CONDUCTING ORGAN - Rider University · CONDUCTING ORGAN SACRED MUSIC Conducting, Organ, and Sacred...
Transcript of CONDUCTING ORGAN - Rider University · CONDUCTING ORGAN SACRED MUSIC Conducting, Organ, and Sacred...
Welcome to the Winter/Spring 2016 edi-
tion of the Sacred Music Newsletter from
Westminster Choir College! As I write this,
I am sitting in Williamson Hall overlooking
the quad, and it strikes me that our cam-
pus is experiencing an invigorating time
of renewed purpose and excitement, as
we have witnessed several changes over
the past few months. This fall, our com-
munity gained a new dean of Westmin-
ster Choir College and the College of the
Arts, and a new president of Rider Univer-
sity. Our class of freshmen is filled with
talent, passion, and joy as they join the
tradition of excellence and community
tives in Sacred Music and Organ, includ-
ing curriculum redesign, more ways to
engage our alumni, and increased fund-
raising efforts. We are very excited about
his arrival, and we have already seen
wonderful things from his presence on
campus.
The Westminster Symphonic Choir, con-
ducted by Joe Miller, director of choral
activities, completed a series of perfor-
mances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
with Jacques Lacombe’s New Jersey Sym-
phony Orchestra and the Berlin Philhar-
monic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. The
New York Times review indicated that “the
Westminster Symphonic Choir shown in
the Ninth,” and a similar review of their
NJSO performance said, “the main event
was the Westminster Symphonic Choir…
the group has been accompanying major
orchestras for decades…in this perfor-
mance, it seemed the NJSO was accom-
DEAR COLLEAGUES, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS,
here. We have welcomed two new faculty
members to our department. The Sacred
Music program had a significant boost to
its graduate applicant pool, and we ac-
cepted numerous excellent conductors,
organists, and singers. There is much to
celebrate, and we are more energized
than ever about the possi-
bilities at Westminster. We
also recognize our rich and
cherished past as we re-
member the incredible
impact of the lives of Elsie
Hillman ’48 and Helen
Kemp ’41, both of whom
passed away last summer.
Both women made im-
measurable positive differ-
ences in the lives of the
members of the Westmin-
ster Choir College commu-
nity.
Our department has
gained two new incredible
colleagues, Carolann Buff
and Daryl Robinson. Dr. Buff joins us as
assistant professor of Choral Musicology.
She is an incredible teacher and talented
performer, and will deliver our choral liter-
ature and graduate seminar courses, as
well as Bach Cantatas and other Conduct-
ing and Sacred Music offerings. We are
also thrilled to welcome Daryl Robinson,
our new assistant professor of Organ. Mr.
Robinson is an incredible teacher and
player, and will coordinate the organ area.
He is both a celebrated performer and
church musician. Please read more about
them in this newsletter.
Westminster’s new dean, Matthew
Shaftel, has helped create several initia-
A Look In at Westminster from the
Royal School of Church Music
2
Sacred Music Expands its
Outreach in Princeton and the
Church Music Community
3
Sacred Music Student Receives
FUMMWA Scholarship
4
Faculty Profiles: Daryl Robinson
and Carolann Buff
5
Where Are You Now? Updates
From Three Recent Alumni
6
Seeking the DNA of Western Music
at the Choral Institute at Oxford
7
Spring 2016 Events — Join Us! 9
Organ Department Welcomes New
Faculty and Initiatives
10
A Tribute to Helen Kemp ’41 11
IN THIS ISSUE:
CONDUCTING
ORGAN
SACRED MUSIC
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter
Winter/Spring
2016
continued on page 2
Dr. Amanda Quist leads Westminster Kantorei in a psalm during
“Come, King of Peace”, a community worship service of morning
prayer for Advent, held in Bristol Chapel on December 10, 2015.
panying them.” Dr. Miller also led the
Westminster Choir on a tour of the east
coast in January.
James Jordan, professor of Conducting,
was recently invited to conduct the world
premiere of Paul Mealor’s first symphony,
“Passiontide”, in Scotland in honor of the
composer’s birthday. Two members of our
voice faculty, Dr. Sean McCarther and
Prof. Nova Thomas, accompanied Dr. Jor-
dan to Scotland to perform and give mas-
ter classes. Dr. Jordan also had two new
books published by GIA Publications:
Sound as Teacher and Inside the Choral
Rehearsal: Removing the Grid.
Tom Shelton was promoted to assistant
professor II and continues to do amazing
things in Sacred Music. He has continued
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 2
his work with the Westminster Neighbor-
hood Children’s Choir and the Kemp
Church Music Symposium, and has de-
signed and implemented Sacred Music
worship services with our students
throughout the semester. As national
president-elect of ACDA, he is also busy
planning the national conference to be
held in Minnesota in 2017.
Steve Pilkington, associate professor of
Sacred Music, had his arrangement of
Lord of the Dance published by Selah,
and received a commission for a setting
of The Wild Geese by Wendell Berry. Our
Sacred Music and Organ alumni continue
to succeed throughout the world. Danielle
Molan ’15 was recently appointed direc-
tor of chapel music at Bucknell University,
and Jane Meditz ’14 and Mary Copeley
’14 are successfully completing graduate
studies at Yale University.
I am excited to have accepted the posi-
tion as chair of the department of Con-
ducting, Organ and Sacred Music, and to
have received promotion to associate
professor with tenure. I look forward to
connecting with our alumni and friends,
and wish you joy and renewed energy in
your lives. Thank you for all you do for
Westminster Choir College, and please
continue to stay connected to our shared
community.
Sincerely,
Amanda Quist
Associate Professor of Conducting
Chair of Conducting, Organ, and Sacred
Music
DEAR COLLEAGUES, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS
continued on page 3
continued from page 1
By Bert Landman ’83,
President of RSCM America
I recently had the opportunity to drive
down to Princeton from Connecticut to
spend several hours visiting and meet-
ing with Westminster faculty and staff.
