|

Inside this issue:

How the RSCM Fits Into Our Church/Organization Recommended Resources From the Board Two Parishes join for Evensong Summer 2012 Training Courses Priscilla Rigg Receives Honorary Doctorate Cultivating Choristers in the Current Church Enid Oberholtzer to Receive FRSCM Award Organ Music Reviews for Spring 2012 Press Releases: RSCM Publications Earn Donations for RSCM America at Your Desk! 3 5 5 6-7 8

Volume 8, Issue 1

Spring 2012

RSCM America: An Ecumenical Organization With a Mission

By Edie Johnson

8 9 10 11 12

Royal School of Church Music. What do these words bring to mind? When you first see or hear them, you may think of England, the royal family, or perhaps the Anglican Church. The word school may evoke visions of uncomfortable desks and grueling exams, and the term church music can mean anything from organs and Renaissance motets to praise bands and Christian rock groups. This organizations name can bring about a variety of different images depending on ones background, experiences, and perspective. Founded in England more than eighty years ago, the initial aim of this organization was to improve the education of musicians in the Church of England. Today this vibrant organization has grown to include churches and community choirs throughout the world and across denominational lines. Perhaps in the 21st century we should think of Royal as representing excellence and School as a philosophy of learning and growing, both musically and spiritually.

The ideals that the RSCM embodies are relevant to all churches, choirs, and individuals that strive for excellence in music. One may tailor the RSCMs concepts to fit the choral program of any church that values music, regardless of denomination or musical style. The mission statement of RSCM America establishes how the ideals can be incorporated into a variety of different settings: Our goal is to uplift the spiritual life of our communities through high quality choral music. We provide musical education to singers through a structured choral music program and summer music courses. We provide support to music directors through an organizational forum that facilitates the exchange of knowledge and ideas. High Quality Choral Music Note that the mission statements first sentence does not speak of Anglican choral music, but high quality choral

Bless O Lord, us thy servants who minister in thy temple. Grant that what we sing with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

music. This embodies the best music of any genre; it could be Renaissance motets, folk tunes, contemporary anthems, or others. Of prime importance is that that the music is performed authentically and to the best of the groups abilities, while also taking into account performance practice of the particular style and its suitability to the worship service. Can this mean even popular-style worship? Ned Perwo, Director of Music at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Manasquan, N.J., believes that it can. Mr. Perwos church involves a wide variety of worship and music styles, including a praise ensemble and brass ensemble. He states, The same system of high quality musicianship, faith formation, and intergenerational participation can be incorporated into any ensemble or situation. The RSCM program at my church has many differences when compared to the setup at the Episcopal church a few towns over. The main similarities include our core values and a curriculum guided by VOICE for LIFE.
continued on page 2

An Ecumenical Organization With a Mission

Educating Singers A clear curriculum for educating singers in proper vocal technique, music theory, and, when applicable, liturgy, is the basis of the RSCMs approach. The RSCM offers VOICE for LIFE, a graded curriculum that may be incorporated in a variety of ways. Some directors find filling out the workbooks each week helpful, while others take a more interactive approach. Access to computers and music theory software can enhance teaching. Ashley Burrell, Music Director at First Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tenn., has had great success in incorporating VOICE for LIFE into his chorister training. Mr. Burrell states, I have found VOICE for LIFE and the RSCM awards system particularly useful in our setting. Our core music teaching curriculum is VOICE for LIFE and I supplement with other musical and liturgical materials. We use standards to measure the progress of each chorister, and their achievement of these standards is posted on a board in the rehearsal room. This is the first thing the children eye when coming into the room, The Board. We provide opportunities three days a week for our children/youth to come to the church and work on VOICE for LIFE and the supplemental materials. Offering opportunities three times a week will not fit into everyones schedule. Perhaps one might extend the length of
Page 2

continued from front page

ville. Also, Connor really enjoyed being directed by Mr. [Geraint] Bowen. He liked how he was creative, funny, and nice to everyone. Polly continued, We are both excited to have the contact information for all that attended. RSCM can bring lasting friendships and we were all there with a common love for God and music. The music was beautiful! All of the pieces were challenging and very moving. We still break into RSCM song when riding in the car! RSCM is an experience that reminds us all that no matter what denomination or traditions we come from, we all love God and share a desire to praise His Name with song. Supporting Music Directors For directors, sometimes the most meaningful part of attending a training course is the interchange of ideas with colleagues and other participants. Learning about how other directors shape their programs and integrate RSCM training can help you improve your own program. This also provides a network of friendship and continued support when returning home. Stephen Rosebrock, Kantor of Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Louis, states, The RSCM has many wonderful resources and people to cultivate the promotion of high quality music in churchcontinued on page 3

The Parish Youth, Chorister, and Primary Choirs of Church Street UMC in Knoxville, Tenn.

