Greetings from the Department of Con-
ducting, Organ, and Sacred Music! As I
write this, I can see students, faculty, and
staff bustling around the quad on their
way to lessons, classes, and rehearsals.
We are optimistic and energized about the
important work toward a positive future
for Westminster Choir College, while being
mindful of our incredible history and tradi-
tions. To this end, there are several excit-
ing developments to report.
tured Anton Armstrong as guest conduc-
tor, and drew approximately 150 partici-
pants from over a dozen organizations in
the tri-state area. The Sacred Music and
Organ areas continue to present campus
worship services throughout the semester,
prepared by the students and faculty of
the Sacred Music Colloquium. In January,
we will be offering our annual Church
Music Exchange.
Westminster Jubilee Singers recently
gained a new conductor with Mr. Vinroy
Brown, a recent graduate of Westminster,
and Jubilee alum. Please see the article
regarding Vinroy and Jubilee Singers later
in this newsletter. Tom Shelton is continu-
ing his important work with the Neighbor-
hood Children’s Choir, bringing music into
the lives of several Princeton and Trenton
area youth, while providing internship ex-
perience for our students. He is also serv-
ing as National President for the American
Choral Directors Association this year.
Alan Morrison is working with several of
our talented organists, many of whom are
currently preparing for senior and gradu-
ate recitals. The department continues to
collaborate with the Princeton Theological
Seminary in teaching courses in sacred
music and continues to provide intern-
ships to students in area churches as
leaders, singers, and organists, including
Trinity Episcopal Church, Nassau Presby-
terian Church, and several others.
The very successful Transforming Spaces
project, which brought us Anthracite Fields
last year, continued with the Chapel Choir
and Schola Cantorum this fall. The two
choirs, conducted by James Jordan and
Amanda Quist, performed Johannes
DEAR COLLEAGUES, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS,
We kicked off the year with our Fall Convo-
cation in September. Bristol Chapel was
filled with the voices of students, faculty,
staff, and administration, with organist
Eric Plutz (BM Organ Performance ’89)
leading us in hymns and anthems as we
celebrated the coming of the new year.
The Sacred Music area has organized
several significant events for this year,
and is very excited to announce two new
curriculum offerings. The BM in Sacred
Music has been completely revised, and
includes the opportunity for students to
select a track for study. Track options in-
clude Urban Church Music, Cantor/Early
Music, Adult Conducting, Organ, Chil-
dren’s & Youth Music, and Bells (follow
this link for more information). We are
also offering a new track in our MM in
Sacred Music degree called Practical Ped-
agogy. This will allow people the oppor-
tunity to earn a MM in Sacred Music pri-
marily online and in the summers, allow
them to earn a degree while keeping their
current church position (further infor-
mation here). Along with these new tracks,
we welcome our new Coordinator of Con-
ducting, Organ, and Sacred Music, Brian
Sengdala, who will also serve as Coordina-
tor for RSCM America.
In partnership with Westminster Continu-
ing Education, the Sacred Music area of-
fered its annual Kemp Symposium on Sat-
urday, October 7, in Bristol Chapel. The
Symposium, “Sacred Songs, Social Jus-
tice,” featured clinician/composer Mark
Miller, and several breakout sessions with
Westminster faculty Kathy Ebling Shaw
and Tom Shelton. Westminster partnered
with RSCM America to launch a new Youth
Choir Festival on our campus. Held on
Saturday, October 21, this festival fea-
Growth in the Sacred
Music Department
2
Recordings 3
Summer at Westminster 4
Vinroy D. Brown Jr. Welcomed as
New Conductor of Westminster
Jubilee Singers
5
Sacred Music Lab 6
The Kemp Church
Music Symposium
7
Neighborhood Children’s Choir 7
Inaugural RSCM and Westminster
Choir College Chorister Festival
8
Interviews 9
From the Podium to the Pulpit:
How One Choral Conductor was
Called to the Priesthood
11
IN THIS ISSUE:
CONDUCTING
ORGAN
SACRED MUSIC
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter
Winter 2017
continued on page 2
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 2
DEAR COLLEAGUES, ALUMNI, AND FRIENDS, continued from page 1
Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer, op. 52, in
the ballroom of the Trenton War Memori-
al with Trenton-based dance company,
Dancespora, on November 3 and 5, with
Westminster faculty pianists James
Goldsworthy and Ena Barton. The two
choirs will collaborate again in the Spring
with a performance in Lincoln Center with
Manhattan Concert Productions. The
Westminster Symphonic Choir, conduct-
ed by Joe Miller and associate conductor
Ryan Brandau, engaged in several perfor-
mances this fall, including Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony with the Princeton
Symphony, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with
the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Holst’s Plan-
ets with Philadelphia Orchestra, and will
perform Handel’s Messiah with the New
York Philharmonic.
The Westminster Choir, conducted by Joe
Miller, received rave reviews at the World
Choral Symposium in Barcelona, Spain,
this past July, where it was the only colle-
giate ensemble invited to represent the
United States. Williamson Voices served
as the ensemble for the Oxford Conduct-
ing Institute in July, drawing several peo-
ple from the US and Great Britain to work
with faculty members James Jordan and
Steve Pilkington, and Oxford faculty mem-
ber and composer James Whitbourn.
Westminster Kantorei was invited to per-
form in the Boston Early Music Festival
this past June, and released its first full-
length commercial recording, Lumina, on
the Westminster label, distributed by
Naxos this past September. Kantorei has
also been selected to perform at the
ACDA Eastern Division Conference this
coming March, 2018. The Westminster
Concert Bell Choir, conducted by Kath-
leen Ebling Shaw, has a series of perfor-
mances throughout the fall semester,
and is celebrating its 40th year. Keep an
eye out for our choirs touring in January,
March, and this summer. Westminster
Choir will be touring throughout the Mid-
west this January, Schola Cantorum will
tour the Southeast this March, and the
Bell Choir will tour Texas in May. Chapel
Choir will host its annual High School
Invitational Festival this March, bringing
over 400 high school singers to the West-
minster campus.
