SACRED MUSIC & THE ARTS
Looking Back, Looking Ahead By Dr. Zebulon M. Highben, Director of Chapel Music It has been a whirlwind year for Duke Chapel Music. Our concert series has presented over twenty concerts and recitals. The Chapel Choir, Vespers Ensemble, and Evensong Singers have led more than ninetyfive worship services— including our memorable collaboration on The Marvel of This Night for CBS Television (see story on facing page). Looking back on this abundance of riches, it is appropriate to celebrate and give thanks for the many volunteers, staff, guest musicians, and visiting artists whose time and talents filled this vigorous year with sonorous beauty. The energy of these recent months is also propelling us forward, stimulating new ideas and goals for seasons to come. I will highlight a few of these programs here; you can read about other new initiatives in the Chapel’s Strategic Plan.
• Building the people’s song.
Hymnody plays a central role in the worship life of the Chapel and the faith formation of Christian communities. Texts and tunes combine to reflect core theological values, shape our collective memory, remind us of the depth of the Christian witness, and highlight the breadth of the Church’s 8 CHAPEL VIEW magazine
song. We have begun to thoughtfully introduce new (and new-to-us) hymns into our core repertoire. This summer, we will announce the first of several competitions to encourage poets and composers to craft new words and melodies for us to sing. This is part of our effort to explore the possibility of the creation of a new ecumenical hymnal supplement, which could complement the United Methodist Hymnal in our pew racks and be a resource to other ecumenical communities.
• Sacred arts education and
partnerships. The Chapel is not only a center for the presentation of the sacred arts, but also for education about their importance. Current offerings—such as our Organ Scholars program and the C. Eric Lincoln Theology and Arts Fellowship—help emerging artists and musicians actively engage their vocations. Our long-standing support of the Durham Children’s Choir and our hosting of the Carolina Course of the Royal School of Church Music in America encourages the music education of young people in our community. In June 2020, we will launch a three-year partnership with ChorWorks to train young professional singers in early music repertoire and performance practices. Beginning in 2021, collaborations with Duke Performances and other organizations will provide master classes, workshops, and conferences for conductors, singers, and church musicians. Each of these initiatives serves a dual purpose: They strengthen our own musical life while contributing new resources to, or training new leaders for, the worship and artistic life of the Church at large. Truly, it has been a rich, full year at Duke Chapel—but there is more to come! Soli Deo Gloria.
• Music from Duke Chapel
Publication Series. Last autumn, the Chapel commissioned Chad Fothergill of Birmingham, Alabama, to compose a new setting of the hymn “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,” which was premiered at The Marvel of This Night. Fothergill’s haunting arrangement will be the first publication in our new choral series with MorningStar Music/ ECS Publishing Group. The Music from Duke Chapel Series will feature commissioned works, modern editions of historic repertoire, and liturgical music reflecting the musical, cultural, and denominational diversity that is an integral part of life at the Chapel. The first of several titles in the series will be available later this year.
MUSIC FROM
MSM-50-0307
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - Chad Fothergill SATB, Congregation, and Organ, with opt. Strings
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Chad Fothergill