rehearsals to add additional time for theory training or have a monthly theory session one Saturday of each month. We had success extending rehearsal times at Church Street United Methodist Church two years ago. The choir previously had a 45minute rehearsal and we added fifteen minutes on each end. The first 45 minutes of the rehearsal are for working on vocal technique and literature, and then we spend a half hour on theory training, sightsinging, and working out of our most valuable textbook, the hymnal. Perhaps the most meaningful and lasting experiences that RSCM America offers are the Summer Training Courses. These are excellent opportunities for children (and adults) all over the nation to unite with others who share similar interests and goals. Last summer, a ten-year-old chorister from Church Street UMC, Connor Cowart, and his mother, Polly, who acts as our choir

mom and assistant for our choristers, attended a training course for the first time. Polly and Connor were both ecstatic about their experience and will be returning this year. Polly stated, RSCM gave Connor and me an opportunity to meet children and adults from other states and denominations that have the same interest in music. This was extremely important for Connor to see that his experiences and interests are not limited to just Church Street or to Knox-

Polly and Connor Cowart attended their first Summer Training Course last year. They will be back this summer!

Royal School of Church Music in America

An Ecumenical Organization With a Mission

grams are enhanced by the work of RSCM America. There are countless directors and singers of all ages who are experiencing similar benefits from this organization. Conclusion Having worked with RSCMaffiliated choirs at churches of two denominations, I believe that the philosophy of the RSCM benefits choirs most profoundly in the discipline and character that it fosters in the individuals and groups. Children thrive on challenges, and the tenets of RSCM training inspire musical, spiritual, and intellectual growth. When children are challenged in a supportive environment they grow in confidence, and their abilities flourish. Through RSCM training, singers develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills that resonate in all areas of their lives. The training does not have to stop with children; adults also

continued from page 2

thrive on the challenges of an RSCM experience. Since we have begun the work with children at Church Street UMC, several adults have asked me when we might start an adult session so that they can increase their skills as well. Musicians of all ages can grow in confidence and become strong leaders with supportive RSCM training. The RSCM America Board of Directors and the Interdenominational Committee are working to grow this organization and diversify our affiliates. In the coming year, the Interdenominational Committee will be writing articles to include in denominational music journals and ascertaining ways in which we can reach out to more musicians. We also plan to compile a list of active music programs within our respective denominations that could serve as a starting place for our new initiatives. If you know of a potential RSCM affiliate in your area, please forward this arti-

cle to them and spread the word. You may also let me know and someone from our committee will contact them and welcome them into the organization. If you are part of a choir that strives for excellence and appreciates growth and challenges, then the RSCM will provide the support that you need, no matter what your denomination. An affiliation in the RSCM provides a firm foundation for a successful music program in the present, and through the musical and liturgical education of choristers, it works to ensure a future of excellence in church music around the world.
Edie Johnson is Music Associate and Organist at Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tenn. and adjunct instructor of organ at the University of Tennessee. Edie has served on RSCM Americas Board of Directors and is currently chair of the Interdenominational Committee.

Stephen Rosebrock and the Hope Lutheran Church Kantorei

es. This is what drew me into the RSCM as a Lutheran. Our program has benefited in many ways over the past eight years with the use of VOICE for LIFE materials and Summer Training Courses. I have benefited vocationally from new friends and colleagues I have met at courses and from the wealth of materials that RSCM has to offer. The above are just a few examples from directors and parishioners in three different denominations around the country whose lives and pro-

How the RSCM Fits Into Our Church/Organization

By Stephen Rosebrock This is the second article in a series that will feature each of the Boards nine Directors; Andrew Walkers music program was highlighted in our March PSALLAM! e-mail.

I was introduced to RSCM America while still a student in 1999 when I attended the annual Training the Boy Chor-

ister conference at St. Thomas ChurchFifth Avenue in New York City. Then-president Dr. Robert Quade gave a presentation on the work of the RSCM. Dr. Quades presentation and the meeting of many RSCM members convinced me that when I started serving the church I would build an RSCM choir program. In 2003 I was

called to Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Mo. to serve as Kantor. When I arrived on the scene the position of Kantor had been vacant for over a year; there was an adult choir of nine and no childrens choir. The only way to go was up!
continued on page 4
Page 3

