A definitive look at how church music is changing in the 21st century.

There is no lack of resources for the church musician focusing on particular skills or repertoire. But this is the first collection of essays created specifically for musicians working in parish ministry that imagines how those vocations will change along with the evolving church.

Ponder Anew chronicles the rapid changes in the church music landscape in the last 20 years including the role of technology, education, relationships with clergy and choristers, and cultural presumptions. Contributors are parish musicians, professors, clergy, and bishops.

Major issues facing church musicians in the 21st century, by top experts.

About the Author
Jessica Nelson holds degrees in music and liturgy from Millsaps College and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. She has served churches of various denominations in Mississippi and Alabama and currently serves St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral in Jackson, MS as organist and choirmaster. She directs the Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy and has served two terms on the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music of The Episcopal Church. She lives in Jackson, Mississippi. William Bradley Roberts is an ordained minister and professor emeritus of church music at Virginia Theological Seminary. He is in demand as a composer, speaker, and workshop leader. He has served in parishes in Washington, DC, Arizona, and California. He was a founding member of the Leadership Program for Musicians and a curriculum writer for this multi-denominational organization. He lives in Richmond, VA. The Rev. Jennifer M. Deaton is rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Indianola and vicar of St. John's Episcopal Church, Leland, both of which are in the Mississippi Delta. She is a retreat leader, writer, and an avid and accomplished knitter. She lives in Indianola, MS. The Rev. Dr. A. Katherine Grieb is the director of the Center for Anglican Communion Studies (CACS) at Virginia Theological Seminary, where she also continues to teach part-time. John Barton Andrew was the Rector of St. Thomas' Church on New York's Fifth Avenue from 1972 to 1996. He died in 2014. The Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson is a native of Barbados and is the eleventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. He and his husband are the parents of two children. He lives in St. Louis, MO. The Rev. Rita Teschner Powell is the Episcopal Chaplain to Harvard University. Her work has taken her to the Black Hills of South Dakota as well as the Taize community in France. She lives in Belmont, MA. David Sinden is organist and director of music of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. He is a cohost of the podcast "All Things Rite and Musical," a frequent blogger, and has an active social media presence. He lives in St. Louis, MO. Beauregard, Alabama native Michael Smith is Minister of Music to St. Thomas, Whitemarsh, an historic Episcopal church in suburban Philadelphia. Prior to that appointment, he held positions at The Shipley School as well as Groton School. He lives in Philadephia, PA. Eugene Taylor Sutton is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland since June 2008. He has contributed to the book The Diversity of Centering Prayer, and has written articles about preaching and spirituality. He resides in Baltimore. Singer-songwriter, composer, and arranger Keith Tan is Minister of Music, Missions, and Outreach at Christ Church, Episcopal in Richmond, Virginia. Working with a number of choral groups, Keith is a sought after collaborator and frequently speaks at retreats and workshops. He lives in Glen Allen, VA. Ellis Montes is a life-long Episcopalian and versatile musician who has held a number of leadership positions in service to the Episcopal Church, including work with the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music and Integrity USA. He lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Reviews

"...the collection offers a welcome invitation, as we engage with a 'new normal,' to 'ponder anew,' to take fresh stock of our aims and assumptions, and to approach this new phase of our professional life from a place of openness, still anchored in what has always been our rock: '...what the Almighty can do.'"
-The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians

"Jessica Nelson masterfully achieves that for which she is uniquely gifted: hosting an honest and faithful conversation about music-making in the Church today so that, together, we might Ponder Anew the musical vocation. Pull up a chair and join her."
-Thomas Alexander, member of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music

"Through diverse and relatable voices, Jessica Nelson's conversations depict the lineage of church music as a dynamic thread founded upon experience and relationships. This collection is an essential resource for those at any stage of their vocational life."
-Patrick Fennig, Executive Director, Association of Anglican Musicians

"Ponder Anew is an incredibly extensive contemplation of the old as well as the new, by way of multifaceted realms of stories, interviews, and sermons, reaching back to Sarum principles and moving forward through liturgical interpretation differences."
-Thomas Pavlechko, composer, Director of Music at Christ the King Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas

Book Information
ISBN 9781640654440
Author Jessica Nelson
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Church Publishing Inc
Publisher Church Publishing Inc