs, and benefitted an

entire generation of students, to whom

she was tirelessly devoted.

As if this weren’t enough to keep her

plate full, she performed extensively,

playing about a dozen recitals each year

on average, many of them paired with a

master class. She began to make com-

mercial recordings in 1980, building a

large discography

that continues to

grow. Although

performing and

recording required

frequent travel

away from cam-

pus, she always

remained an ac-

tive and highly

respected mem-

ber of the faculty.

Throughout her

career, she has

been considered

an authority par-

ticularly on the

music of Bach.

Indeed, her recordings for the past 20

years have focused entirely on Bach’s

music. To this day, her former students

involuntarily think of “pearls” whenever

they sit down to play Bach’s music, as

her teaching is so ingrained in our musi-

cal fiber. Although she will be most re-

membered for her playing of Bach, it is

important to note her virtuosity in a

wide range of music; Liszt, Alain, Duru-

flé, and Widor immediately come to

mind, but she was also a champion of

new music, particularly that of Daniel

Pinkham.

Perhaps more important than her many

achievements outlined above is the

human example of service that she set

for all those who follow in her footsteps.

Her affectionate demeanor and infec-

tious enthusiasm inspired an entire gen-

eration of students who are proud to

refer to themselves as “Lippincott kids.”

Joan Lippincott dancing with Scott Dettra at

his wedding

Members of the Organ department with Organ scholarship donors at the

annual scholarship luncheon


WHERE ARE YOU NOW? Updates From Three Recent Alumni

continued on page 7

Liza Calisesi Maidens ’12

M.M. Sacred Music

with a Choral Con-

ducting concentra-

tion

Where are you now?

My husband Joel and

I moved to metro De-

troit in 2015 after

five great years in Princeton. I am on the

choral faculty at Eastern Michigan Uni-

versity, where I direct the University

Women’s Choir and EMU Express (a vo-

cal jazz ensemble). I am also the direc-

tor of music and organist at St. John’s

Episcopal Church in Plymouth, and I am

the assistant conductor of the Detroit

Concert Choir. I sing professionally with

Sounding Light, a chamber ensemble

under the direction of Tom Trenney.

How did the Sacred Music Department

prepare you for your current roles?

Westminster instilled a level of musi-

cianship and confidence to teach a vast

amount of repertoire efficiently, effec-

tively, and authentically to who I am as a

person. This semester, on any given

week, I’m prepping the Women’s Choir

for Beethoven 9, grooving to an arrange-

ment of I’ve Got You Under My Skin with

EMU Express, pointing psalms and re-

hearsing music anywhere from Mozart

to William Billings to André Thomas for

church, and learning a varied amount of

repertoire for the ensembles in which I

sing. My Westminster education afford-

ed me the skills to learn and teach all of

this music in a passionate, successful,

and meaningful way for each of my en-

sembles.

What attracted you to Westminster

initially?

Mark Babcock ’93 is the director of cho-

ral activities and is on the organ faculty

at Central College in Pella, Iowa where I

received my undergraduate degree. He

spoke highly of his experience at West-

minster and encouraged me to audition.

Likewise, I played in an organ master

class led by [former Westminster profes-

sor] Ken Cowan in Des Moines and I

was further inspired to visit and audi-

tion. It wasn’t until my campus visit

when I stepped into the historic Play-

house for Symphonic Choir that I knew

such a remarkable choral sound exist-

ed. It was unforgettable and contagious!

Why would you recommend Westmin-

ster to a young musician?

There is truly no place like Westminster.

I’ve been granted opportunities that I

never dreamed were possible because

of my Westminster education. Westmin-

ster helps you unearth your highest level

of music making and discover who you

are as a musician and how you might

enrich others’ lives through music. With

its choral tradition, Princeton location,

esteemed faculty, lifelong friends and

colleagues, and profound performance

opportunities, it’s an institution with a

truly inimitable reputation.

What is one of your favorite memories

of the Sacred Music Department?

Tuesday evening Seminar [Sacred Mu-

sic Lab/Colloquium] with Dr. Pilkington.