While I have been on campus a number
of times since I graduated over thirty
years ago, on this visit I immediately
sensed a new kind of excitement. Cer-
tainly the new Marion Buckelew Cullen
Center with its Hillman Performance Hall
and the renovations and facelift to the
Playhouse have visually changed the
campus for the better, but I am speaking
of an almost electric atmosphere com-
ing from the students and faculty.
Shortly after my arrival, I met the new
Dean of the College, Dr. Matthew
Shaftel, and discovered one of the
sources of the energy. My hour-long
meeting with him was both exhilarating
and exhausting. He is full of energy,
abounding with ideas, and has a “let’s
get it done” approach. I discovered a
quick mind full of possibilities to move
Westminster forward and a person who
knows how to build and work with a
team. In meetings the next day with pro-
fessors Daryl Robinson, Amanda Quist,
and Tom Shelton, as well as Kevin Radt-
ke ’06 (coordinator for the Sacred Music
department and coordinator of the Roy-
al School of Church Music (RSCM) in
America) and Diane Dilamarter Caruso
’86 (an alumna and RSCM America
board member), I encountered a group
of people brimming with vision, enthusi-
asm, and a will to work collaboratively.
My purpose in being on campus was to
strategize about ways to more fully im-
plement the nine-year-
old agreement between
Westminster and
RSCM America—the
agreement that led to
us having an office on
campus and sharing
the skills of Kevin Radt-
ke. Here a bit of back-
ground may be helpful.
The RSCM, an ecumen-
ical non-profit organiza-
tion, provides music
education to singers
through a structured
choral music program
A LOOK IN AT WESTMINSTER FROM THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF CHURCH MUSIC
Bert Landman ’83, third from left, in conversation with Jay Vince-
Cruz at the 2016 Church Music Exchange, a morning of fellowship
and discussion held in Bristol Chapel on January 29. Also pictured,
from right to left, are Pauline Worusski ’14, Prof. Tom Shelton,
Brenda Arnold Day ’80, and Ned Perwo.
and summer music courses. Our re-
nowned training program, VOICE for
LIFE, provides directors with materials,
strategies, and incentives to assist them
in training their choirs to be better sing-
ers and worship leaders. In many ways,
our mission dovetails beautifully with
that of Westminster in training singers
(both children and adults) and their
choir directors.
Our recent meetings were to explore
ways to more successfully integrate the
RSCM training model into the Westmin-
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 3
ster curriculum, where appropriate, and
to find ways in which our two organiza-
tions can more effectively work together.
We certainly made progress on that
front and I hope to have some an-
nouncements to make about that soon.
However, I came away with so much
more. I came away with a renewed com-
mitment to work with these remarkable
faculty, administrators, and students to
dream about what this fine institution
can offer, and to help make those
dreams come true. I pledged myself to
work to help get the word out that West-
minster is a thriving, exciting, wonderful
place to be and one we can be proud to
encourage others to attend. I encourage
you to visit the campus, engage with the
faculty, talk with your colleagues and
fellow alumni—and let’s all work togeth-
er to keep Westminster strong and
growing!
More information about the RSCM’s
mission, training courses, publications,
and membership is available at
rscmamerica.org
A LOOK IN AT WESTMINSTER continued from page 2
By Tom Shelton
Westminster Neighborhood
Children’s Choir
The Westminster Neighborhood Chil-
dren’s Choir, sponsored by the Sacred
Music department, is now in its second
year. This free choral experience for se-
cond- to fifth-graders offers choir mem-
bers the opportunity to sing together,
play musical games, and develop music
reading skills.
In Fall 2015 Westminster Choir College
joined forces with the Princeton Family
YMCA to offer the program. The collabo-
ration was extremely successful, allow-
ing us to reach out to the community
and provide music training to young
singers at the Henry Pannell Learning
Center.
The Neighborhood Children’s Choir pre-
sented an “Informance” on November
16, 2015 in Bristol Chapel. The Inform-
ance allowed the singers to demon-
strate musical concepts they had
worked on over the semester and per-
form selected repertoire.
This choir was coordinated and conduct-
ed by Sacred Music professor Tom Shel-
ton. Prof. Shelton was assisted by Sa-
cred Music graduate student Paul
Georgeson ’17 and Sacred Music under-
graduate student Victor Abednego ’17.
Rosie Segovia, YMCA education and
outreach director, worked closely with
Prof. Shelton to make this program suc-
cessful.
We look forward to the Spring session
beginning in February!
Kemp Church Music Symposium
“With a Voice of Singing” was the theme
of the 2015 Kemp Church Music Sympo-
sium. The event was held on Saturday,
October 10 and featured guest clinician
Dr. Rollo Dilworth, professor of Choral
Music Education at Temple University.
Attendance was high and there was
great energy in the room! Dr. Dilworth’s
sessions included: Make a Joyful Noise!
Building the Choral Sound; Spirituals
and Gospel-Style Music in the Worship
Service; and Developing Tone in the
Church Youth Choir, which featured a
demonstration choir of youth from Nas-
sau Presbyterian Church (Sue Ellen
Page and Noel Werner ’90, directors)
and Princeton United Methodist Church
(Tom Shelton, director). In addition, Sa-
cred Music professor Tom Shelton led a
reading session featuring great hymn
arrangements for adult, youth, and chil-
dren’s choirs.
The annual symposium was a passion of
the late Helen Kemp ’41. Her vision was
that it would be a wonderful day for
church musicians to spend time togeth-
SACRED MUSIC EXPANDS ITS OUTREACH IN
PRINCETON AND THE CHURCH MUSIC COMMUNITY
continued on page 4
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 4
er, learn from and be inspired by great
teachers in the field, read through new
repertoire, and get fresh ideas for the
coming year. This year’s symposium was
planned by Helen Kemp, her daughter
Kathy Ridl, Tom Shelton, and Scott
Hoerl, executive director of the Westmin-
ster Conservatory and Continuing Edu-
cation.
The close of the symposium had always
been a hymn festival planned by Mrs.