Royal School of Church Music in America

How the RSCM Fits Into Our Church/Organization

For my first eight years at learn the repertoire. MemberHope the congregation operat- ship in the RSCM gives young ed a Lutheran day school that programs and novice church served the families in the musicians a place to be surchurchs neighborhood. This rounded by excellent prowas the perfect recruiting ave- grams and experienced colnue. We started with nine leagues. choristers; now we average Another valuable resource is between sixteen and twenty the Summer Training Course choristers from the congregaprogram. Our first summer tion and neighborhood each course was the year, even though 2009 Charlotte the congregation The single most valCourse with Malno longer operates uable benefit of the colm Archer. The RSCM is not somethe day school. five choristers who thing you buy or The growth and attended are still receive in the mail. success of this talking about it in It is the RSCM traprogram is due in 2012, and the CD of dition of excellence part to RSCM the closing services and quality. America. is still played reguThe single most valuable benlarly in their parents cars! efit of the RSCM is not someThe opportunity to work with thing you buy or receive in the a master choir trainer and to mail. It is the RSCM tradition sing challenging repertoire of excellence and quality. We has left a lasting impression joined RSCM America when on the choristers. The enthusiour music program at Hope asm of the returning choriswas still in its infant stage. There was nothing notable about our program then. But by becoming a member of the RSCM the congregation was automatically part of a phenomenal music institution. This served as a constant model and challenge for us. I often tell my students, if you want to improve, surround yourself with people who are better than you. I was receiving Church Music Quarterly and constantly reading about what was going on in other programs, and I was paging through every issue of Sunday by Sunday ordering every treble anthem listed in order to ters saturated our choir and we are still reaping the benefits of this experience three years later. This summer we are taking a crew of choristers to the St. Louis Course. The VOICE for LIFE curriculum has also been extraordinarily helpful. The choir trainers manual keeps me focused as a director, ensuring that I am covering the many aspects of choral singing that lead to musical excellence and helping me to develop standards for assessment. Currently I use the content and expectations of the White Level (www.rscm.com/education/ vfl/whitelevel) for surplice exams for first-year choristers. In the past I have incorporated the workbooks into general music classes at the day school and in our week-long music camp each summer. Children benefit from having

continued from page 3

the information in their hands; this includes information about singing and the music they are singing. One last idea I gleaned from the RSCM is that the childrens choir is just as essential and important to the congregation as the adult choir. They are given the same responsibility as the adult choir of serving as ministers in Gods temple. There is the expectation that the childrens singing is a ministry to the church, and this ethos now permeates our choral program. We have also made an intentional expectation that when boys voices begin changing they continue singing with the childrens choir throughout the change, but also join the alto or tenor section of the adult choir. Eighth-grade girls are
continued on page 5

Page 4

Royal School of Church Music in America

How the RSCM Fits

invited to sing in both choirs simultaneously. This has led to a third of the adult choir being high school students. We are living the VOICE for LIFE paradigm; this is utterly essential in cultivating the next generation of singers and church musicians. If you have any questions please dont hesitate to con-

continued from page 4

tact me. My e-mail is srosebrock@hopelutheranstl.org and my number is 314-3520014. I always look forward to sharing information about the RSCM, especially with young musicians stepping into their first position in the church or those who are in a music program where they are building from the ground up.

Recommended Resources from the Board

Betsy Calhoun: For me the most beneficial resource, especially for getting my program started, has been the RSCM ribbons and medals. Especially for younger choristers, the visual reminder of the colored ribbons worn by other choristers (at church or at an RSCM course) provides a strong and tangible incentive to hone their musical and liturgical skills. And once a chorister has earned the light blue ribbon, seeing other choristers with dark blue and red ribbons spurs him or her to work on more refined skills. Without the ribbons and medals the motivation to improve skills is not such a priority for some choristers. Stephen Rosebrock: Sunday by Sunday was invaluable when I first began building a parish childrens choir. The parish had no established childrens choir program and no suitable repertoire in the current music library. I searched out every treble anthem in each issue of Sunday by Sunday and ordered a copy to familiarize myself with the childrens choir repertoire. From there I would narrow down my choices and place an order for the music library. Over the past nine years I have built a substantial music library, many titles gleaned from Sunday by Sunday. I now make a point of sharing this resource with other church musicians. This is a great way to introduce colleagues to the wonderful benefits of being a member of the RSCM. If you are an experienced church musician, consider sharing your copy with a novice. Jim Rightmyer: Jim uses VOICE for LIFE books regularly with his trebles (and occasionally with an adult or two.) He finds them very helpful in motivating the choristers to grow in their musical development. He also uses Sunday by Sunday, although it often arrives too late to help him in his yearly repertoire planning. He continues to feel that the Summer Training Courses are by far the most useful component of RSCM and is very thankful for the growth his choristers find in them each summer. Andrew Walker: At St. Michaels, Orlando we have been using RSCM publications and training materials since before I arrived in 1980. The various permutations of the training scheme for young choristers (presently VOICE for LIFE) have been in place since that time, offered on a weekly basis before and after choir rehearsals and for longer periods during school vacation times. Should an adult choir member request further training in music skills, those same training materials are used. Sunday by Sunday has proved a useful resource for additional ideas for anthems and hymns for a particular Sunday using the Revised Common Lectionary. Our library also has several RSCM music publications. Those most frequently used are rather ancient, but still relevant! Namely the Anthems for Unison and Two-Part Singing and Twelve Easy Anthems collections.

