Church and Ministry. Church Music
CM530R. Candler Chorale
Credit, one hour or noncredit. (Daniel)
Open to the Candler community without audition. Weekly rehearsals and regular participation in chapel services. A maximum of four hours of credit in CM530R may count toward elective requirements for the MDiv or MTS. A limited number of hours can count toward Area of Specialization for MRL worship and music students. (S/U grading basis only)
CM550R. Candler Voices of Imani
Credit, one hour or noncredit. (Daniel)
Open to the Candler community without audition, Candler Voices of Imani is a gospel choir that gives students experience in singing and understanding gospel music and its various styles as well as other forms of sacred music of African American tradition(s). Weekly rehearsals and regular participation in chapel services are required. A maximum of four hours of credit in CM550R may count toward elective requirements for the MDiv or MTS. A limited number of hours can count toward Area of Specialization for MRL worship and music students. (S/U grading basis only)
CM600. Candler Singers
Credit, two hours or stipend. (Daniel)
Audition/interview required. Weekly rehearsals, Chapel leadership, tours, and concerts in the local community and beyond. A maximum of four hours of credit in CM600 may count toward elective requirements for the MDiv or MTS. A limited number of hours can count toward Area of Specialization for MRL worship and music students.
CM610. Congregational Song
Credit, three hours. (Abbington)
A survey (for nonmusic majors) of hymnody, psalmody, and other congregational music from the 16th century to the present.
CM615. Introduction to Church Music
Credit, three hours. (Abbington)
This introductory course is designed to examine the history, function, and various genres of music in Christian worship. In addition, the course will introduce students to basic worship structures and elements in order to enable them to appropriately select and lead music. Special emphasis is given to equip the church musician with specialized knowledge and administrative skills, dealing with various personalities, denominational polities and hymnals, instrument maintenance, worship music resources, and current technological advancements in church music.
CM620. Music and Worship in the Black Church
Credit, three hours. (Abbington)
This introductory course will examine the history and development of music and worship in the black church. Various genres of music (e.g., spirituals, hymns, and gospels) and various styles of worship will be covered as well as key issues, concerns, and challenges for the twenty-first century black church. The course will also provide insight and analysis into contemporary gospel music, praise and worship music, and holy hip-hop. In addition, it will provide directions and practical resources for developing and planning worship in the black church. (Race, Ethnicity, and Gender)
CM630. Bach for Pastors: Preaching Bach’s Musical Theology
Credit, three hours. (Albrecht)
This course aims to develop in students an appreciation, via specific liturgical organ compositions, of the musical theology of Johann Sebastian Bach; illustrate Bach as a musical church leader, living out his Christian faith in praxis; develop critical skills for analyzing and appropriating music in congregational ministry; and equip students with concrete musical illustrations of Bach as an intentional Christian, in order that the students as pastors may be better equipped to share such witness in sermon illustrations.
CM640. Ecclesial Keys: Bach to Brubeck, Holtkamp to Hammond
Credit, three hours. (Albrecht)
Organized around five topics, this course examines the church organ and keyboard music composed for it. The pipe organ in its liturgical setting is the focal point of the course, including hands-on field study of three instruments in Emory worship spaces. Classes will provide basic principles of organ construction and design, also considering the historical waxing (and present waning) of the pipe organ’s acceptance by the church. Such study of the instrument itself is coupled with semester-long learning and listening to live performances of organ repertoire based on congregational song in the United Methodist Hymnal. Near the end of the semester, the class will be in a position for healthy comparisons of the church pipe organ to other more recent alternatives including the piano, Hammond organ, and digital keyboards. Candler students will thus gain insight for liturgical keyboard decision-making in their own ecclesial settings.