Kemp. With Mrs. Kemp’s unexpected
passing on August 23, the traditional
hymn festival was planned by Tom Shel-
ton and Kathy Ridl to celebrate of the
life of Helen Kemp.
Sacred Music Lab and Ecumenical
Worship Services
Sacred Music Lab and Sacred Music
Colloquium classes meet every Tuesday
night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. During our
time together, we have weekly Evening
Prayer services planned by the graduate
students, and then cover a variety of
topics related to church music. Guest
presenters in Fall 2015 included Mark
A. Miller from Drew Theological Semi-
nary and Yale University, Dr. Jerry McCoy
from the University of North Texas, and
Westminster Organ professor Daryl Rob-
inson. In addition, the class was divided
into three groups, each of which
planned and executed an ecumenical
worship service to which the entire cam-
pus was invited. The three worship ser-
vices featured choral ensembles from
Westminster Choir College and the Sa-
cred Music Lab students providing all of
the service music:
Peace, Be Still: A Journey Toward Still-
ness Through the Gospel of Mark.
Thursday, October 8, 2015, 11:30
a.m., Bristol Chapel. Lydia Griffin,
guest seminarian, Luther Seminary,
St. Paul, Minn. Westminster Jubilee
Singers, Brandon Waddles, conductor
Compline. Tuesday, November 17,
2015, 7:30 p.m., Bristol Chapel. West-
minster Williamson Voices, Dr. James
Jordan, conductor. Pre-liturgy lecture
by Dr. Carolann Buff
Come, King of Peace: Morning Prayer
for Advent. Thursday, December 10,
2015, 11:30 a.m., Bristol Chapel. Lyd-
ia Griffin, guest seminarian, Luther
Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Westminster
Kantorei and Westminster Chapel
Choir, Dr. Amanda Quist, conductor
Three community worship services are
planned for Spring 2016—on February
23, March 3, and March 31—variously
featuring Westminster Concert Bell
Choir, harp, organ, strings, brass, and
percussion, as Sacred Music Lab ex-
plores the practical use of the instru-
ments described in Psalm 150.
SACRED MUSIC EXPANDS ITS OUTREACH
The assembly sings the hymn “Lo! He comes
with clouds descending” on December 10, with
graduate student Philip Fillion ’17 at the
organ.
continued from page 3
Tak Kin Ho ’16 is one of three recipients
of the 2015 Fellowship of United Meth-
odists in Music and Worship Arts
(FUMMWA) scholarships. After graduat-
ing from Hong Kong Baptist University in
1995, Tak Kin worked in performing arts
management for seven years. In 2002,
instead of accepting an offer to become
a managing partner in this business, Tak
Kin left to earn a diploma of Christian
Studies at the China Graduate School of
Theology, Hong Kong. Wanting to use
her musical gifts to serve God and the
poor, she joined the music office division
of the Leisure and Cultur-
al Services Department of
Hong Kong SAR Govern-
ment as an adjunct flute
instructor. Many children
from low-income families
benefit from this program
by being able to afford an
education in a musical
instrument. Between
2009 and 2014, Tak Kin
was the director of music ministry
at North Point Methodist Church, Hong
Kong. In 2014, Tak Kin came to
the United States to study at
Westminster Choir College and
to earn a Master of Music in
Sacred Music with an emphasis
in Choral Conducting. Her hus-
band Sin Lung is now studying
for his Ph.D. in Old Testament
at Drew Theological Seminary.
They are currently members of
Princeton United Methodist
Church. In the future, Tak Kin
and Sin Lung believe they are called to
serve Hong Kong churches through mu-
sic and teaching.
SACRED MUSIC STUDENT RECEIVES FUMMWA SCHOLARSHIP
by Karen McFarlane Artists, Inc. Further
information, including recordings and
current engagements, can be found at
darylrobinson.com.
Carolann Buff is a scholar, teacher, and
musician, regarded for both her re-
search on late medieval motets and ex-
pertise in historical performance. Her
principal research interests include
14th- and early 15th-century musical
style, but she is equally at home in the
study of sacred music repertoires from
all eras, as well as contemporary popu-
lar music. Her dissertation, “Ciconia’s
Equal-Cantus Motets and the Creation
of Early-Fifteenth Century Style,” and her
essay, “The Italian Job: Ciconia, Du Fay,
and the Musical Aesthetics of the 15th-
Century Italian Motet,” (forthcoming in
Qui musicam in se habet: Essays in
Honor of Alejandro Enrique Planchart),
explore the motet genre in the period
between the end of the Middle Ages and
the beginning of the musical Renais-
sance. She has presented papers inter-
nationally, including at the annual meet-
ing of the American Musicological Socie-
ty, the International Congress on Medie-
val Studies, the Medieval and Renais-
sance Music Conference, and this fall
gave a paper at an international sympo-
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 5
FACULTY PROFILES: Daryl Robinson, Carolann Buff
Daryl Robinson, assistant professor of
Organ beginning in Fall 2015, has
earned critical acclaim as both a solo
and collaborative artist. Described as a
performer with “…a driving muscular po-
etry underpinned by nimble technique
and nuanced sense of style…” by Lon-
don-based Choir & Organ magazine,
Daryl was the winner of both the first
prize and audience
prize at the 2012
American Guild of Or-
ganists National Young
Artists Competition.
Daryl’s notable recital
venues include The
John F. Kennedy Cen-
ter for the Performing
Arts, Washington, D.C.;
Shanghai Oriental Art
Center, Shanghai, Chi-
na; Cathédrale Saint-
Pierre, Poitiers,
France; Spreckels Or-
gan Pavilion, San Die-
go, Calif.; and Lager-
quist Hall at Pacific Lutheran University,
Tacoma, Wash. His collaborative career
has included serving as collaborative
keyboard artist for the internationally
acclaimed Moores School Concert Cho-
rale at the University of Houston and for
Houston’s only professional choir, the
Houston Chamber Choir.
