Music
2003 Indianapolis, Indiana
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002
Convener 2003
Kathleen Harmon (music director for programs of the Institute for Liturgical Ministry in Dayton, Ohio)
Seminar Participants 2003
Seminar members: James Brauer, Carol Doran, Victor Gebauer, Fred Kimball Graham, Kathleen Harmon, Kenneth Hull, Martin Jean, Marie Kremer, Ronald Krisman, Frank Quinn, Tim Ralston, Martin Seltz, Scott Weidler
Visitors: Cheryl Dieter, Alan Hommerding
Seminar Report 2003
The first portion of this year’s seminar work centered on the ongoing project to articulate the varying theologies of worship music which guide musical choices in different denominations. Seminar members responded to a second draft from Jim Brauer on the Lutheran perspective and to a first draft by Kathleen Harmon on the Roman Catholic approach. Carol Doran presented several general questions which enabled the group to move toward greater clarification of the goal of the project as a whole. Discussion concluded with these projections for next year’s work:
- presentation of revised drafts of Lutheran and Roman Catholic approaches (Jim Brauer, Kathleen Harmon),
- presentation of initial draft of Episcopal/Anglican approach (Carol Doran, Ken Hull),
- presentation of outline of “architecture” of the project as a whole to guide further work (sub-committee to be appointed by convener).
The concluding portion of the meeting was devoted to discussion of two papers presented by Ken Hull. In “Text, Music and Meaning in Congregational Song” Hull demonstrated the relationship between text and tune in the generation of a hymn’s meaning by combining one text—”Amazing Grace”—with various tunes and analyzing how each tune dramatically altered the import of the text. In “The Challenge of the Praise Chorus” Hull critiqued the validity of using the praise chorus in worship, arguing that such music is often more narcissistic than worship oriented.