Two Parishes Join for Evensong

Choristers from St. Marys Choir of Boys & Girls (St. Marys Episcopal Church, Arlington, Va.) and St. Johns Advanced Chorus (St. Johns Academy, McLean, Va.) sang a joint Choral Evensong on Sunday, March 5. The 22 treble choristers were joined by professional and volunteer singers from St. Marys and St. Johns parishes. St. Marys minister of music, Dr. Gregory Hooker, conducted the choir, and St. Johns director of music, Mr. David Lang, accompanied at the Lively-Fulcher organ. 200 people were in attendance for the service of worship, which featured the Evening Service in B Minor by T. Tertius Noble, Preces and Responses by Herbert Sumsion, Psalm 84 set to an Anglican Chant by C. H. H. Parry, and H. Balfour Gardiners beautiful Evening Hymn. J. Reilly Lewis, former boy chorister at the Washington National Cathedral under Richard Wayne Dirksen, and now the Cathedral Choral Society music director and director of the Washington Bach Consort, was in attendance and complimented the choristers on their fine work.

Royal School of Church Music in America

Page 5

RSCM America 2012 Summer Training Courses

GULF COAST COURSE
Participants: 20 girls, age 1018, 10 adults Dates: June 25July 1, 2012 Music Director: Joseph Causby of St. Marks Episcopal Church, San Antonio, Tex. Organist: Robert Brewer of St. Davids Episcopal Church, San Antonio, Tex. Residential Venue: University of St. Thomas, Houston, Tex. Concerts/Services: May include a performance of Handels Messiah with chamber orchestra Course Fees: $495 for all registered by March 15, 2012; $505 for RSCM members/$530 for non-members registered after March 15, 2012 Contact: Courtney Daniell-Knapp, Course Manager: cdknapp@palmerchurch.org; Anna Teagarden, Course Manager: annateagarden@msn.com More Information: Visit www.rscmamerica.org/training -courses.php for registration materials

CAROLINA COURSE
Participants: 40 girls, age 1018, 25 adults, 1 organ scholar Dates: July 915, 2012 Music Director: David Briggs Organist: Robert Ridgell Residential Venue: Saint Marys School, Raleigh, N.C. Concerts/Services Venues: Christ Church and St. Michaels Episcopal Church, Raleigh Course Fees: $540 for registrations received by April 1, 2012; $565 for registrations received after April 1, 2012; $390 for commuting adults. RSCM members receive a $25 discount Contact: Marilyn Neely, Registrar: 910.690.9236 or marilyn.neely@gmail.com; Hugh Davis and Kevin Kerstetter, Course Managers: manager@carolinarscm.org Course Website: www.carolinarscm.org

TULSA COURSE
Participants: 40 boys, age 1018, 15 adults Dates: July 1622, 2012 Music Director: James Rightmyer of St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church, Louisville, Ky. Organist: Bruce Neswick Residential Venue: University of Tulsa, Okla. Concerts/Services Venues: Trinity Episcopal Church, Tulsa Course Fees: $550 for registrations received by April 1, 2012; $575 for registrations received after April 1, 2012; $375 for commuting adults received by April 1; $400 for commuting adults after April 1. RSCM members receive a $25 discount Contact: Sara Arnold, Course Manager: 918.640.4274 or saraarno@swbell.net; Casey Cantwell, Course Manager: 918.582.4128 or casey@caseycantwell.com Course Website: www.rscmtulsa.com

CHARLOTTE COURSE
Participants: 60 young singers (boys, girls, teens) ages 10 18, 30 adults, 2 organ scholars Dates: July 28, 2012 Music Director: Bruce Neswick Organist: Aaron Goen Residential Venue: Queens University of Charlotte, N.C. Concerts/Services Venues: St. Johns Episcopal Church and Myers Park Baptist Church, Charlotte Course Fees: Deposit and forms received before April 1: $525 youth choristers; Adults: $525 residential, $395 commuting, $95 per day for adults registering for up to three days. After April 1: $550 youth choristers; Adults: $550 residential, $425 commuting, $100 per day for adults registering for up to three days. RSCM members receive a $25 discount Contact: Alan Reed, Course Manager: 704.408.7489 or rscmcharlotte@aol.com; Tracy Reed, Course Manager: 704.849.9791 Course Website: www.saintjohns-charlotte.org/rscm