A native of Houston, Daryl holds a Mas-
ter of Music from the Shepherd School
of Music at Rice University and a Bache-
lor of Music from the Moores School of
Music at the University of Houston.
Daryl’s debut solo album, Sempre Or-
gano, was released in 2013 on the Pro
Organo record label and quickly gar-
nered rave reviews in the United States,
Canada, France, and England. Selec-
tions from the disc have been heard on
nationally syndicated radio programs,
including Pipedreams® and With Heart
and Voice. Mr. Robinson is represented
sium on Philippe de Vitry at Yale Univer-
sity.
Dr. Buff is a specialist in historical per-
formance and appears frequently with
several early music ensembles and as a
soloist with numerous period-instrument
orchestras. She is a founding member of
the internationally renowned medieval
trio Liber unUsualis,
and with the ensemble
recorded two critically
acclaimed CDs of 14th-
century polyphony: Un-
requited: Machaut and
the French Ars Nova
and Flyleaves: Music in
English Manuscripts.
With the Boston Camer-
ata, Dr. Buff has toured
around the world in the
ballet Borrowed Light, a
stunning collaboration
with the Tero Saarinen
Dance Company. She
has recorded with the
Renaissance choir Cut
Circle and can be heard on their much
admired CD, De Orto and Josquin: Music
in the Sistine Chapel around 1490, and
appears on their forthcoming recording
of Du Fay’s cantus firmus Masses. Dr.
Buff has also performed with the wom-
en’s ensemble Tapestry, and can be
heard on their CD Sapphire Night, which
received the 2005 ECHO Klassik prize in
Germany.
Dr. Buff joined the faculty of Westmin-
ster Choir College of Rider University in
2015 as assistant professor of Musicol-
ogy in the Department of Conducting,
Organ, and Sacred Music. She holds a
Ph.D. and M.A. in Musicology from
Princeton University, an M.M. in Early
Music Performance from Longy School
of Music, and a B.M. in Vocal Perfor-
mance from the University of California
at Santa Barbara.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW? Updates From Three Recent Alumni
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 6
continued on page 7
Danielle Molan ’15
M.M. Sacred Music
with a Choral Conduct-
ing concentration
Where are you now?
I am living in Philadel-
phia and making a liv-
ing as a conductor
and church musician.
Most of my time is spent working for
Commonwealth Youthchoirs, a nonprofit
organization that consists of the Key-
stone State Boychoir, Pennsylvania Girl-
choir, Find Your Instrument! Choir, and a
program for young children called Good
Mornin’ Music. On the weekends I con-
duct an auditioned college choir at
Bucknell University, which sings at their
on-campus church service each Sunday
morning. By piecing together these five
different options I am able to work with
first-grade through college-aged singers
all in the course of a week. Every day is
different, which is really exciting and
certainly keeps me on my toes.
How did the Sacred Music department
prepare you for your current roles?
The Sacred Music department has done
so much to prepare me for everything
my life consists of today. Much of what I
do involves children, with whom I had
experience prior to Westminster as an
elementary music teacher. Working with
Prof. Shelton really helped me to fine-
tune techniques I’ve used in the past,
get new ideas and new perspectives,
and fill in many of the gaps in my
knowledge of child pedagogy. In terms
of my Bucknell position, all of the skills
I’ve acquired through my degree pro-
gram are being used. Classes with Dr.
Pilkington allowed me to think deeply
about theology and music, and how the
two fit together to create a worship ser-
vice. I’ve learned to become a more en-
gaging and efficient rehearsal techni-
cian, as well as improve my conducting
technique. On a personal note, the Sa-
cred Music department has allowed me
to not only become a more open musi-
cian and conductor, but also a more
open person. I’m so grateful for all the
opportunities I was given during my time
at Westminster.
What attracted you to Westminster ini-
tially? Prior to coming here, I heard all
the great things one hears about West-
minster. For me it wasn’t until my audi-
tion that I was sold. Every single person
I met, both faculty members and stu-
dents, was so friendly and welcoming. I
remember that my interview with Dr.
Pilkington and Prof. Shelton felt not like
an interview, but like a chat with people
I had known a long time (even though I
had just met them.) It was obvious from
the few hours I spent on campus that
day that there truly was a community of
musicians here, with everyone support-
ing each other, faculty members and
students alike. My gut told me this was
where I needed to be, and my opinion
has not changed since. It is a special
place.
Why would you recommend Westmin-
ster to a young musician? No matter
what field of choral music you are going
into, you will be getting an amazing edu-
cation. You cannot beat the faculty
there. When all is said and done you will
be amazed that you survived, and ready
to take on the world. Not to mention
that performing at Carnegie Hall and the
Kimmel Center with world-renowned or-
chestras is a life-changing experience
you cannot get anywhere else.
What is one of your favorite memories
of the Sacred Music department? There
are so many! Getting our entire class to
dress up as Dr. Pilkington on Halloween
is certainly an “oldie but goodie.” On a
more serious note, when Dr. Pilkington
cooked dinner for the entire department
before our final service in Sacred Music
Lab, and then the service itself. Also…
making the Batman video with Sarah
Michal ’15 and Mark Loria ’15. Ah,
memories.
Lindsay Pope ’11
M.M. Choral Con-
ducting
Where are you now?
I am the director of
choral ensembles at
Mount Holyoke Col-
lege in South Had-
ley, Mass., which al-
so happens to be my
other alma mater!
How did the Conducting department
prepare you for your current roles?
I began teaching at Mount Holyoke di-
rectly after receiving my master’s from
Westminster. I was only 25 at the time,
and other than the opportunities that
Westminster had afforded me, had little
teaching experience. I remember writing
Dr. Miller an e-mail a couple months in-
to my job at Mount Holyoke thanking
him for how well Westminster had pre-
pared me for this work. I couldn’t be-
lieve that I was teaching at the college
level and actually succeeding! Most im-
portantly, Westminster taught me how
to make music at the highest level and
how to build a rich, resonant sound.
Westminster also taught me that mak-
ing music comes second to honoring
the humanity of each singer, and to cre-
ating a choral community that is inclu-
sive, safe, and sacred.