In Seminar, I further developed my re-

spect and passion for crafting meaning-

ful, artful liturgy. Each week was differ-

ent; each week was significant towards

my growth and understanding of what it

means to be a minister of music. In

Seminar I began to fully understand

Westminster’s mission—Service Through

Music—and how I might translate that

into my career path.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one

of my favorite choral performances! It

was an honor to be a part of Westmin-

ster’s first choral performance with Yan-

nick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia

Orchestra. We performed Brahms’ Ein

deutsches Requiem in a way I had nev-

er experienced in choral music. From

the rehearsals with Dr. Joe Miller to the

performance in Philadelphia, it was one

of the most pivotal and fulfilling oppor-

tunities of my career as a young musi-

cian.

Stephen Buzard ’10

B.M. Organ

Performance

Where are you now?

I am director of mu-

sic at St. James Ca-

thedral, the Episco-

pal cathedral for the

Diocese of Chicago. I

am also a concert organist on the Karen

McFarlane Artists roster. At St. James, I

conduct the Cathedral Choir, a semi-

professional choir of adults that sings a

repertoire inspired by the English Cathe-

dral tradition but with an American fla-

vor. This choir sings primarily at the 11

a.m. service and for occasional Choral

Evensongs. I also provide the music for

a family-friendly congregational service

at 9 a.m. in which we incorporate a vari-

ety of musical styles. I am new to St.

James this year, and one task for which

I was called is to establish a chorister

program for children in grades 3 to 8.

This program will begin in the fall and

will bring a great deal of diversity and

energy to our musical offerings here. In

my other life as a concert organist, I am

on the road from time to time to play

organ concerts and give workshops. I

love having the chance to engage with

new audiences and other organs around

the country.

continued on page 8

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

How did the Organ Department prepare

you for your current roles?

My organ training with Ken Cowan was

second-to-none. He is a brilliant teacher

and a nurturing, compassionate human

being. He gave so freely of his time, and

his training has been the foundation of

my technical and artistic approach to

playing. The diversity of the educational

experience at Westminster prepared me

to be the whole musician. While many

organ programs focus solely on playing,

the training I received in private voice,

conducting, and choral singing as part

of the Organ curriculum has proven

invaluable.


initially?

I came to Westminster both to study with

Ken and to work with Tom Whittemore at

Trinity Church, Princeton. My experience

as an organ scholar at Trinity was per-

haps just as beneficial and formative as

my degree program at Westminster, and

it was where I learned the “nuts and

bolts” of running an intergenerational

music program in the Episcopal ilk. In

fact, Tom Whittemore introduced me to

Ken and encouraged me to consider the

Choir College after I sang and played for

him at an RSCM summer training course

as a high schooler.

Why would you recommend Westminster

to a young musician?

Westminster gives aspiring church musi-

cians the tools they need to be success-

ful and confident in the field. Alan Morri-

son and Daryl Robinson have continued

the excellent level of private instruction.

The choral and vocal experience, so often

neglected by organists, gives Choir Col-

lege graduates a leg-up and informs the

entirety of their music-making. Princeton

is rich with opportunities for professional

experience like the organ scholar pro-

gram at Trinity, and the proximity to New

York and Philadelphia gives students ex-

posure to great instruments and great

artistry.

What is one of your favorite memories of

the Organ Department?

The first memory that comes to mind is a

very silly one. Christmas my freshman

year, Santa Claus came to the Student

Center, and my fellow freshman organ

students and I managed to coerce Ken

Cowan into being in a group photo with

Santa. Not only did we plaster the prac-

tice rooms with the picture, but we got it

published in the March 2007 issue of

The American Organist magazine!

Trey Davis ’10

M.M. Choral

Conducting

Where are you now?

I am assistant profes-

sor and associate di-

rector of Choral Stud-

ies at Louisiana State

University. I conduct

the Tiger Glee Club and Women’s Cho-

rale, teach the undergraduate course se-

quence of choral literature and conduct-

ing, co-teach the course sequence of

graduate choral literature and conduct-

ing, and mentor graduate recitals. I also

recently started a professional choral en-

semble in Baton Rouge named Red Shift.

Colleagues from around the country join

singers from the area for concert projects

throughout the year.

How did the Conducting Department pre-

pare you for your current roles?

It would be difficult to encapsulate all of

the knowledge, techniques, and experi-

ence I gained at Westminster into a para-

graph! Much of the conducting and choral

pedagogy that I utilize on a daily basis

was developed and nurtured at Westmin-

ster through study with Dr. James Jordan,

Dr. Andrew Megill ’89, and Dr. Joe Miller.