Page 6

Royal School of Church Music in America

RSCM America 2012 Summer Training Courses

KINGS COLLEGE COURSE
Participants: 60 girls, 40 boys, 30 teens/young adults, 20 adults, 2 organ scholars Dates: July 2329, 2012 Music Director: R. Walden Moore Organist: Mark Laubach Residential Venue: Kings College, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Concerts/Services Venues: St. Stephens Episcopal Pro-Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre Course Fees: $565 for registrations received by April 1, 2012; $605 for registrations received after April 1, 2012. RSCM members receive a $25 discount Contact: Steve Burk, Course Manager: smburk@gracecathedraltopeka.org More Information: Visit www.kingscollegecourse.com to take advantage of the online registration process Concerts/Services Venues: Washington National Cathedral and St. Pauls Church, K Street, Washington; St. Lukes Catholic Church, McLean, Va.; St. Georges Episcopal Church, Arlington, Va. Course Fees: $595 residential, $350 commuting; RSCM members receive a $25 discount Contact: Ben Keseley, Registrar: bkeseley@saintgeorges church.org Course Website: www.rscmwashingtondc.org

RHODE ISLAND COURSE at NEWPORT

Participants: Boys and girls, age 9-17, 8 adults Dates: July 30August 5, 2012 Music Director: Ben Hutto Organist: Jason Roberts Residential Venue: Salve Regina University, Newport, R.I. Concerts/Services: Will include two Evensong services and a closing Festival Eucharist Course Fees: $575 for registrations received before April 1, 2012; $600 for registrations received after April 1. RSCM members receive a $25 discount Contact: Priscilla Rigg, Course Manager or Allen J. Hill, Registrar: rscmri@emmanuelnewport.org Course Website: www.emmanuelnewport.org/rscmeverything-2012/ Also in North America:

ST. LOUIS COURSE

Participants: 25 girls, 25 boys, 25 adults, 1 organ scholar Dates: July 2329, 2012 Music Director: Dale Adelmann of The Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Ga. Organist: Tamara Schmiege of St. Lukes Episcopal Church, Fort Collins, Colo. Residential Venue: Todd Hall Retreat Center, Columbia, Ill. Concerts/Services Venues: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and Grace Episcopal Church, Kirkwood, Mo. Course Fees: $550; RSCM members receive a $25 discount Contact: Phillip Brunswick, Course Manager: rscm.stl@gmail.com Course Website: www.rscmstl.org

MONTREAL COURSE
Participants: 42 boys, 40 teens and adults Dates: July 29August 5, 2012 Music Director: Malcolm Archer Organist: Patrick Wedd Residential Venue: Bishops College School, Lennoxville, Quebec Concerts/Services Venue: Bishops College School Chapel and Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal, Quebec Course Fees: $730 Contact: Larry Tremsky, Executive Director: 516.746.2956 ext. 18 or mbcc.canada@yahoo.com Course Website: www.mbcc.ca

WASHINGTON COURSE for EXPERIENCED TREBLES

Participants: 8 boys and 22 girls of experienced ability (red or yellow ribbon, or equivalent) Dates: July 2329, 2012 Music Director: Robert McCormick Residential Venue: St. Albans School, Washington, D.C.

Royal School of Church Music in America

Page 7

Priscilla Rigg Receives Honorary Doctorate

The 2011 Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island (November 11 and 12) opened with a celebration of the Eucharist led by choristers from five RSCM-affiliated parishes, all under the direction of Priscilla Rigg. Before the postlude, Bishop Geralyn Wolf invited Priscilla, a.k.a. The Queen Mother, to the altar for a special surprise: the conferring of an Honorary Doctorate of Music by the trustees of the St. Dunstan School of Sacred Music, Diocese of Rhode Island, for her 47 years of service to St. Lukes, East Greenwich and all Rhode Island churches as manager of RSCM Americas Rhode Island Course at Newport. Congratulations and thanks to Priscilla for all that she does and for all the people whose lives she has touched!

Cultivating Choristers in the Current Church

By Ned Perwo

Many of you, regardless of denominational affiliation, may be familiar with the annual service of "Lessons and Carols" broadcast each Christmas Eve from King's College. I am always astounded by the treble choristers and the musical skills developed in such young children. The sound they produce seems almost magical; something that surely cannot be replicated in your average congregation. The reality is that choristers can be cultivated in any congregation regardless of denominational affiliation in almost any worship context. The key is the Royal School of Church Music's VOICE for LIFE curriculum. For a long time RSCM and the idea of choristers in general has been seen as something Anglicans, Episcopalians, or "High Church" people do. Yes, this is true, but I would like to tell you about my success using VOICE for LIFE in my average Lutheran congregation
Page 8