Recent graduates are accepting positions
and entering graduate schools through-
out the world. Among them, Joel Trekell,
(B.M. Organ Performance ’17), accepted
the organ scholar position at Hereford
Cathedral, along with Mark Laseter, (B.M.
Voice Performance ’14), who has taken a
choral scholar position there. Matthew
Brady (M.M. Choral Conducting ’14) has
accepted the Director of Choirs position
at California State University, San Bernar-
dino. Mary Dolch (née Copeley; B.M.
Organ Performance and Piano Pedagogy
minor ’14) is Associate Director of Chapel
Music at St. Paul’s School in Concord,
NH. Mark Loria (M.M. Sacred Music,
Organ emphasis ’15) has taken the posi-
tion of Principal Organist at the Cathedral
Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadel-
phia, PA.
We are very proud of our alumni, and
excited to see all of the growth and suc-
cess of the thousands of organists,
church leaders, teachers, performers,
and conductors who have come through
Westminster Choir College. This is in-
deed a magical place, and we are fed by
the strength of our illustrious past, as we
enthusiastically explore the most effec-
tive ways to strengthen our position for
the future. A special thank you to all who
support the work and legacy of Westmin-
ster Choir College – the only school of its
kind in the world.
Sincerely,
Amanda Quist
Chair and Associate Professor
Conducting/Organ/Sacred Music
Westminster Choir College
By Dr. Steven Pilkington
The last academic year was especially
fruitful for the Sacred Music department.
After a decade of use, the undergraduate
curriculum was reimagined and re-
freshed to meet the needs of musicians
hoping to work in the complicated and
ever-changing environment that charac-
terizes post-modern Christian practice.
New focus areas allow students to
choose a program of breadth and depth
that continues the grand Westminster
tradition of training spiritually-activated
conductors, vocalists, pianists, and or-
ganists while allowing for experiences in
areas that are of special interest. These
include a new program in early music/
cantorial studies, an emphasis on direct-
ing children and youth choirs, a focus on
handbell leadership, and a newly consid-
ered opportunity to train in urban church
music. We’re excited by the many new
courses that are now available to our
eager students.
Additionally, a very exciting, first-ever,
summers-only, online master’s degree in
Sacred Music with an emphasis on prac-
tical pedagogy was approved last May
and will begin running this coming sum-
mer (2018). Designed for those musi-
cians already working in the field, wheth-
er as teachers or in the church, or per-
sons who desire a Westminster degree
but do not have the time or resources for
a two-year residency, this program prom-
GROWTH IN THE SACRED MUSIC DEPARTMENT
continued on page 3
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 3
ises to be a boon to our already robust
graduate population. All courses will be
online except for one 3-week on-campus
experience as well as an option to use
our many summer workshop weeks to
help complete the degree requirements.
We feel this program will be exciting to
church musicians all across America as
well as in Asia and South and Central
America. We have great expectations for
this innovative program!
Another of the attractions for our sum-
mer master’s program is the opportunity
to fulfill the conducting requirement by
attending the Conducting Institute at
Oxford. Last summer, the fifth anniver-
sary of this inspiring program was cele-
brated. Dozens of conductors travelled
from across America and as far away as
New Zealand to experience 10 days of
choral bliss with James Jordan and the
Westminster Williamson Voices as well
as some of England’s finest choral con-
ductors and scholars. Their many stories
of musical, spiritual, and personal growth
are moving and uplifting. Whether look-
ing for a recharge or the next level of
artistic maturation, the Oxford experi-
ence never fails to stimulate hearts and
minds. And Oxford’s many pubs provide
invigorating venues for further growth
and spirited conversation. Not ready to
conduct Williamson Voices? Come as an
associate conductor and work with Dr.
Pilkington as many church musicians
and teachers have already done. Rous-
ing testimonies to all of the enticements
noted above abound; check us out on
online on at www.rider.edu/oxford.
Best wishes for a fantastic holiday!
GROWTH IN THE SACRED MUSIC DEPARTMENT
RECORDINGS
The Department of Conducting, Organ,
and Sacred Music is proud to have re-
leased three critically-acclaimed CD’s
this past year. Below are details on these
recordings, and other recent and upcom-
ing projects.
Amanda Quist recorded Lumina with
Westminster Kantorei – the ensemble’s
debut solo recording. Featuring two
Westminster alumni as soloists, Mike
Williams and Thomas Lynch, and Ba-
roque specialists from New York, the
album was produced by Malcolm Bruno
and released on the Westminster Choir
College label. The repertoire is “sung in
exemplary and sensitive fashion…for
those inspired by liturgical music from
multiple eras, sung with great beauty of
sound and excellent articulation, this will
be a CD to cherish.” – infodad.com.
Lumina was recently the Choral Featured
Album on Minnesota Public Radio.
“The Latin word Lumina means to illumi-
nate, shine, brighten, or reveal,” says
Dr. Quist. “Each of the works on this re-
cording speaks to the presence of light
throughout our life journey: from birth to
death, through love, disappointment,
forgiveness, and transcendence. These
pieces are drawn primarily from Renais-
sance and Baroque composers of Eng-
land and Germany, with the inclusion of
two special 19th-century works by com-
posers who were deeply
inspired by the ideas and
musical styles of these ear-
lier time periods.” Lumina’s
repertoire spans the mysti-
cal 12th-century chant of
Hildegard von Bingen
through works by J.S. Bach,
Henry Purcell, William Byrd,
and 19th century compos-
ers Felix Mendelssohn and
Josef Rheinberger.