I certainly learned efficiency of rehearsal

technique, the development of choral

tone, and a host of other skills through

the singing and recital opportunities in

Westminster Master Singers. The gener-

ous opportunity to present a recital with

Westminster Symphonic Choir was also a

formative moment in my growth as a con-

ductor-teacher. Courses in choral litera-

ture and performance practice are surely

invaluable, foundational, and compre-

hensive sources of my own teaching,

and they also ensured that I was fully

prepared for doctoral study; moreover,

through conducting courses and private

lessons, I was fortunate to develop and

refine gesture and score study principles,

much of which I regularly share with my

students. Finally, my opportunity to sing

as a member of some of the greatest

collegiate choral ensembles in the nation

opened my eyes to new levels of excel-

lence as a singer and collaborative

musician.


initially?

I was immediately drawn to Westmin-

ster’s renown as a “choir college” that

collaborates regularly with the leading

orchestras of the world, and I attended a

concert presented by the Westminster

Choir while they were on tour in Austin,

Tex.; the performance was outstanding,

and Dr. Miller’s warm greeting and genu-

ine interest in me when I introduced my-

self afterwards further encouraged me to

audition. Additionally, I was very much

interested in spending two years of study

in the ideal location of Princeton with two

thriving urban centers an hour away, full

of opportunities for sacred music and vo-

cal performance.

continued from page 6



Creating a Successful Handchime

Ensemble—June 26-28, 2017

This hands-on class is perfect for the

teacher or director who is interested in

starting or revitalizing a ringing program

using handchimes. This course will in-

clude information on understanding the

handchime instrument and equipment

necessary for a program, ringing and

damping techniques, special ringing

techniques and articulations, ringing

multiple handchimes and making chang-

es, coordination drills, understanding

the handchime score and making as-

signments/markings, rehearsal plans,

choosing appropriate repertoire for

handchimes, and issues in musicality.

Using Handchimes in the Classroom

and Rehearsal—June 28-30, 2017

Let the Children Ring! This hands-on

session will explore the use of hand-

chimes in the general music classroom

and/or singing choir rehearsal. With the

use of folk songs, a variety of methods

will be explored that will enable children

to ring melodies and play chordal and

ostinato accompaniments, as well as

perform free improvisations while sing-

ing. Concepts for readers and non-

readers alike will be presented. Sample

lesson plans will be provided. Partici-

pants will also learn how to develop

their own resources to allow their stu-

dents to create, perform, respond, and

connect with their audiences.

Foundations in Ringing – Building

a Successful Handbell Program—July

17-21, 2017

This hands-on class is perfect for the

director or ringer who is interested in

starting or revitalizing a handbell pro-

gram. This course will include infor-

mation on understanding the handbell

instrument and equipment necessary

for a program, ringing and damping

techniques, special ringing techniques

and articulations, ringing multiple bells

and making changes, coordination drills,

understanding the handbell score and

making assignments/markings, han-

dling bass bells, rehearsal plans, choos-

ing appropriate repertoire, and issues in

musicality.

Handbells: Musicality Through

Performance—July 23-27, 2017

This session is ideal for intermediate

ringers who want an intensive ringing

experience or directors who want to gain

skills in ringing as well as improve their

handbell leadership by gaining rehearsal

techniques. Registrants will begin re-

hearsals on Sunday evening and contin-

ue Monday through Thursday. The week

will culminate with the group performing

a Thursday evening concert with a varie-

ty of repertoire that will have been stud-

ied over the week. Emphasis will be giv-

en to achieving the highest degree of

musicality from the handbell score—

ringing techniques, assignments, struc-

ture, texture, balance, dynamics, phras-

ing, rhythm, and pulse.

SUMMER SEMINARS FOR RINGING LEADERSHIP,

TAUGHT BY KATHLEEN EBLING SHAW ’85

Why would you recommend Westmin-

ster to a young musician?

I do frequently recommend Westminster

to young musicians, and I always under-

line the fact that an education from

Westminster is unlike any other on the

planet. Students are immersed in the

choral arts all day, every day, including

many weekends. Nowhere else can a

student expect to perform multiple mas-

terworks with symphonies from all over

the world at a level that meets and sur-

passes other professional choral ensem-

bles; Westminster choirs do not re-

hearse or perform like “student ensem-

bles,” though at the same time, valuable

teaching and growth certainly happen

daily. For students interested in the

M.M. in Choral Conducting degree, I also

champion the fact that there is no

D.M.A. program at Westminster, thus

ensuring that M.M. students are offered

the chance to serve as assistant con-

ductors to ensembles, present multiple

recitals, and study privately for multiple

semesters, all of which are rarities at

schools with large doctoral programs.