at the New Jersey Shore. Lutheran worship varies depending where you are in the country. Some parishes are "smells and bells" but I guarantee you here at the shore when we do have a procession you may catch a majority of the youth and even some of the adults sporting a pair of "dress flipflops." The key with incorporating VOICE for LIFE into your congregational context is to: 1. Identify the key musical and spiritual core values you want to instill into the children. 2. Identify the parts of the VOICE for LIFE curriculum that apply to your situation. 3. Create a tiered framework of music and faith skills that are to be learned by the children, e.g. Skill Cards. 4. Reward the children when they "pass off" various skills, e.g. matching pitch, memorizing the Lord's Prayer, etc. 5. Incorporate the children

into the worship service. Choristers should have the chance to sing/perform as their own ensemble and as part of one intergenerational ensemble with adults. Following these basics, a chorister culture can thrive in any context. When I first arrived at my current church a quick observation revealed a children's choral program that had been in place for many years but was now dwindling in numbers. It had been sustained by the work of parents and volunteers but was not a main focus within the Worship & Music Ministries of the congregation. In four years the program has

grown from a handful of children to over 30 youth divided between six ensembles. Children and youth have the opportunity to participate in the following: Cherub Choir: Pre-K and Kindergarten Jr. Choristers: Grades 1 & 2 Choristers: Grades 3-8 of unchanged voices Adult Choir: Grades 9-12 of changed voices singing alongside adult members Praise Ensemble Brass Ensemble

continued on page 9

Royal School of Church Music in America

Cultivating Choristers in the Current Church

Wait! Praise Ensemble and Brass...how does this fit into the core values of the RSCM? Like I said before, make the RSCM work in your context. The same system of high quality musicianship, faith formation, and intergenerational participation can be incorporated into any ensemble or situation. The RSCM program at my church has many differences when compared to the setup at the Episcopal church a few towns over. The main similarities include our core values and a curriculum guided by VOICE for LIFE. Here's how the RSCM looks in my N.J. Shore Lutheran context: 1. Children's choirs divided into appropriate age groups. This was only done when we had critical mass for each choir (about 8 children in each choir to start out.) 2. Music theory offered on computers rather than RSCM workbooks. Parents donated 19 used computers to help create the "Music Lab." Some kids like workbooks; mine did not.

continued from page 8

4. Piano lessons offered to all choristers. Those who can pay for lessons do so. Those who can't are on scholarship. 5. No tuition costs for the basic program. 6. No restrictions on church membership or religious/ denominational affiliation. 7. An after-school rehearsal format that fills in the music education gaps found in the local school systems. 8. Community service events and community-building field trips.

80+ involved in the music ministry of a church whose average Sunday attendance is in the mid to high 200s. We come from a variety of faith backgroundsLutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Jewish. We come from many countriesRussia, Germany, Cambodia. We come from many walks of lifestraight, LGBTQ, adopted, biological, married, single, partnered. All come together to experience the Divine through the creation of music.
Mr. Ned Perwo is Director of Music at Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Manasquan, N.J. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Church Music from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio through summer study.

3. Instrumental ensemble offerings for children. It just happens that I have some dynamite brass players and drummers in the congregation. They needed a place to fit in.

9. Local RSCM festivals directed by guest conductors from the USA and UK. 10. Snacks, prizes, food and fun. The end result is over 60 people between the ages of 4 and

Enid Oberholtzer to Receive FRSCM Award

Enid Oberholtzer, pastpresident of RSCM America, is one of six international musicians that will receive a Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music (FRSCM) in 2012. The FRSCM honors services to church music of international significance and is the highest honorary award presented by the RSCM. Throughout her professional career, Enid has been dedicated to working with children in the church, employing the ethics, mission, and ideals of the RSCM. She has been director of the thriving Girls Choir at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, Conn., and has held numerous significant roles at RSCM America summer training courses. She served on RSCM Americas Board of Directors for over ten years, and was the organizations president from January 2010 to January 2012. Honorary awards are presented at the annual RSCM Celebration Day service, which takes place in a different cathedral in the United Kingdom each year. The festival brings together church musicians from the area, with singers from local RSCM-affiliated churches forming a massed choir. 2012s Celebration Day will take place in Exeter Cathedral on June 16. For a full list of 2012 Honorary Awards recipients, please visit www.rscm.com/assets/ info_resources/media/ HonAwards2012.pdf
RSCM America honored Enid in its own way in January 2012 by establishing a summer training courses scholarship in her name. Thanks to the very generous donations of our members and friends, the Enid Oberholtzer Scholarship will help to support deserving choristers for years to come.