James Jordan released Carolae with the
Westminster Williamson Voices, featur-
ing music by the University of Oxford’s
James Whitbourn and Westminster Choir
College’s own Steven Pilkington. Whit-
bourn, a close friend of the college, also
produced the CD. Also featured were Eric
Rieger of the voice faculty, members of
the Philadelphia Orchestra playing brass,
and Daryl Robinson on organ. “The mu-
sic on the Carolae recording is a fusion
of two great Christmas traditions from
England and America,” says Whitbourn,
referring to the well-known Festival of
Nine Lessons and Carols that originated
at King's College Cambridge in 1918 and
Westminster’s Evening of Readings and
Carols, which has been performed in
Princeton since 1992.
This is the Westminster Williamson Voic-
es and James Jordan’s third recording of
music by James Whitbourn. The first,
Living Voices, received four stars from
Gramophone magazine. The second,
Annelies, the first choral setting of the
Diary of Anne Frank, was nominated for
a 2013 Grammy Award for Best Choral
Performance.
Joe Miller and the Westminster Choir are
currently in preparation for their next
recording, which will include the Frank
Martin Mass for Double Choir. Described
by the American Record Guide as “the
gold standard for academic choirs in
continued on page 4
continued from page 2
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 4
SUMMER AT WESTMINSTER
By Dr. Joe Miller
Summer at Westminster is always a time
for musicians to gather, study, and cele-
brate the joy of making music. Whether
it is music celebrations coming from our
own ensembles or seasonal ensembles
and workshops that give opportunities
to musicians from around the world to
participate in our community, the reach
of Westminster shines a great light into
the world.
The Westminster Summer Choral Festi-
val featured Monteverdi’s Vespers of
1610 performed at the Philadelphia
Episcopal Cathedral and the Princeton
Theological Seminary. Since its founding
in 1972 by Robert Shaw, the Westmin-
ster Summer Choral Festival has been a
significant part of the fabric of the West-
minster Choir College and the American
choral experience. This year’s festival
featured a paramount collaboration with
Piffaro, under the leadership of Artistic
Directors Joan Kimball and Bob
Wiemken, the world-renowned pied pip-
ers of early music. Amanda Quist, John
Russell, Ryan Brandau, and Deanna Jo-
sephs joined Joe Miller on the faculty.
The Choral Institute at Oxford was again
led by James Jordan and James Whit-
bourn. Conducting students also gath-
ered under the tutelage of one of West-
minster’s most inspirational teachers,
Steven Pilkington, in addition to the Insti-
tute directors and other faculty. Dr.
Pilkington’s lectures and insights are one
of the annual highlights. Westminster
Williamson Voices were in residence
serving as a workshop choir for the par-
ticipants as well as giving concerts for
the Institute.
Westminster Kantorei, conducted by
Amanda Quist, was selected to perform
at Early Music America's Young Perform-
ers Festival as part of the Boston Early
Music Festival, “the world’s leading festi-
val of early music” (The Times, London).
Performing works by Byrd, Purcell,
Schütz, Bach, and others, this program
was dedicated to the relationship be-
tween hope, transformation, and the
sacred found through prayer.
The Westminster Choir represented the
United States at the 11th World Symposi-
um on Choral Music in Barcelona in July.
Hosted by the International Federation
for Choral Music (IFCM), the symposium
included performances, seminars and
master classes presented by some of the
world’s leading choral musicians.
The Choir traveled first to Madrid to pre-
sent three concerts in the surrounding
area. On Sunday, July 23 it presented a
noon-time concert as part of the Festival
Música Vocal Las Navas del Marqués.
That afternoon it was invited to present a
concert at the historic Basílica del Real
Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escori-
al, historical residence of the kings of
Spain. Tuesday, July 25, it performed in
Segovia’s Inglesia de San Juan de Cabal-
leros, which dates from the 11th century,
at the Festival de Segovia.
The ensemble's members also managed
to tour historic sites between each con-
cert and to spend a day experiencing the
city of Toledo. Wednesday, they traveled
to Barcelona for the Symposium, where
it presented four concerts. The first con-
cert, presented in the Catalan town Puig
Ruig, was webcast world-wide by the
town’s radio station. The choir members
were warmly embraced by the town,
which was once a center for textile mills.
At the conclusion of the concert, Enric
Genesca, director of the Federació Cata-
lana d'Entitats Corals and the concert
host, presented the Choir and Joe Miller
with an antique shuttle used in one of
the mills. After being called back for an
America,” the choir released The Heart’s
Reflection, a collection of music by West-
minster alum Daniel Elder, in 2013. Min-
nesota Public Radio's Classical Music
Blog described the recording as "simply
astounding," and Classics Today hailed it
as "First Rate and Highly Recommended."
Westminster Choir with Joe Miller has
also released two highly acclaimed re-
cordings Flower of Beauty and Noël, a
collection of French Christmas music fea-
turing the most recorded mezzo-soprano
of our era, Jennifer Larmore ‘80, and for-
mer Westminster organist Ken Cowan.
Another recent and celebrated release is
the Westminster Symphonic Choir’s per-
formance of Beethoven’s Symphony No.
9, recorded live at Richardson Auditorium
in Princeton. It also features Westmin-
ster alumna Leah Wool, mezzo-soprano.
The choir, prepared by Joe Miller, was
joined by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra,
conducted by Mark Laycock, in perfor-
mance for the celebration of philanthro-
pist William H. Scheide’s 100th birthday.
In its 40th year, Westminster Concert
Bell Choir has released eight recordings
with conductor Kathy Ebling Shaw: West-
minster Rings!, Praise and Adoration,
Christmas at Westminster: The Westmin-
ster Concert Bell Choir, By Request,
30th Anniversary Collection, A Time To
Dance, An English Christmas and Let
Freedom Ring.