What is one of your favorite memories of

the Conducting Department?

It is so difficult to choose just one—so I

will list three! Singing Bach’s Saint Mat-

thew Passion with Kantorei and Dr. An-

drew Megill. Spending two summers in

Charleston, S.C. at the Spoleto Festival

USA with Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt, Dr. Joe

Miller, and Dr. Megill. Rehearsing Bar-

ber’s Reincarnations with Dr. Flummer-

felt in my first-ever autumn on the East

Coast, with the leaves falling outside

and golden afternoon sunlight flooding

into Bristol Chapel.

WHERE ARE YOU NOW? continued from page 7

To register for these seminars, and to

learn more about our summer choral

conducting courses, organ and voice

institutes, and other programs for

adults, high schoolers, and middle

schoolers, visit rider.edu/woce

ARVO PÄRT AND THE FAITH EXPERIENCE

By Dr. Nicholas Reeves ’03

The Westminster Williamson Voices per-

formance of the Kanon Pokajanen on

November 19, 2016 left me in a con-

flicted state, fluctuating between anxiety

and contrition. These contradictory feel-

ings, though not unusual to have after

listening to the music of Arvo Pärt, dealt

with more than the concert. An entire

span of emotions was experienced in

less than 80 minutes that evening, but

the road leading to that jarring moment

was borne out of years of search and

reflection.

My first steps on this road began at

Westminster Choir College as early as

1999, during the fall semester of my

freshman year. When a friend learned

that I was Eastern Orthodox, he inquired

if I had ever heard the music of Arvo

Pärt and soon thereafter dropped off a

copy of the album Litany. While listening

in my Seabrook dormitory room to this

Baltic music with its austerity, subdued

hues, and apparent lack of drama, I was

not immediately able to hear its appeal.

Unconvinced at first, but still curious

about this composer’s musical inten-

tions, I attended a concert of Passio at

Trinity Church in Princeton and—to my

surprise—felt the effect of the text-

setting, scoring, and dramaturgy: I had

reached a state of catharsis through the

music only after I had given it a chance—

by listening in faith.

After my studies concluded, both at

Westminster and Manhattan School of

Music, I found myself instructing future

leaders in the music tradition of the Or-

thodox Church at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox

Theological Seminary. It was there in

2011 that a senior colleague, Peter

Bouteneff, and I wondered how to en-

gage the most performed composer in

the world, Arvo Pärt—also a practicing

Orthodox Christian. What was so alluring

about his music, known for not being

opulent or flashy but nevertheless re-

maining in the greatest demand, was at

the heart of our initial interest. From this

basic inquiry the Arvo Pärt Project

(arvopartproject.com)

was born to explicate

through concerts, lec-

tures, and publications

the spiritual underpin-

nings of Pärt’s music.

The Project led to many

fruitful events, includ-

ing a seminal perfor-

mance in 2014 at Car-

negie Hall at which

Westminster professor

Dr. James Jordan was

in attendance. After

many attempts at a

Westminster/Arvo Pärt

Project collaboration, the Project facili-

tated an invitation by the Metropolitan

Museum of Art to the Westminster Wil-

liamson Voices. Their task was to per-

form in the fall of 2016 Pärt’s Kanon

Pokajanen, a work of intense spiritual

content and taxing vocal demands.

Bouteneff and I were invited to help in-

troduce the choir into the aesthetics of

Pärt’s music, the Orthodox Church, and

the concept of repentance.

On the night of the concert I kept secret

a faint hint of doubt as to how the choir

would sing such a daunting work and

how the audience would respond. To my

delight, the evening was filled with much

adulation from the audience, consisting

of alumni, benefactors, faculty, and

proud parents, together with the New

York cultural corps d’elite. As they all

witnessed the final chords of this mas-

terpiece, the performance garnered no-

thing but praise. My experience, howe-

ver, was mixed with myriad emotions.

Unlike many in the audience who took

their seats as quickly as they left, my

seat was taken after nearly 17 years,

starting at the Princeton campus and

ending at the Met’s Temple of Dendur;

and yes the choir sang beautifully well,

but I experienced something more than

delight after it was all over.