Royal School of Church Music in America

Page 9

Organ Music Reviews for Spring 2012

By Ray Urwin

David Schelat: A Mighty Fortress: Seven Hymn Preludes for Organ (2006). Morning Star, MSM10-596. $16.00 Five Postludes on American Hymntunes (2008). Morning Star, MSM-10-740. $11.50. Not long ago a colleague who is changing careers commented that, for musicians at our level (we are both DMAs, he from Eastman, I from Yale), there is not really much great interest in either the typical AGO meeting or browsing music stores (or perhaps, though he didnt say it, reading music reviews!) He is tired of finding, as he put it, yet one more collection of hymn preludes! I dont necessarily agree with him about the first of these; the Los Angeles-area AGO programs are well organized, imaginative, and superb, for example. But I do agree, and can corroborate from my many years of reviewing, that there is much more chaff than wheat published in both choral and organ music. These two collections are definitely wheat. The tunes set in the first volume, including Coronation, Ein feste Burg, Erhalt uns Herr, Gelobt sei Gott, Middlebury, Pange lingua, and Simple Gifts, are excellent, and I would use all of these in church, and some possibly for recitals as well. Two of the preludes here were written for David Craighead

on his retirement from St. Pauls Church. Schelats superb toccata on Gelobt sei Gott, for example, has become a standard with me, used every Easter season and often on Easter Day itself. The Postludes volume also includes excellent settings (in terms of both the writing and the registrations) of the spiritual Great Day, New Britain (Amazing Grace), Foundation, and Billings When Jesus wept. As in the first volume, there is not one piece here that I wouldnt use. The books provide fresh, interesting approaches to these familiar tunes, mostly without undue technical difficulty. I highly recommend both. Ren Vierne: Ten Pieces in Different Styles for Organ. Kalmus, K 04040. Ren Vierne (1878-1918) was Louiss youngest brother. He began studies with Louis, then with Guilmant at the Paris Conservatoire (Premier Prix, 1906.) While at the Conservatoire he served as organist at the Dominican Convent, then at Notre-Dame des Champs. When war began, he was called up and left for the front in 1914. He was killed in May 1918 (Louis also lost his son and several students in World War I.) Ren left polyphonic compositions, organ and harmonium works and a Mthode dharmonium. Louis commented: In his delectable improvisations, he poured out his poetic soul, mystical with-

out any trace of affectation. More objectively, the Organ Historical Society catalog states that Ren Vierne developed a delicate lyricism that pervades his mostly liturgical works with a serene quality. There is a CD of some of his organ music available from OHS, recorded at the cathedral in Nantes (a restored 1896 Debierre instrument), which also includes Louiss brief biography of Ren. I learned of this fine book from my friend and colleague David York. These charming pieces were originally titled Dix Pices de Diffrent Styles pour Harmonium ou Orgue (1er Suite). Though for harmonium, many of them are pianistic, and I have found that practicing them on the piano helps much. They are: Entre, Prlude Funbre, Prire (which some of you may know from Alexander Schreiners old collection French Masterworks for Organ: A Collection of Nineteenth Century Classics), Prlude Fugu, Sortie and Postlude (the two most difficult pieces), Caprice, Absoute, Pastorale, and Canzona. None are really difficult, but I would not try sight-reading any (except maybe the Prire) in public! I would also figure out all the page turns in advance and copy those pages, since some of the pieces are more involved from that mundane perspective. Since the volume is smaller than usual, the plates were already old, and it

is published by Kalmus, legibility is an issue. In fact, if you buy this I recommend that you then make a larger copy of the whole volume (including those extra pages youll need to avoid page turns) for easier reading, hole-punch it, and place it in a notebook. Though they are definitely of their era, these miniatures are always charming and often exquisite, making Rens early death at age forty all the more poignant. Charles Tournemire: Variae Preces, Op. 21. Masters Music Publications, Inc., M-2464. Dedicated to Gigout and published in Nice in 1901, this book is, like the Vierne above and Francks lOrganiste, simply a group of forty practical and mostly not-toodifficult pieces, useful for both services and teaching. In any such collection the quality will vary, but for the most part the pieces here are excellent and interesting music. Craig Phillips: Partita on Lobe den Herren (2006). Selah 160-691. Craig has created here, in eight contrasting and varied movements, a fine suite on a well-known hymn for which there are surprisingly few organ settings.

Page 10

Royal School of Church Music in America

RSCM Publishes A Second Organ Tutor for the Church Organist

The second volume in a series of tutors for church organists has just been published by the Royal School of Church Music. The Complete Church Organist Level Two covers those varied skills required of organists for the accompaniment of church services. This second volume follows on from The Complete Church Organist Level One published in 2010, which gave guidance on the playing of hymns, worship songs, anthems and communion settings. Level Two takes the necessary playing skills a stage further, and includes wider use of the pedals and how to accompany anthems and chanted psalms. Both volumes offer advice on matters such as tempo, how to practice, leading a congregation from the keyboard, and which stops to use. Performing solo pieces is one thing, but accompanying a congregation or choir is a different but no less demanding challenge. Thats why this series has been produced for those wanting to develop good technique, as well as those who need to feel more confident about their playing, says organist Daniel Moult, accompanist of the RSCM Millennium Youth Choir, and editor of the series. The first volume was well received when it was published two years ago, including a review in Choir & Organ magazine that stated: Those seeking helpful and reliable guidance in their training as liturgical organists should acquire Daniel Moults volumes without hesitation. The Complete Church Organist Level Two has also been devised to accompany the RSCMs Church Music Skills program, a distance-learning course combined with private study and practical experience in the students own church. The book includes set repertoire from the course, and a range of solo organ pieces too. 28 February 2012

