Episcopal Press and News
Episcopal Seminary Musicians Organize
Episcopal News Service. April 5, 1979 [79102]
Austin, Tex. -- A conference of musicians of the accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church was hosted recently by the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest here.
According to Dr. Russell Schulz-Widmar, head of the seminary's music program and convenor of the conference, the meeting was "the first of its kind among the current generation of Episcopal seminary musicians."
The conference was devoted to the exploration of means whereby the various seminaries might more effectively discharge their duty of equipping graduates with a comprehensive understanding and background in liturgical music.
Sponsored by the General Convention's Standing Commission on Church Music, the meeting was financed through a grant from the Lilly Trust Fund of Indianapolis' Christ Church Cathedral.
After a period of getting to know one another's programs, problems and ideas, the conferees set out to determine how best to enable their "product," the prospective priest, in church music.
Their discussions ranged over curriculum, classroom goals in relation to chapel and parish participation, the use of seminaries as "seed beds" and testing grounds for new church music, continuing education for clergy and laity, and a diaconate for musicians.
They agreed to form a Conference of Seminary Musicians, to meet biennially, with Dr. Schulz-Widmar as convenor. Their first official action was to compose several resolutions expressing their support of revision and enrichment of the 1940 Hymnal.
Attending the three-day session were: Dr. Alec Wyton, Coordinator of the Standing Commission on Church Music; the Rt. Rev. Chilton Powell, Chairman of the Standing Liturgical Commission; the Rev. Norman Mealy, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California.
Also, Dr. Carol Doran, Bexley Hall, Rochester, N.Y.; the Rev. Sherrod Albritton, Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va.; the Rev. Marion Hatchett, Sewanee School of Theology, Tenn.; Mr. Douglas Petersen, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Ill.; Dr. Alastair Cassels-Brown, Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass.
And, Dr. George Black, School of Theology, Huron College, London, Ontario; Francisco Feliciano, an informal representative of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and the initiator of the church music program at the Episcopal Seminary in the Philippines; the Rev. Eleanor Hill, process person; and Dr. Schulz-Widmar.