My journey to that concert took half my

life to reach, which concluded not in a

resolution of sound, but a profound ca-

tharsis of the soul. It took a leap of faith

to pursue this event—faith in the choir,

the audience, the College, and the Met

Museum, who in turn were putting their

faith in the Project. It is hard to describe

what was gained, and more importantly

lost, when I heard the Kanon, and it was

exactly this paring of opposites that I

experienced all those years ago when

hearing the Passio for the first time; I

just couldn’t articulate it then: Pärt’s

music leads us to an ineffable space of

openness confronting our doubts by

faith. My doubts in the concert were not

negated by faith, but on the contrary

enriched as the choir beautifully reaf-

firmed in their moving concluding

phrases that Pärt’s music is a mirror for

self-reflection, not an object of desire.

There is much more that can be written

and shared, and so we hope that Wil-

liamson Voices will continue to partner

with the Arvo Pärt Project, together artic-

ulating and shedding light on a world of

sonorities—not confined by our impul-

sive reactions to this music, but through

faith, letting it guide us.


Westminster Williamson Voices conducted by James Jordan at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur


By Tom Shelton

Westminster Neighborhood

Children’s Choir

The Westminster Neighborhood Chil-

dren’s Choir, sponsored by the Sacred

Music Department in collaboration with

the Princeton Family YMCA, is now in its

third year.

Prof. Tom

Shelton and

student in-

terns from

Westminster

Choir College

work with the

Princeton

Young Achiev-

ers afterschool

group on Mon-

days from

4:30 to 5:15

p.m. at the Pannell Learning Center.

Interns for the fall semester were Dae-

geun Ha ’17 (Sacred Music graduate

student), and Music Education under-

graduate students Julia Henry, Maggie

Kaetzel, and Lauren Sander. Interns for

the spring semester are Maggie Kaetzel

and Megan Anderson. There are approx-

imately 20 singers, grades 3 to 5, in this

choir. We sing together, play musical

games, and develop music reading

skills. At the end of our time together,

we present an “Informance” in Bristol

Chapel for parents and other attendees.

The Informance gives the singers an

opportunity to inform the audience

about musical concepts we have been

working on over the semester. We

demonstrate these concepts and then

apply them to the repertoire for the per-

formance. Our spring Informance will be

Monday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. in Bristol

Chapel. Please join us for this wonderful

musical experience!

Kemp Church Music Symposium

The Kemp Church Music Symposium

was held on Saturday, October 8, 2016,

to great success! Attendance was high

and there was a great energy in the

room. The theme focused on lifelong

singing. Michael Kemp presented two

sessions: Rejuvenating Senior Voices

and Surefire Recruiting for Church

Choirs; Dr. Kathy Price presented a ses-

sion called Working with Aging Voices:

How to Preserve, Protect, and Improve

Mature Singing Voices; and Prof. Tom

Shelton led a music reading session for

adult church choirs. Prof. Shelton was

assisted by five Sacred Music graduate

students: Paul Georgeson ’17, Lucy

Hole ’18, Colton Martin ’17, Jacob Nel-

son ’17, and Alexander Rosa ’18. These

students conducted pieces on the read-

ing session and served as soloists

throughout.

The late Helen Kemp ’41 ended each

annual Symposium with a hymn festival.

In keeping with this important tradition,

Prof. Shelton and Kathy Ridl (Helen’s

daughter) led a hymn festival with the

theme “A Song Throughout the

Day.” Prof. Daryl Robinson’s playing, on

both the organ and piano, was inspired.

Sacred Music students were highly in-

volved, serving as conductors, soloists,

and instrumentalists. It was a beautiful

way to end the day.

The 2017 Kemp Church Music Symposi-

um is already being planned for Satur-

day, October 7. The theme will be

“Social Justice” and will feature guest

clinician and composer Mark A. Mil-

ler. Mark Miller

teaches at both

Yale and Drew uni-

versities and has

had many composi-

tions published. His

latest compilation,

Roll Down, Jus-

tice! Sacred Songs

and Social Justice,

is available from

Choristers Guild.