RSCM Publishes Gospel Colours for Organ by Martin How

The Royal School of Church Music has published a volume of short organ pieces for use during church services, and to reflect the reading of the Gospel in particular. They have been composed by Martin How, who for many years was a senior member of staff of the RSCM. Martin How is wellknown for his choral compositions, many of which are published by the RSCM. Gospel Colours contains fourteen short pieces, each titled to reflect different moods and occasions ranging from Comfort/Pity in Sorrow to Majesty. Apart from Light Shines Through, all pieces are short and can be played following the reading of the Gospel. Alternatively, they can be used before, during, or after a church service. One or two, such as Wedding in Cana and Good Shepherd, contain fleeting references to appropriate well-known tunes. For many years, Martin How worked for the RSCM, an ecumenical charity that supports the work of church musicians, including training courses and publications. He initiated and developed the RSCM Chorister Training Scheme, the forerunner of the present RSCM VOICE for LIFE training program for church singers of all ages. In 1993, Martin How was awarded the MBE for services to church music, and since his retirement from the RSCM, has continued to work as a composer and organist; he is Organist Laureate at Croydon Minster in Surrey. These short pieces are my own personal responses to Gospel Readings, says Martin How. Some of these have emerged from playing at church services, while others have been created at my own digital organ at home, having just come from church as a member of the congregation. I hope other organists will enjoy playing these on their own home (or church) instruments to reflect personal feelings and moods. The RSCM has published a wide range of church music by Martin How, including the hugely popular Day by day; a further volume of Gospel Colours and an Advent Cantata are due for publication later this year. 26 March 2012

The Complete Church Organist Level Two Selected and Edited by Daniel Moult Commissioning Editor: Esther Jones Price: 19.50 (Affiliate price: 14.63) ISBN: 978-0-85402-180-2 RSCM Order Number: N0802 2

Gospel Colours Volume I Price: 5.95 (4.46 to RSCM affiliates) RSCM Catalogue number: MH0540

Available from RSCM Music Direct Tel: 0845 021 7726 Email: musicdirect@rscm.com Online: www.rscm.com/shop

Royal School of Church Music in America

Page 11

Royal School of Church Music in America at Westminster Choir College 101 Walnut Lane Princeton, NJ 08540 609/921-3012 www.rscmamerica.org

Earn Donations for RSCM America At Your Desk!

Did you know that RSCM America can earn one cent for every web search you perform, and a percentage of the sale from purchases you make online? Its true! We have been a registered charity with GoodSearch since 2007, and with the advent of GoodShop, the opportunities to earn donations have grown enormously. GoodSearch.com is a Yahoopowered search engine that donates half of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. This means that you can help our organization to earn donations by using GoodSearch.com each time you want to search the Internet. Simply visit www.goodsearch.com, enter RSCM at the Choose your cause link, and search as usual. Youll receive excellent Yahoo-powered search results, and RSCM America will receive about one cent! Meanwhile, whenever you buy virtually anything online, a percentage of the sale can go to RSCM America. Simply start at GoodShop.com to find links to your favorite stores (including Amazon, Apple, Target, and many, many more!) plus thousands of dollars worth of coupons and free shipping offers. Then, click over to the stores site and shop as usual! By starting at GoodShop.com and linking to a store from there, a percentage of almost every purchase goes back to our organization. At the time of this writing, our supporters have earned RSCM America no less than $78.48. Thank you! Here is an amazing statistic, however: if each of our 600 members performed just 2 searches per day on GoodSearch.com, RSCM America would earn $4,380 in one year, to say nothing of the benefits from GoodShop. RSCM Americas many educational and training opportunities, resources and publications and by extension you, your choristers and your programs! would benefit immensely from donations of that size. To all those who continue to GoodSearch and GoodShop for RSCM America, thank you. To all those who havent yet started, we invite you to try it today at www.goodsearch.com.

RSCM America Board of Directors

Andrew J. Walker President Gary R. Correll Treasurer Ebert W. Landman, Jr. Secretary Vincent Ignatius Bache, C.S.J. Training Courses Committee Representative Betsy Calhoun Diane D. Caruso Christopher Harrell James R. Rightmyer Stephen M. Rosebrock Ex Officio members of the Board: Kevin Radtke Coordinator Rev. Edmund Pickup, ARSCM Pastoral Advisor/Chaplain