What attracted you to Westminster ini-
tially? My conducting teacher at the
time encouraged me to apply because
of Westminster’s unparalleled reputa-
tion. I chose Westminster because of
the choirs; before attending my West-
minster audition, I didn’t know choirs
could sound like that. When the West-
minster Choir began singing, my jaw lit-
erally dropped. There was something
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
magical about the community, and I knew
I needed to be a part of it.
Why would you recommend Westminster
to a young musician? I think Westminster
offers something unique. Not only are you
learning how to conduct, you are learning
how to sing at the highest possible level.
Having the Westminster sound perpetual-
ly in my inner ear reminds me every day
what is possible in choral singing. And
every day I bring this inspiration to my
own rehearsals and performances. I don’t
think that any other school can match the
level of music-making that Westminster
offers. So to a young musician I would
say, “Just go. Stop thinking about it. You
are about to be part of something amaz-
ing.”
What is one of your favorite memories of
the Conducting department? It is so hard
to choose! I would say my favorite
memory of Dr. Miller is the day in Master
Singers that he was teaching us how to
teach fugues while keeping a back beat.
He said to me, “Lindsay, all you need to
do is embrace your inner disco diva. Keep
- the beat.” Thanks to this advice, I em-
brace my inner disco diva every day, in-
side and outside the classroom.
Mary Copeley ’14
B.M. Organ Perfor-
mance with a minor in
Piano Pedagogy
Where are you now?
I’m in my second year
of graduate studies at
Yale University’s Insti-
tute of Sacred Music
and School of Music, where I study with
Thomas Murray. I also sing with the Yale
Schola Cantorum and am serving as the
interim director of music and organist at
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien,
Conn.
How did the Organ department prepare
you for your current roles? Having to pre-
pare for organ juries each semester and
for my junior and senior recitals definitely
helped in preparing me for my audition
and recitals here at Yale. Many of the
classes in organ repertoire, accompany-
ing, and improvisation greatly expanded
my knowledge of the instrument also.
Something I cannot possibly overlook
about my time at Westminster, though, is
the invaluable experience I got working
with many of the choirs there, both as an
accompanist and as a singer. I know for a
fact that I was chosen for my current job
over other applicants because of my
strong choral background. And I certainly
would not have gotten into Yale Schola
Cantorum had it not been for my training
at Westminster. The thorough choral edu-
cation offered to all students at Westmin-
ster, regardless of one’s major, is some-
thing for which I will forever be grateful.
What attracted you to Westminster initial-
ly? The organ faculty, the location, and the
people I met when I attended the Summer
Organ Institute in 2009.
Why would you recommend Westminster
to a young musician? I really think the fac-
ulty in each department is absolutely top-
notch. The performance opportunities that
the students get (including bragging rights
about performing at Carnegie Hall) are
also pretty unique. Westminster will give
you a well-rounded education, regardless
of your major. Also, it’s just one big family.
You’ll know it as soon as you set foot on
campus, whether it be for the first time or
when coming back as an alum.
What is one of your favorite memories of
the Organ department? Ah, there are so,
so many. Being a camp counselor for the
Summer Organ Institute is definitely up
there among my favorite memories
though.
continued from page 6
By Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
The article that follows was written by
Finnish composer Jaakko Mäntyjärvi as
a result of his visit to the Choral Institute
at Oxford, now enjoying its fourth year.
Mäntyjärvi is recognized as one of the
world’s significant choral composers,
and his music is performed around the
globe by both professional and amateur
choirs. While Mäntyjärvi’s focus in this
article was conducting pedagogy and his
fascination with how the study and per-
formance of chant has become an inte-
gral part of the Institute, it is important
to note that Professors Steve Pilkington
of Sacred Music and Frank Abrahams of
Music Education play a vital role in the
lives and education of not only the 24
conductors that study there, but also in
the lives of the 52 members of West-
minster Williamson Voices that form the
resident choir of the Institute. The lec-
tures by Professors Pilkington and Abra-
hams were highlights of the Institute
last summer. In addition to the three
chanted Compline services performed
by all members of the Institute, Dr. Pilk-
ington also presented a deeply impact-
ful Compline service. For further infor-
mation on this program, including enroll-
ment information, see rider.edu/oxford.
– James Jordan
Westminster Choir College of Rider Uni-
versity (WCC), founded in 1926, is one
of the most prominent university-level
music institutions in the United States.
WCC offers undergraduate and graduate
SEEKING THE DNA OF WESTERN MUSIC
AT THE CHORAL INSTITUTE AT OXFORD
continued on page 8
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 7
programs in disciplines ranging from
voice performance, organ, and piano
study to choir conducting, music educa-
tion, theory, composition, and sacred
music, and is the only college in the
world whose focus is the performance of
choral music. WCC is home to a number
of distinguished choirs, most notably the
Westminster Symphonic Choir, and is
exceptional in having three world-class
chamber ensembles: Westminster Wil-
liamson Voices, Westminster Kantorei,
and Westminster Choir.
Outside the academic year, WCC organ-
izes a summer school open to everyone.
The choir conducting courses in particu-
lar, from beginning courses to the re-
nowned Westminster Conducting Insti-
tute, attract a wide variety of partici-
pants, from undergraduate and gradu-
ate music students to established teach-
ers and choir conductors taking the
courses as part of their continuing edu-
cation. In a recent development now
approaching its fourth year, WCC collab-
orates with St. Stephen’s House, a Per-
manent Private Hall at the University of
Oxford in the U.K., to offer an extraordi-
nary choir conducting seminar titled the
Choral Institute at Oxford (CIO).