Church Music

Exchange

The Sacred Music Department’s Church

Music Exchange was held on Friday,

January 13, 2017. Church musicians

from the surrounding area and current

Sacred Music students gathered togeth-

er for this annual morning of fellowship

and renewal. The Exchange began with

a beautiful Morning Prayer service,

planned and led by Sacred Music pro-

fessor Dr. Steve Pilkington. After the

service, attendees were invited to at-

tend one of two break-out sessions—

Mark Loria ’15 (M.M. Sacred Music)

presented an overview of Sue Ellen

Page’s Glory to God: Hymns and Songs

for Children and Families, and Dr. Kathy

Price presented a session on working

with aging voices. The morning conclud-

ed with time for sharing and discussion.

SACRED MUSIC PROMOTES LIFELONG SINGING,

FROM YOUNG ACHIEVERS TO MATURE VOICES

Dr. Kathy Price on

working with aging

voices

Members of the

Westminster Neighbor-

hood Children’s Choir

Department of Conducting,

Organ, and Sacred Music

101 Walnut Lane

Princeton, NJ 08540

609-921-7100

rider.edu/wcc

Amanda Quist, department chair

Ryan Brandau, conducting

Carolann Buff, musicology

James Jordan, conducting

Joe Miller, director of choral activities

Matthew Lewis, organ

Alan Morrison, organ

Daryl Robinson, organ

Steve Pilkington, sacred music

Tom T. Shelton, Jr., sacred music

Kathleen Ebling Shaw, handbells

Courtney Carey, Jubilee Singers

Kevin Radtke, coordinator

CONDUCTING, ORGAN, AND SACRED MUSIC

DEPARTMENT


UPCOMING 2017 EVENTS — JOIN US!

March 23-25 Westminster Symphonic Choir with The Philadelphia Orchestra: Britten’s

War Requiem (8 p.m.; 2 p.m. on March 24, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia)

March 24 Westminster Chapel Choir: High School Invitational Festival (Hillman Hall)

March 24 Westminster Schola Cantorum: Tour Homecoming Concert (8 p.m., Bristol

Chapel)

March 30 Sacred Music: Community Worship Service (11:30 a.m., Bristol Chapel)

March 31 Organ: Recital by Catherine Rodland, artist in residence at St. Olaf College

(8 p.m., Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton)

April 1 Organ: Master class with Catherine Rodland, artist in residence at St. Olaf

College (10 a.m., Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton)

April 21 Organ: AGO Recital and Gala Benefit Reception honoring Joan Lippincott

(7 p.m., Princeton University Chapel)

April 21-22 Westminster Choir with Bang on a Can All-Stars: Julia Wolfe’s Anthracite

Fields (8 p.m., Roebling Wire Works, Trenton)

April 22 Westminster Concert Bell Choir: Water Music (5 p.m., Liberty Corner

Presbyterian Church, Liberty Corner, N.J.)

April 23 Westminster Chapel Choir: Spring Concert (3 p.m., Bristol Chapel)

April 23 Westminster Williamson Voices: The Great Beyond, celebrating Dr. James

Jordan’s 25th year at Westminster Choir College and the fifth year of

The Choral Institute at Oxford (7:30 p.m., Princeton Abbey)

April 24 Organ: Master class with Professor Emerita Joan Lippincott (3 p.m., Miller

Chapel, Princeton Theological Seminary)

April 24 Sacred Music: Westminster Neighborhood Children’s Choir Informance

(7 p.m., Bristol Chapel)

April 29 Westminster Concert Bell Choir: Water Music (3 p.m., Bristol Chapel)

April 29 Westminster Kantorei: Spring Concert (8 p.m., Bristol Chapel)

April 30 Westminster Jubilee Singers: Spring Concert (7:30 p.m., Bristol Chapel)

May 3-6, 9 Westminster Symphonic Choir with The New York Philharmonic:

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw

(7:30 p.m.; 8 p.m. on May 5 and 6, David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center,

New York City)

May 14-27 Westminster Concert Bell Choir: 2017 Tour, performing in New England

and the Great Lakes region (see rider.edu/wcc for details)

June 26-July 27 Summer Seminars in Handbell Leadership (see Page 8 for details)

July 2-15 Westminster Organ Institute and Vocal Institute for high school students

(see rider.edu/woce for details)

July 4-13 Choral Institute at Oxford (see rider.edu/oxford for details)

October 7 Kemp Church Music Symposium, featuring guest clinician and composer

Mark A. Miller (Bristol Chapel)

October 21 Westminster/RSCM America Youth Choir Festival, conducted by

Dr. Anton Armstrong (Bristol Chapel)

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