RECORDINGS
continued on page 5
continued from page 3
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 5
encore and the Lutkin Benediction, the
audience turned the tables and sang a
song for the choir, a melody that tradi-
tionally closes the town’s music festival
in the spring. The hospitality continued
with a post-concert reception that includ-
ed delicious local pastries and fruit from
the surrounding orchards. Enric Gen-
esca, who is also a member of the World
Symposium Planning Committee, pre-
sented Joe Miller with a porron, a tradi-
tional Catalan glass wine pitcher, and
instructed him in the appropriate drink-
ing technique. It was an evening all will
remember!
The Choir’s concert on Friday, July 28,
included the premiere of Lux surgit Au-
rea by Spanish composer Bernat
Vivancos, commissioned for the symposi-
um. Presented in Barcelona’s L’Auditori,
it was hailed by an enthusiastic audience
that leapt to its feet at
the conclusion. West-
minster alumna Su-
san McCreary Duprey
wrote about the per-
formance, “I am VERY
proud of my alma ma-
ter, Westminster
Choir College. They
nailed their perfor-
mance tonight and
experienced an in-
stant standing ovation (from a very criti-
cal crowd too, mind you).”
The Choir presented a lunch time con-
cert in Barcelona before driving to the
historic Abbey of Montserrat, where it
performed a final concert of sacred mu-
sic that was webcast world-wide by the
Abbey. A recording of the broadcast is
now on the Westminster Choir College
YouTube channel.
The concert was a dramatic conclusion
to the 2016-2017 season for the West-
minster Choir. Approximately half of its
members have graduated and are mov-
ing on to the next phase in their profes-
sional lives, enriched by the opportunity
to share Westminster’s music on the
world stage.
SUMMER AT WESTMINSTER
By Dr. James Jordan
Westminster enthusiasti-
cally welcomes the new
director of the Westmin-
ster Jubilee Singers, Vin-
roy Brown to the Westmin-
ster community. A gradu-
ate in music education
and sacred music from
Westminster, he served
as graduate assistant con-
ductor of Jubliee as a stu-
dent . His inaugural sea-
son with the Jubilee Singers includes
performances of the R. Nathaniel Dett
oratorio The Ordering of Moses and Adol-
phus Hailstork’s Shout For Joy in addi-
tion to the premieres of new works.
An active church musician, he is director
of Music & Worship Arts at Elmwood
United Presbyterian Church
where his responsibilities
include nurturing and
building music and arts
programs across their
three campuses. He is also
founder, artistic director,
and conductor of the
Elmwood Concert Singers,
who in their short tenure
have performed a wide
literature of works through-
out the region, most re-
cently at the historic Hah-
ne’s Building at the invitation of the New
Jersey Performing Arts Center. Previous
seasons included performances of Han-
del’s Messiah, the Faure Requiem and
the Robert Ray Gospel Mass.
Professor Brown also serves on the
guest Conducting faculty of the Trenton
Children’s Chorus, previously conducting
the touring ensemble in Ocean Grove, NJ
and at Rider University. He began his
appointment as conductor of the 25-
voice Capital Singers of Trenton Chorale
this Fall, and he will become the artistic
director and conductor of the 90-voice
Capital Singers of Trenton in January
2018. His premiere concert with the
Capital Singers of Trenton will include a
performance of the Vaughan Williams
Mass in G Minor. Committed to music
education in public schools, he is cur-
rently director of choral activities at
Morristown High School. Before joining
the faculty at Morristown, he taught
K-12 general music and music to stu-
dents with special needs in Bayonne,
New Jersey.
continued on page 6
VINROY D. BROWN JR. WELCOMED AS
NEW CONDUCTOR OF WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS
continued from page 4
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 6
VINROY D. BROWN JR. WELCOMED
A noted baritone, he has sung on concert
and opera stages across the country, as
both a soloist and chorister. He has per-
formed in the world’s greatest concert
halls with today’s leading orchestras:
among them the Philadelphia Orchestra,
New York Philharmonic, and Berlin Phil-
harmonic. Among his most notable en-
gagements was the filming of Beetho-
ven’s Ninth Symphony with the Vienna
Chamber Orchestra and the Westminster
Symphonic Choir for the Great Perfor-
mances Showcase on PBS. He made his
New York Lyric Opera Theatre debut at
Carnegie Hall performing scenes from
Massenet’s Manon and Mascagni’s
Cavalleria rusticana.
Brown holds active memberships in the
National Association for Music Educa-
tion, American Choral Directors Associa-
tion, and the National Association of Ne-
gro Musicians, Inc., for which he is first
vice president of the collegiate division.
A New Brunswick, NJ native, he holds
degrees in Sacred Music and Music Edu-
cation from Westminster Choir College.
SACRED MUSIC LAB
By Professor Tom Shelton
Every Tuesday night, “Sacred Music Lab”
is offered. Sacred Music majors, both
undergraduate and graduate, come to-
gether to collaborate on Worship Ser-
vices for the campus. In addition, we
have guest artists present on topical in-
formation related to our studies.
The students are divided into three
groups. Each group meets together to
plan, collaborate, rehearse, and prepare
for their worship experience. This semes-
ter we’ve offered three worship services
for the campus:
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, Tuesday,
October 17, featured the Westminster
Jubilee Choir – Professor Vinroy Brown,
conductor. In addition, guest seminari-
an Tak Kin Ho gave a beautiful homily.
Tak Kin is currently a Princeton Theo-
logical Seminary student and has a
graduate degree in Sacred Music from
Westminster Choir College.
“Present in God’s Presence,” Tuesday,
November 14, featured members of
Westminster Kantorei – Dr. Amanda
Quist, conductor. In addition, guest
seminarian Kristian Kohler (Yale Divini-
ty School and Sacred Music graduate
of Westminster Choir College) present-
ed the homily.