But why take the trouble to cross the
ocean to give a summer course? WCC, it
should be said, has nothing to do with
the Westminster of abbey fame in Lon-
don. WCC professor of Choral Conduct-
ing James Jordan replies: “WCC had the
idea of establishing a presence in Eu-
rope, and my collaboration with British
composer James Whitbourn led to an
opportunity to jointly set up this course
at St. Stephen’s House, where
[Whitbourn] is a research fellow. We
sought a program with a resident choir
so accomplished that the conductors
could explore their own relationship with
sound and human connection. The im-
portance of having Westminster William-
son Voices in residence cannot be over-
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 8
stated; the choir is the real teacher. We
could not have wished for a better loca-
tion, for a number of reasons: the histor-
ic city of Oxford and the significance of
this particular building within it.” (We will
return to this a bit later.)
The word “unique” tends to recur in any
discussion of the CIO, and not without
justification. Whitbourn explains:
“[Jordan] and I co-direct the CIO in part-
nership. There is a joint vision between
two individuals and
between the two
extraordinary insti-
tutions which we
represent; it is part
of the strength
and character of
the CIO that we
can draw from two
astonishingly rich
traditions and
bring them into
one place.”
He continues: “The
CIO has a wide-
ranging academic
program with lec-
tures that complement and give context
to our practical conducting sessions. We
are able to draw on the expertise of col-
leagues from the faculty of music at the
University of Oxford and have worked
with all three ancient choral foundations
in the city (Magdalen, New College, and
Christ Church) in our programs to date.
CIO students quickly begin to absorb the
significance of the unbroken tradition of
choral singing we have here, extending
back hundreds of years.”
The active students at the CIO are divid-
ed into two groups, each working with a
chamber choir (half of Westminster Wil-
liamson Voices) under the instruction of
the two Jameses. But as daily podium
time is limited to some 15 minutes, the
students are instructed not to use their
time in rehearsing the choir; the focus is
on communication, i.e. how to get the
sound you want from the choir, through
non-verbal communication, human con-
nection, and listening. And, as Jordan
frequently says: “Be honest. Be yourself.
They can tell if you are not.”
Beyond the conducting sessions, lec-
tures, and concerts, a substantial por-
tion of the week is dedicated to what
can only be described as an immersion
course in chant.
Yes, chant—the earliest form of liturgical
music in the Western Christian world. So
is this really a liturgical course? Jordan
replies: “Well, St. Stephen’s House is an
Anglican theological seminary, but the
CIO is not about liturgy as such. We do
not impose criteria of denomination or
faith, and we are certainly not trying to
convert anyone. We do have an evening
service, Compline, on several evenings,
but its purpose is to provide a context
for the chant.”
Whitbourn explains: “I have sung and
studied chant since I was a teenager,
and it has influenced my whole musical
life. Despite its fundamental nature to
the tradition of the Western musical
world, it is often neglected as a musical
repertoire in music education, even at
SEEKING THE DNA OF WESTERN MUSIC
continued on page 9
continued from page 7
SPRING 2016 EVENTS — JOIN US!
February 21 Westminster Jubilee Singers: Keeping the Faith (9 a.m. and
11 a.m., Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York City)
February 23 Sacred Music: Ecumenical Worship Service, featuring Mozart’s
Missa Brevis in C with strings (7 p.m., Bristol Chapel)
February 27 Organ: Joan Lippincott Competition for Excellence in Organ
Performance (2 p.m., Bristol Chapel)
March 3 Sacred Music: Ecumenical Worship Service, featuring
Westminster Concert Bell Choir (11:30 a.m., Bristol Chapel)
March 4 Westminster Choir: Romantic Genius, performing Beethoven’s
Choral Fantasia in C Minor and Mass in C Major (8 p.m.,
Princeton Meadow Church and Event Center)
March 10-13 Westminster Symphonic Choir with The Philadelphia Orchestra:
Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 “Symphony of a Thousand”
(8 p.m.; 2 p.m. on March 13, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia)
March 12-15 Westminster Schola Cantorum: 2016 Concert Tour to Va. and
N.C. (see rider.edu/wcc for details)
March 31 Sacred Music: Ecumenical Worship Service, featuring brass
quintet, organ, and percussion (11:30 a.m., Bristol Chapel)
April 2 Westminster Schola Cantorum: Refuge and Hope, featuring
works by Ives, Ames, Paulus, Lawn, and Hawley (8 p.m., Bristol
Chapel)
April 9 Westminster Williamson Voices: Abide, featuring music by
Brahms, Pärt, Gjiello, Paulus, LaVoy, Britten, Mendelssohn,
Whitaker, and Forrest (8 p.m., Bristol Chapel)
April 10 Westminster Williamson Voices: Abide, featuring music by
Brahms, Pärt, Gjiello, Paulus, LaVoy, Britten, Mendelssohn,
Whitaker, and Forrest (3 p.m., Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter
and Paul, Philadelphia)
April 23 Westminster Kantorei: Spring Concert (8 p.m., Princeton
University Chapel)
April 24 Westminster Jubilee Singers: Black Mass, infusing jazz into the
sacred element, featuring the historic Sacred Concerts of Duke
Ellington and an all-star jazz quintet (7:30 p.m., Bristol Chapel)
April 30 Westminster Concert Bell Choir: Songs of America, featuring
original works, folk song settings, patriotic favorites, and more
(4 p.m., Bristol Chapel)
May 1 Westminster Chapel Choir: Spring Concert (3 p.m., Bristol Chapel)
May 15-June 4 Westminster Concert Bell Choir: 2016 National Tour
(see rider.edu/wcc for details)
July 5-15 Choral Institute at Oxford (see rider.edu/oxford for details)
Subscribe to Westminster’s weekly performance e-newsletter at rider.edu/arts
Follow Westminster on Facebook! facebook.com/westminsterchoircollege
high-level colleges. It was because of
this that chant was placed high on the
agenda of the CIO.” Jordan agrees: “I
was convinced by my colleague
[Whitbourn] that chant, which emerged
in a natural process as a vehicle for con-
veying sacred texts, is nothing less than
the DNA of Western music. And in fact
this exposure has changed just about
everything I do, thanks to him. At the
CIO, we also approach chant from a
pedagogical perspective. Indeed, in the
book Discovering Chant, I propose that
plainchant is the foundation upon which
musicianship and musical skill are built.
