wfn.org | [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 407-Worship artists celebrate group's 50th

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Worship artists celebrate group's 50th year with verve

Jul. 20, 2005

NOTE: Photographs, audio and a related story, UMNS #408, are available
at http://umns.umc.org.

By Deborah White*

SAN FRANCISCO (UMNS) - From an all-star handbell choir to shouting and
stomping for an encore from a vocal ensemble, the Fellowship of United
Methodists in Music and Worship Arts celebrated its 50th anniversary
with style and spirit.

About 700 musicians, pastors, worship leaders, artists and dancers from
the United States, Canada and England gathered for the organization's
biennial convocation July 10-14. A 10-member committee chaired by Kevin
Bogan of Kansas worked more than two years to plan a stunning 50th
anniversary convocation filled with worship services, concerts and a
variety of workshops. At the same time, the United Methodist Board of
Discipleship presented "Preaching from the Center," a special track of
workshops geared to pastors.

"The Fellowship: Our Golden Future" was the theme of the convocation.
Several sessions honored the founders and the organization's rich
history as a group of church musicians.

Austin Lovelace, chairman of the organizing committee for the first
meeting in 1955, received the Roger Deschner Award, which recognizes
outstanding members of the fellowship and honors the late Roger
Deschner, a cherished member and mentor.

Lovelace, minister of music emeritus at Wellshire Presbyterian Church in
Denver, is credited with more than 700 compositions. "He is one of
America's most beloved church musicians. His classic works have helped
us be formed over decades," said Elise Eslinger, chairman of the award
committee.

"I hope my gift has been valuable to you," said Lovelace, who led
several sessions at the convocation.

Another founding member, Carlton "Sam" Young, also had a prominent role
in the convocation. In addition to leading workshops, he composed new
music for a Eucharistic prayer written by the Rev. Don Saliers of United
Methodist-related Candler School of Theology. It premiered at the
closing worship service at the historic Grace Cathedral in downtown San
Francisco.

At the opening banquet in the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Hotel
ballroom, fellowship President Beverly Clement recognized Lovelace,
Young and Margaret Sayre, who attended the first convocation. Movies and
photos of early convocations were featured.

"It was humbling to realize how many of those founders are no longer
with us. We are grateful for their vision and work," wrote Dean
McIntyre, director of music resources at the United Methodist Board of
Discipleship, in a daily blog about the event at www.gbod.org.

The convocation included 45 workshops taught by 27 musicians, artists,
pastors and performers, covering such topics as worship planning, choral
rehearsal techniques, visual arts, composing hymns, teaching new hymns
to congregations, preaching in a multicultural world and computer
software for musicians.

"This event is about celebrating the past and taking that with us into
the future," said David Bone, executive director of the fellowship.
"This has been a real watershed event. Everyone is saying the bar has
been set."

Many fellowship members attend convocations regularly because of
opportunities to learn, discuss concerns and return to their
congregations inspired with new ideas.

"It truly has altered the life of my congregation," said Marilyn
Hirschman, who has attended 26 convocations as director of music at
Farmer City (Ill.) United Methodist Church, part of the Salt Creek
Parish. "I come back so energized. The energy carries over to the choir
and to the congregation."

The convocation helped eight British church musicians feel they are part
of a worldwide church family. "It helps remind us that we are not on our
own, and that is very encouraging," said the Rev. Nick Young, chairman
of the delegation from the Methodist Church Music Society in England.

After attending the fellowship's convocation in 2003, Young asked the
others to make the trip to San Francisco. "We had a lot of issues in
common," he said. Both groups are dealing with the challenges of
contemporary worship, declining membership, recruiting young people and
encouraging good music across all traditions. "So many of our smaller
churches have lost choirs," he said.

One of the convocation's most inspiring moments was a concert by
Chanticleer, a Grammy-winning vocal ensemble of 12 men directed by
Joseph Jennings. With voices ranging from bass to countertenor (soprano
range), Chanticleer's precision, versatility and smooth, rich sound
mesmerized fellowship members. As the concert ended, the audience's
clapping gave way to shouting and stomping insistently for an encore,
and Chanticleer responded.

Fellowship members kept talking about Chanticleer the next day. "As they
got closer and closer to perfection, I became closer and closer to my
God," said Bill Shortal of Winter Park, Fla., installed July 14 as the
new president of the fellowship.

"I was amazed at what God can do with the human voice," said Bishop
William H. Willimon of the North Alabama Conference.

In two plenary addresses, Willimon spoke about praise and worship,
sprinkling his talks with stories and remarks that kept participants
laughing. But he got serious, too, expressing distress about a tendency
toward praise without focus in worship.

"One of my criticisms of worship is this uncritical, naïve sense of,
'Yeah, bring it on in here,'" he said. "Praise is a good thing. You've
just got to be careful how you do it."

A convocation leader who drew considerable praise from participants was
the Rev. Thomas H. Troeger, a professor of Christian communication at
Yale Divinity School. He led the early morning worship for three days
and taught several seminars. In a sermon from the Genesis creation
story, he reminded participants that they bear the image of God and that
their creations show the image of God.

Other highlights of the convocation included:
"	A concert by 13 fellowship members chosen by audition to be in the
All-Star Handbell Choir.
"	"A Service of Honoring and Remembering Our Past" at First United
Methodist Church of Palo Alto. It included a mariachi group, liturgical
dancers and a ceremony honoring the dead called "Dia de los Muertos."
Participants sang English and Spanish verses in several hymns. Bishop
Minerva Carcaño of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference preached and
presided over the celebration of Holy Communion.
"	A worship service hosted by Jones Memorial United Methodist Church
and
Downs United Methodist Church, predominantly African-American
congregations in San Francisco and Oakland. A high-energy choir and
praise band led fellowship members in singing hymns in an upbeat gospel
style. The Rev. Safiyah Fosua, director of invitational preaching
ministries at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship, preached.
"	Joseph Martin's piano concert, peppered with anecdotes about his
first
chartreuse "piano-shaped object" and "Miss Mamie, who played by ear only
on the black notes at Wednesday night prayer meeting." Martin is a
composer and director of sacred publications for Shawnee Press.

*White is associate editor of Interpreter magazine, published by United
Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this group, go to UMCom.org, log in to your account,
click on the My Resources link and select the Leave option on the list(s)
from which you wish to unsubscribe. If you have problems or questions, please
write to websupport@umcom.org.

Powered by United Methodist Communications http://www.UMCom.org