“Anticipating Hope – A Service of Nine
Lessons and Carols,” December 5,
featured Concert Bell Choir II, conduct-
ed by Professor Kathy Shaw.
In addition to these three services, we
have had several guest artists over the
Fall Semester:
Brian Hehn, is the director of The Cen-
ter for Congregational Song (The Hymn
Society) and also author of the book All
Hands In: Drumming the Biblical Narra-
tive. We took full advantage of his
many talents and offered two presenta-
tions on Tuesday, October 3: “Breaking
Through the Contemporary/Traditional
Divide” and “Drumming for Worship.”
Professor Nova Thomas offered a voice
master class on Tuesday, October 24.
The master class offered opportunities
for our students to present Sacred Mu-
sic repertoire and be guided by the
expertise of Professor Thomas. Sacred
Music students Olivia Sandel, Peter
Schertz, Marissa DeVeau, Lucy Hole,
and Rachel Tyler all performed during
the master class.
Dr. Anton Armstrong served as a guest
artist for the Sacred Music Department
on Friday, October 20. During the day
he worked with two ensembles: Chapel
Choir and Westminster Choir; led a
conducting masterclass for the Sacred
Music students, and met with the stu-
dents for “Coffee and Conversation.”
This offered an informal opportunity for
them to ask questions and visit with Dr.
Armstrong.
continued from page 5
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 7
By Professor Tom Shelton
The Kemp Endowment for Church Music
at Westminster Choir College of Rider
University honors the memory and legacy
of John S. C. Kemp, church musician and
educator, who chaired the Sacred Music
department at Westminster during the
1970s and early 1980s. Its foundation is
based on Dr. Kemp’s belief that rigorous
musical training and scholarship, as well
as continuing education and the devel-
opment of pastoral skills, are crucial for
music ministry to be effective. By sup-
porting student scholarships and lecture-
ships at Westminster, the Kemp Endow-
ment sponsors educational programs
that engage pastors and musicians in
conversation about liturgy and song.
The Kemp Church Music Symposium
was held on Saturday, October 7. “Roll
Down Justice – Sacred Songs and Social
Justice” was the theme of the symposi-
um and featured guest clinician Mark
Miller, as well as breakout sessions of-
fered by Kathy Ridl, and Westminster
Choir College faculty Kathy Shaw and
Tom Shelton.
Mark Miller is associate professor of
Church Music and composer-in-
residence at Drew University in Madison
NJ, and is a lecturer in Sacred Music at
Yale University. He is also the Minister of
Music of Christ Church (UCC) in Summit,
New Jersey. A renowned composer of
sacred music, Mark’s hymns and an-
thems are sung by communities of faith
throughout the country every Sunday
and are published by Choristers Guild,
Hinshaw, Abingdon Press, Santa Barbara
Music Publishing and others. Miller
spends a portion of the year traveling the
country, often with his band ‘Subject to
Change,’ lecturing, preaching and pre-
senting concerts focused on creating
community and advocating for social
justice.
There was a wide array of offerings for
the day, including the following sessions:
Choir & Congregational Music for To-
day’s World; Playing Off the Page: Lead-
ing Songs in Non-Western Styles; Lead-
ing in Worship: Repertoire for Children’s
and Youth Choirs; Handbells – Ringing
the Message; and Making Art, Making a
Difference!
The late Helen Kemp always ended the
Church Music Symposium with a Hymn
Festival. Keeping with this important
tradition, Mark Miller designed a beauti-
ful service focusing on social justice to
end our time together.
THE KEMP CHURCH MUSIC SYMPOSIUM
By Professor Tom Shelton
This fall marks the 4th anniversary of the
Neighborhood Children’s Choir! The past
three years, we have partnered with the
Family YMCA of Princeton to offer this
enrichment activity to the Princeton
Young Achievers. There were 28 stu-
dents (grades 3 – 5) in the choir this fall.
Our Fall “Informance” was held on No-
vember 21 at the Arts Council of Prince-
ton. The “Informance” format allows us
to educate parents and guests on the
musical concepts we have been learning
over the course of the semester as we
perform our repertoire. This session we
demonstrated Dalcroze activities for
steady beat and note val-
ues; the warm-up process;
body solfege; rounds and
canons; as well as our
repertoire.
Professor Tom Shelton
serves as the coordinator
and conductor of this choir
and is assisted by three
Westminster Choir College
students: Morgan Luttig
(Music Education Graduate Student),
Megan Coiley (Sacred Music), and Yas-
min Siglam (Music Education).
Trinidad Rodriguez, YMCA Education and
Outreach Director, and Susan Carrera,
site coordinator for the Pannell Learning
Center, work directly with us to offer this
program.
A special thanks to Dean Marshall
Onofrio for supporting this worthwhile
collaboration!
NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN’S CHOIR
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 8
By Diane Caruso
former member of the
Board of Directors of RSCM America
Over 100 choristers from 12 choirs gath-
ered on the campus of Westminster
Choir College on Saturday, October 21 to
experience a wonderful one-day Treble
Festival co-sponsored by the Royal
School of Church Music in America and
Westminster Choir College’s Department
of Sacred Music. This is the first time we
have collaborated in this way with the
College since we made the campus the
RSCMA Office home. As both an alumna
of Westminster Choir College and retired
member of the Board of Directors of the
RSCMA, I personally was thrilled to see
so many gather under this joint umbrella
to make music together.
The day’s musical leader was Dr. Anton
Armstrong, the conductor of the St. Olaf
Choir as well as the Harry R. and Thora
H. Tosdal Professor of Music at St. Olaf
College of Northfield, MN. He very capa-
bly, firmly, and kindly led the choristers
in a full day of rehearsals with a variety
of music chosen for an ecumenical Ser-
vice of Vespers. We learned not only the
notes, entrances and cutoffs, but also
the three levels of Ugly (or how not to
sing!), elegant singing, and respecting
the music. The choristers, who came
from varied backgrounds and traditions,
responded enthusiastically and musical-
ly, resulting in a high standard of singing
in the Vespers Service in Bristol Chapel
later that afternoon.