I have found that practicing chant does
wonders for ensemble singing, blend,
cohesion and singing in tune, not to
mention the feeling of community that it
imbues.”
Chant also teaches you how to listen to
the space around you and how the
sound fits into it. St. Stephen’s House is
important in this respect, because its
chapels were specifically designed for
the singing of chant. Whitbourn de-
scribes its history: “St. Stephen’s House
occupies the buildings of a former Angli-
can monastery that played an important
role in the Oxford Movement, a 19th-
century effort to restore certain tradi-
tions that pre-dated the Church of Eng-
land, chant being one of these. Equally
important, plainchant continues to form
part of the daily life of St. Stephen’s
House during term time to this day.”
Small wonder, then, that in these spac-
es this music sounds as though it has
always been there.
For most choral singers in our part of
the world, chant is a boring recitation
that must be endured when singing at
church services as payment in kind for
the use of rehearsal space. From this
perspective, it may be difficult to con-
ceive of chant as a “deep structure” of
continued on page 12
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 9
SEEKING THE DNA continued from page 8
continued on page 11
By Daryl Robinson
In Fall 2015 the Organ department wel-
comed new full-time faculty member
Daryl Robinson, new instructor of organ
improvisation Dr. Jason Roberts
(assistant director of music and organist
at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New
York City), and seven incoming students.
New initiatives for community engage-
ment and education about the pipe or-
gan are underway; additionally, new
online, social media, and print advertis-
ing has proven very successful in help-
ing spread news about our department.
Visit rider.edu/organ for more infor-
mation and follow us on Facebook
(facebook.com/wccorgan) and Twitter
(twitter.com/wccorgan)! With 20 full-
time organ majors currently enrolled
and 18 fully functional pipe organs on
campus, Westminster is poised to con-
tinue its long tradition of educating our
nation’s foremost organists and sacred
musicians.
Aeolian-Skinner Op. 981 (known as the
Praetorius Organ) has been relocated to
Dayton Hall and fully restored, allowing
the instrument to be fully used for the
first time in many decades! Special
thanks to Steve Emery ’76 and the
craftsmen at Emery Brothers, Inc. of Al-
lentown, Pa. for their dedication to see-
ing that this instrument be restored and
cared for.
The 2015 Westminster Organ Institute
provided an opportunity for organists
age 14-19 to take daily lessons with
Daryl Robinson, Matthew Lewis, and Er-
ic Plutz ’89, learn about the mechanics
of the pipe organ, participate in the
Westminster Vocal Institute, and per-
form a final concert in Bristol Chapel. All
participants also attended an organ
crawl to the Philadelphia area, seeing
instruments built by Dobson, Rieger, E.
M. Skinner, Hook and Hastings, and fi-
nally the famous Wanamaker organ at
Macy’s. The 2016 Organ Institute will
run July 3-16 and will
include trips to New
York City and Ocean
Grove, N.J.
Nassau Presbyterian
Church of Princeton
(Noel Werner ’90, direc-
tor of music) and the
Organ department at
Westminster are
pleased to announce
the creation of a new
opportunity for graduate students in Or-
gan Performance or Sacred Music be-
ginning in Fall 2016. This nine-month
(September to May), 19-hours-a-week
part-time position will offer a highly qual-
ified student unique experiences work-
ing with volunteers of all ages in a very
active and conveniently located congre-
gation. Please share with any interested
potential applicants, and for more infor-
mation, including a complete job de-
scription and compensation details,
please contact Daryl Robinson, assis-
tant professor of Organ, at
Recent and Upcoming Organ Depart-
ment Events
October 30, 2015: James Thom-
ashower, president of the American
Guild of Organists, visited the Westmin-
ster campus to meet students and fac-
ulty, and to discuss future joint projects
between Westminster and the American
Guild of Organists
November 11, 2015: Master class with
Michel Bouvard, professor of Organ at
the Paris Conservatory, at the Princeton
University Chapel—the first event co-
sponsored by the organ studios of
Princeton University, Rutgers University,
and Westminster Choir College
February 7, 2016: Daryl Robinson Facul-
ty Recital, 7:30 p.m. in Bristol Chapel
February 19, 2016: Studio Recital fea-
turing the complete Leipzig Chorale Prel-
udes of Johann Sebastian Bach, 7:30
p.m. in Miller Chapel, Princeton Theolog-
ical Seminary
February 27, 2016: The Joan Lippincott
Competition for Excellence in Organ Per-
formance, 2 p.m. in Bristol Chapel
July 3-16, 2016: The Westminster Organ
Institute for High School Organists
ORGAN DEPARTMENT WELCOMES NEW FACULTY AND INITIATIVES
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 10
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 11
NEW FACULTY AND INITIATIVES
Notable Recent and Upcoming Organ
Faculty Performances
Matthew Lewis
Recital and master classes at the
Central Conservatory of Music, Janu-
ary 2016, Beijing, China
Alan Morrison
Appointed organist-in-residence for
Spivey Hall in Atlanta, Ga.
Soloist for Barber’s Toccata Festiva
with the Philadelphia Chamber Or-
chestra, May 10, 2015, the Kimmel
Center, Verizon Hall, Philadelphia, Pa.
Recital on the Celebrity Organ Recital
Series, June 10, 2015, St. Paul’s Ca-
thedral, London, U.K.
Daryl Robinson
Solo recital and collaborative recital
for the sixth-annual Fred J. Cooper
Memorial Organ Day, June 11, 2016,
the Kimmel Center, Verizon Hall, Phil-
adelphia, Pa.
Two recitals for the American Guild of
Organists national convention, June
19, 2016, Rice University, Houston,
Tex.
Notable Recent and Upcoming Organ
Student Performances
In Spring 2016, Adam Bergstresser ’16
and Bethan Neely ’16 will complete their
B.M. in Organ Performance; Sean Burns
’16, Peter Carter ’16, and Jim Roman
’16 will complete their M.M. in Organ
Performance. Each will present a final
degree recital; check our Organ depart-
ment website for dates (rider.edu/
organ).
