In our communities, we all need to be mindful about discrimination and ableism. The word able, on its own or as a suffix, is loaded with many positive and negative meanings (capable, teachable, unable, disable). When someone asked me to distill thoughts about my work in music ministry down to...
There are some choral suggestions for Advent, Christmas, or Epiphany by Canadian women composers in the attached pdf. This list is by no means exhaustive. Sincere apologies for any composers who have been omitted.
Several saints’ or special days occur in the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany that you might want to celebrate using cultural hymns. St. Andrew’s Day (Scottish) is November 30, Robbie Burns Day (Scottish) is January 25, and St. David’s Day (Welsh) is March 1. Below are some hymns from...
The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada has released a new collection: Songs for the Holy Other: Hymns Affirming the LGBTQIA2S+ Community . The completed project was presented on July 16, 2019, at a session of the organization’s annual conference in Dallas, Texas, by members of a working...
Music is often described as an “international language” that can break down barriers. Does it, or does it divide us sometimes? The music that we prepare for church is created by composers from all over the world, and so a church musician might consider the various aspects of the word...
LEARNING It seems all I am doing these days is learning—about new technology and new procedures; about politics, science, mechanics, and engineering; and especially, as a white woman, about the Black Lives Matter movement and Indigenous Peoples here and around the world. Will all of this learning make me a...
Indigenous Composers National Indigenous History Month is in June, and if you wish to focus on Indigenous hymns and compositions by Indigenous song-makers or song-creators in June and throughout the year, here are some resources below. Recently, in sessions she led for the newly formed Bridge Choral Collective, Sherryl Sewepagaham...
Privilege. That word is so loaded with meaning these days. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word several ways, including these: first, “A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group,” and second, “Something regarded as a special honour.” I think our role...
Emotions. We know that music is a conduit for emotions; it can both express and arouse them, including feelings of joy, sorrow, fear, trust, and sometimes even anger. The psalms—songs themselves—are categorized by type, and several types are based on emotions: lament, adoration, and thanksgiving. Music, and the emotion that...
The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal,” inspired the hymn text “We will not take what is not ours,” penned by Graham Maule (1958–2019) of the Iona Community (Wild Goose Resource Group). The tune is called 8th Commandment and was written by Iona’s John Bell. This was one of the...