Because the service of Vespers is em-
braced by many Christian denominations
and traditions, we deemed it to be the
best choice for this festival. We success-
fully incorporated the anthems chosen
by Dr. Armstrong into the framework of
traditional vespers, which went as
smoothly as we hoped it would. We wel-
comed Janet Kemp to play the flute dur-
ing the service, and took up an offering
to support future festivals, half of which
we donated to hurricane relief in Puerto
Rico. Bristol Chapel was filled with con-
gregation and choir, making a joyful
sound to the Lord!
It was a pleasure to be able, along with
Board Director Ned Perwo, to represent
the RSCMA to new groups of people who
are new to its work. On behalf of RSCMA
and our president Bert Landman I would
like to thank Tom Shelton, Steve Pilking-
ton, and Dean Marshall Onofrio of WCC
for envisioning with RSCMA and support-
ing this first joint festival. Thanks also go
to Dr. Armstrong, who made conducting
this first effort seem so effortless!
Special thanks go to Kevin Radtke, for
his work in putting so many details to-
gether to enable this first festival to hap-
pen, and to his successor Brian Sengda-
la, for completing the rest of the details
this fall. We sincerely hope that our first
collaboration won’t be our last, and that
it will only grow!
INAUGURAL RSCM AND WESTMINSTER CHOIR
COLLEGE CHORISTER FESTIVAL
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 9
Rachel Tyler
Q: What degree will
you earn at Westmin-
ster and when will
you graduate?
A: I will be graduating
with a Bachelor of
Music in Sacred Mu-
sic, voice primary.
Q: Where are you now? What are you
doing for that church?
A: I am currently serving at Prince of
Peace Lutheran as the Sacred Music
Intern, on a rotating basis, I conduct the
adult choir, the bell choir, as well cantor.
Q: How did you get onto this path of dis-
cernment?
A: I found myself attending the Episcopal
Church at Princeton the first week of my
undergraduate studies here at Westmin-
ster - I loved the choral tradition and I
saw a lot of connections between my
musical studies at school and the choral
literature we were doing at ECP. Through
my ministry as a pastoral musician, I
found a distilled call to ordained ministry,
and so I am answering the call, God will-
ing, to the Episcopal priesthood.
Q: How did the Sacred Music department
prepare you for your current journey?
A: I’ve learned how to interact with
church musicians of all varieties, to grow
in learning, and be self-sufficient. I’ve
done a lot of exploration, in my faith as
well as my ministry. The Sacred Music
Department allowed me to have a plat-
form with which to execute those ideas.
Q: What attracted you to Westminster
initially?
A: I was attracted to Westminster be-
cause of a teacher I had, he was an old
voice technician and he spoke very high-
ly of the campus; the sacred ground that
it sat on. I didn’t listen to him at first, but
I came around, and he was right.
Q: Why would you recommend Westmin-
ster to a young musician?
A: I would recommend Westminster to
someone who wants to live in an area
that promotes learning of a variety of
subjects. Westminster demands vulnera-
bility, growth, and passion of its stu-
dents, and that encourages a very rich
educational background.
Q: What is one of your favorite memories
of the department?
A: One of my favorite memories would be
the commissioning service at the end of
each academic year. It is a special ser-
vice in the way that we get to send off
those that we have come to know and
love - a final chance to worship with your
classmates before they begin their jour-
neys beyond the red bricks of Bristol
Chapel.
Tak Kin Ho M.M. ’16
Q: What degree did
you earn at West-
minster and when
did you graduate?
A: I graduated in
2016 with a Master
of Music in Sacred
Music and a Choral
Studies emphasis.
Q: Where are you now? What are you
doing for that church?
A: Currently, I am a student at the Prince-
ton Theological Seminary, in the Master
of Divinity degree program (2016-2019).
Q: How did you get onto this path of dis-
cernment?
A: My musical training as an undergradu-
ate, seven years of business experience,
and a full year training in Christian Stud-
ies led me to my dream job in my home
church in 2009. While working as the
director of Music Ministry in North Point
Methodist Church in Hong Kong, I
learned that music is never an independ-
ent activity in the church. It needs to be
in a context - integrated into theology
and complicated life situations. I, there-
fore, came to Princeton in 2014 and
planned to invest five years (two-year
Master of Music and three-year Master
of Divinity) for further education in theol-
ogy and church music. I believe that
Princeton, New Jersey is the perfect
place for my further education. The diver-
sity of religious community, and vast and
rich resources in Westminster Choir Col-
lege, Princeton Theological Seminary,
and Princeton University for academic
research in church history, religious mu-
sic and ethnic studies, help me to reflect
on how to place music and art in differ-
ent context, and how music and art
could respond to the need of the world.
Q: How did the Sacred Music department
prepare you for your current journey?
A: I think Westminster Choir College has
a strong traditional insight, expertise,
and skill in interpreting European church
music. Courses such as Choral Litera-
ture, History of Sacred Music, and Theol-
ogy, Liturgy, and Worship provided me
the language to communicate with the
clergy in church. Voice Science and Cho-
ral Conducting gave me the professional
tools in helping music ensembles, the
choirs, and contemporary worship sing-
ers to lead the worship efficiently. Wor-
ship Planning in the 21st Century, and
Sacred Music Lab allowed me to be crea-
tive in designing worship services and
integrating what I learned. Introduction
to Musicology, and Music Theory/History
electives empowered me to have a criti-
cal thinking in doing my own research in
the future. Master Singers and Symphon-
continued on page 10
INTERVIEWS
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 10
ic Choir prepared me to be a true profes-
sional musician whether it is in the
church or outside the church.