Mark Pall ’19 (B.M. Sacred Music, stu-
dio of Daryl Robinson) will perform a so-
lo recital on February 25, 2016 at Mar-
ble Collegiate Church in New York City.
A TRIBUTE TO HELEN KEMP ’41 (MARCH 31, 1918–AUGUST 23, 2015)
By Tom Shelton
I arrived at Westminster Choir College in
2012. My position is in the Sacred Mu-
sic department and concentrates on
children’s and youth music. As soon as I
arrived, I received a phone call from
Helen Kemp. She was so excited that I
was there and wanted to have lunch
with me to discuss my participation in
the Kemp Church Music Symposium.
Over the next four years, I would meet
with her at her apartment with her
daughter Kathy Ridl and many times
Sue Ellen Page, and we would all brain-
storm, talk about clinicians, and discuss
what would most benefit church musi-
cians for this special event.
Helen was so many things. Beautiful,
regal, graceful, smart; sharp as a tack,
generous, innovative, forward thinking,
funny, and all around amazing. She was
a mentor, rock star, and very down to
earth, always thinking about what
teachers and church musicians would
need to hear…even in her nineties. She
was timeless. At one of our meetings
early on, she had music spread across
the dining room table. She was working
on a commission. Actually, she was
working on two commissions. Helen
Kemp was 95 and had two commis-
sions. I was amazed at her energy and
creativity.
Two years ago, I organized a “Summer
Re-Charge Workshop” for children’s and
youth choir directors. I asked Helen if
she would be a special guest. She was
95 at the time, and I didn’t want to cre-
ate work for her. I told her I wanted to
do a session featuring many of her com-
positions, and she could just talk about
them, give us insight and inspiration.
She wanted me to conduct her pieces. I
was happy to do this. I said, “I will watch
you and if it’s not the tempo you want,
let me know.” Her daughter Julia said,
“You should have never said that.” Of
course, Helen had definite ideas about
her compositions, and you better be-
lieve I followed her conducting (from the
stool) to a T! About halfway through the
session, I asked her if she wanted to
conduct; I wanted to make sure the
compositions were what she wanted
musically. She emphatically said no…
but then, of course, continued to con-
duct me through every piece. It was
truly a joyful experience!
One of my biggest blessings of working
at Westminster has been my time with
Helen Kemp. We worked together the
past four years on the Kemp Church
Music Symposium. The most recent one
was held in October 2015. She had
passed in August, but most of the sym-
posium was already planned and ready
to go. She always loved to close the day
with a hymn festival. The theme was
“With a Voice of Singing”, and the hymn
festival was the only thing that was not
fully planned. I worked with her daugh-
ter Kathy to put it together, and it
served as a celebration of Helen’s life’s
work. I probably got a little carried away
and planned too much; as a matter of
fact, during the hymn festival I could
hear Helen saying in my ear, “Tom, this
is lovely…but it is too long!”
continued on page 12
continued from page 10
Department of Conducting,
Organ, and Sacred Music
101 Walnut Lane
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-921-7100
rider.edu/wcc
Amanda Quist, department chair
Ryan Brandau, conducting
Carolann Buff, musicology
James Jordan, conducting
Joe Miller, director of choral activities
Matthew Lewis, organ
Alan Morrison, organ
Daryl Robinson, organ
Jason Roberts, organ improvisation
Kathleen Scheide, harpsichord
Steve Pilkington, sacred music
Tom T. Shelton, Jr., sacred music
Kathleen Ebling Shaw, handbells
Brandon Waddles, Jubilee Singers
Kevin Radtke, coordinator
CONDUCTING, ORGAN, AND SACRED MUSIC
DEPARTMENT
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter
Helen Kemp lived a long, beautiful, artis-
tic, accomplished, and influential life,
and is counted as a mentor and inspira-
tion by thousands of talented and dedi-
cated musicians, teachers, and perform-
ers. In an interview with Ryan Guth ’06,
he asked Helen, “What’s the secret to
live a happy life to age 97?” She replied,
“Feed your soul. Read. Give. And sur-
round yourself with others who are pas-
sionate about their gifts.”
She planned much of her “Joyful Cele-
bration of Life”, which was held on Sep-
tember 19, 2015. She wanted it to be in
Bristol Chapel—where she first heard
Bach, first sang with the Westminster
Choir, where she met and married her
husband John Kemp. I sat in the back
row with tears in my eyes, knowing this
was truly full-circle for her.
She lived a remarkable life, and set an
example for us to follow: to live with pur-
pose, to love with no bounds, and to
sing with joy. I love that her obituary
stated, “In lieu of flowers, sing a joyful
song in Helen’s memory!” In Helen’s
memory, I offer the words of one of my
favorite Helen Kemp compositions—
Set the sun dancing! New life has begun!
Star, you must fade, for your journey is done.
New Year rides onward now,
Christmas is gone.
Carry the light with us as we move on.
For the light that is shining is our light to
hold.
Light that’s not hidden where
Good News is told.
A TRIBUTE TO HELEN KEMP ’41
“The art of teaching is the heart of
reaching; one child, one soul, one
person, one at a time.”
- Helen Kemp
continued from page 11
music. Yet the roots of Western choral
music in particular go back so deeply
and so firmly into the musical traditions
of the Western churches that chant is
difficult if not impossible to ignore what-
ever one’s beliefs or life philosophy
might be. And appreciating chant is not
just about the dots on the page. It is
also about connecting with the other
singers, with the surrounding space,
and with the sound that gives life to the
text. When all this comes together,
chant can have a visceral impact that
few other experiences can match, giving
credence to the notion that it really is
something that is hard-wired into our
musical consciousness. As Whitbourn
writes in the introduction to his collec-
tion of chants that accompanies the
aforementioned book Discovering
Chant: “This is music that choral musi-
cians have to know and understand just
as a writer has to know the alphabet.”
SEEKING THE DNA continued from page 9