Q: What attracted you to Westminster
initially?
A: Besides the profound knowledge and
insight in choral music, Westminster
gave me the great opportunity to perform
with world-class symphonic orchestras in
Princeton, New York City, and Philadelph-
ia. Professors from different back-
grounds with different faiths and experi-
ences demonstrated different styles and
philosophies in making choral music. Of
course, the location of the Princeton
campus, midway between New York City
and Philadelphia, and the resources
around the Princeton area definitely at-
tracted me to Westminster Choir College.
Q: What is one of your favorite memories
of the department?
A: There are lots of good memories in
Westminster with the Sacred Music De-
partment. My favorite is the final gather-
ing of the Sacred Music Lab towards the
end of the academic year. Professors
Shelton and Pilkington prepared dinner
for all the Sacred Music students and
served us during the dinner. We prayed
together and blessed those who would
graduate in May/August. Then we had a
simple service and worshipped our Lord
together. I remember in 2016, when
friends and professors laid their hands
on me, blessed me, and sent me. I rec-
onciled with all my stress and mixed
feelings for the past two academic years.
I know that I was, I am, and I will be
loved and supported by my friends in
Westminster.
Kristian C. “K.C.” Kohler,
B.M. ’13
Q: What degree did
you earn at Westmin-
ster and when did
you graduate?
A: I earned a Bache-
lor of Music, summa
cum laude, in Music
Education and Sa-
cred Music (double major) in May 2013.
Q: Where are you now? What are you
doing for that church?
A: In July, I completed a year as vicar of
Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Santa
Monica, Ca., and pastoral intern for
SoCal Lutherans (Reconciling Works of
Southern California).
As an approved candidate for ordination
to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, I am currently serving as a sup-
ply pastor in the Northeastern Pennsylva-
nia Synod, and have been assigned to
the New England Synod to seek a first
call.
Q: How did you get onto this path of dis-
cernment?
A: After graduating from Westminster, I
attended Yale University’s Divinity School
and Institute of Sacred Music. My origi-
nal plan was to concentrate in liturgical
studies and then to pursue a Ph.D. How-
ever, I found I enjoyed my coursework in
theology, preaching, and pastoral care
more than I initially thought I would. I
decided to switch to the Master of Divini-
ty program and graduated in 2016 with
certificates in both Lutheran Studies and
Sacred Music, Worship, and the Arts. I
always enjoyed the pastoral aspects of
music ministry, and in ministerial studies
I found the perfect combination of aca-
demics, creativity, and service.
Q: How did the Sacred Music department
prepare you for your current journey?
A: I could not have had better prepara-
tion for my current journey than from the
Sacred Music department at Westmin-
ster. As a musician, it prepared me to
perform in multiple ensembles, as well
as plan and execute worship and music
in a variety of settings. Historical and
theological background from courses
taught by Dr. Pilkington gave me the nec-
essary foundation to be successful in
graduate-level study of liturgy, sacred
music, and related fields. Profs. Tom
Shelton and Kathy Ebling Shaw men-
tored me through the practical experi-
ences of fostering community within en-
sembles and serving a congregation that
prepared me to be a minister. And that is
just the beginning! I think back often on
my preparation at Westminster in sacred
music, music education, voice, and
more.
Q: What attracted you to Westminster
initially?
A: I was attracted to Westminster largely
due to the presence of both Sacred Mu-
sic and Music Education programs, as
well as the performance opportunities
and small, close-knit community. I was
also attracted by its partnerships and
opportunities to take advantage of re-
sources at Princeton Theological Semi-
nary and Princeton University.
Q: Why would you recommend Westmin-
ster to a young musician?
A: I would, without reservation, recom-
mend Westminster to any young musi-
cian for a variety of reasons. First, the
skills developed at Westminster will pre-
pare you to think critically, perform with
excellence, and make a difference in the
world no matter what path you follow
professionally. Second, your friends and
mentors at Westminster will turn into a
continued on page 11
INTERVIEWS continued from page 9
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter Page 11
family. And finally, there is simply noth-
ing like the magic of singing together
that you will experience at Westminster!
Q: What is one of your favorite memories
of the department?
A: One of my favorite memories from the
department is ringing in the Westminster
Concert Bell Choir, including performing
with Josh Groban at the 2010 Rockefel-
ler Center Christmas Tree Lighting in
New York City (you can find us on
YouTube), and our yearly tours. Ringing
always brought me joy. Another favorite
memory is the end of the year banquet
for the department with delicious food
prepared by Dr. Pilkington. He chose
verses from Scripture for each of us, and
the department commissioned the grad-
uating students to go forth in service to
the world. The verse chosen for me was
Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD, your God, is
in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he
will renew you in his love; he will exult
over you with loud singing … ”
May God continue to rejoice over West-
minster with singing, for many years to
come.
INTERVIEWS
By The Reverend Erika L. Takacs, SCP
Associate Rector
Saint Mark’s Church, Philadelphia
Music has always been a central part of
my life. It is how I found my voice, how I
learned about beauty, and how – ulti-
mately – I rediscovered God and un-
earthed an unanticipated call to ministry.
I’ve always been involved in music. I en-
tered college at West Chester University
in Pennsylvania fully convinced that I
wanted to become a high school band
director like some of my most important
musical mentors had been. But my soph-
omore year at West Chester found me in
the elite Concert Choir, singing with the
music school’s newest faculty member,
Donald Nally. His passion for the art of
choral music and his conviction that the
act of singing in a choir – breathing to-
gether and listening to one another and
trying to hear the distant voice of the
composer – could, in fact, change the
world, was beyond inspiring. Within six
months I had changed my focus from
band to choir, and I never looked back.
After graduation from WCU, I eventually
found myself at Donald’s alma mater,
Westminster Choir College in Princeton,
N.J. I was studying choral conducting,
learning from some of the true giants in
the field, including Nancianne Parella,
Andrew Megill, and Joseph Flummerfelt.
All of these artists helped me to learn
how to craft a choral sound – how to be
open and present to the choir, how to be
both completely transparent and yet ut-
terly present, how to
listen, and how to be
true to myself and to
the music itself. And, of
course, I continued to
learn the riches of the
choral repertoire, in-
cluding the works by
your friend and mine,
Johann Sebastian Bach.
It was at Westminster
that I really fell in love
with Bach – where I
sang my first cantatas
and Passions, where I learned to hone
my own singing technique to accommo-
date Bach’s particular and challenging
style, and where I began to gain an ap-
preciation (intellectual and aesthetic) for
the immense genius of the man. I stud-
ied with Robin Leaver, sang with some of
the finest Bach singers I know, and let
the music – and the friendships – shape
my life.
It was this experience of music – this
profound experience of music and life
and love – that led me ultimately (and
unexpectedly) to the priesthood. While I
was engaged in this profound music
making at West Chester and Westmin-
ster, I was not really a church-goer at
all… When I was 17 years old, my mother
discovered a lump in
her breast. She attempt-
ed to “get her healing”
through the practices of
Christian Science, giving
up her work, her social
and family life, and even
eventually her home in
order to focus on prayer
and study. It did not
work. One month after
my 20th birthday, my
mother died. My world
was shattered. I did not
know who I was, what I was supposed to
believe or do, and I certainly did not
know who God was or what His plans
were for me. I was bitter, angry, and con-
fused. My entire family and I left the
church, and I spent the next several
years trying to convince myself that there
was not a God, or, if there were, that I
was certainly better off without Him in
my life.
Music became my healing balm. Music
helped me to see beauty, love, purpose
FROM THE PODIUM TO THE PULPIT:
HOW ONE CHORAL CONDUCTOR WAS CALLED TO THE PRIESTHOOD
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
James Jordan, conducting
Joe Miller, director of choral activities
Alan Morrison, organ
Jason Roberts, organ
Steve Pilkington, sacred music
Tom T. Shelton, Jr., sacred music
Kathleen Ebling Shaw, handbells
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., Jubilee Singers
Brian V. Sengdala, coordinator
CONDUCTING, ORGAN, AND SACRED MUSIC
DEPARTMENT
Conducting, Organ, and Sacred Music Newsletter
in life. Music connected me to friends,
family, to a sense of the transcendent.
And for a while, it seemed as if that
would be enough. But when I was prepar-
ing my graduate conducting recital dur-
ing my second year at Westminster, all of
that changed. I had a spectacularly frus-
trating rehearsal. I couldn’t breathe, I
couldn’t hear, I couldn’t connect to the
music. I felt like an abject failure. I left
the rehearsal in tears and ended up sit-
ting in the dark stacks of the perfor-
mance library with my conducting men-
tor, sobbing and beating myself up. “How
do you do it?” I cried. “When the music
just isn’t there – when you can’t connect
and you can’t open yourself up to the
presence of the choir – how do you
change things? How do you change your-
self?” And my mentor – a man for whom
I had deep respect and affection but who
had never shared any of his spiritual life
with me – looked at me and with great
love said, “Well, it’s in moments like that
that I learn a lot about Grace.” Crack.
Light, breath, air. Something in me broke
open in that moment and it has never
shut again. I realized that I did not, in
fact, need only music in my life. I needed
God. But I had no idea who He was, and
so I set about to find Him. At first I found
Him in the sound of the wind in the
trees. I found Him in my belief that I liked
the idea of a world with a God in it much,
much better than a world empty of God.
And – much to my delight – I continued
to find Him (surprising me, peeking out
at me around the chords) in music.
It was this music (and God working
through that music) that brought me to
the Episcopal Church. I was hired to sing
at Saint Mark’s Church in Philadelphia
as part of a professional choir with my
old friend Donald (now “Dr. Nally”) as the
choirmaster. What started out as a nor-
mal “church job” quickly turned into
something far more. I began to worship
(or to try to), and I realized that I wanted
more of this – of this liturgy, of this
church, of this God. I spoke to the priest,
the Reverend Richard Alton, who encour-
aged me to enter into a time of intention-
al study, prayer, and discernment along
with others in the Saint Mark’s communi-
ty. The following spring, at the Easter
Vigil (the midnight service the night be-
fore Easter), I was baptized in depths of
the marble font at the back of Saint
Mark’s amidst the mysteries of darkness
and chant and smoke and the swirling of
the Holy Ghost. A few weeks later, I was
confirmed by the bishop; two years later,
I heard a (very quiet) call to something
new. I entered into a discernment pro-
cess for the ordained ministry and began
to move along the path towards semi-
nary and the priesthood. Music gave me
back my faith, my God, and opened up
an utterly unexpected vocation.
I love what I do as an Episcopal priest. It
feels right – it feels like me, like me do-
ing what I’m supposed to be doing. Try-
ing to maintain a life as a professional
singer along with my work as a priest has
never held much of an interest for me.
But what I am interested in doing – what
I absolutely love doing – is teaching my
congregation about classical choral mu-
sic. I love holding up a piece like Han-
del’s Messiah or the Britten War Requi-
em – or the Bach St. John Passion – and
saying, “Listen to this! This is the most
beautiful music you’re ever going to
hear. Let me help you hear it. Handel or
Britten or Bach was the most inspired
composer you’re ever going to meet. Let
me help to show you why. And, most im-
portantly, let me show you where God is
in this. Let me show you the divine peek-
ing out around the chords. Let me help
you see that this music can be a way – a
unique, important, world- and life-
changing way – for you to find God.
That’s what I’m going to ‘do with my mu-
sic.’ That is why me. And to God only be
the glory.”
FROM THE PODIUM TO THE PULPIT continued from page 11