Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will offer its 13th Annual Schola Cantorum, a choir member workshop, on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2005. Registration and the opening session will be held in The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. Other sessions will be held in the Clara and Spencer Werner Auditorium. The Schola Cantorum is open to all choir members and choir directors.
The schedule for the day begins with registration at 8:30 a.m., Morning Prayer at 9:00 a.m., and rehearsal sessions at 9:30 a.m. The day concludes at 3:30 p.m. after the Closing Prayer service, which will include some of the music learned that day. Dr. Donald Busarow will serve as this year’s clinician.
Donald Busarow is professor of music at Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, where he teaches theory, composition, organ and courses in church music. He is also director of the Wittenberg University Choir, University organist and director of chapel music. In recent years, he has been highly active as workshop clinician, both organ and choral, as well as featured soloist and clinician for regional and national conferences of many professional organizations. He holds an associate’s degree from the American Guild of Organists and is a graduate of Concordia University, River Forest, Ill. He has continued his studies in organ and composition at the University of Michigan, The Cleveland Institute of Music (M.Mus.) and Michigan State University (Ph.D.). He received an honorary doctor of letters degree from his alma mater, Concordia University, River Forest, for his contribution to the music of the church.
“We hold the Schola Cantorum as a way of serving the church-at-large,” commented Rev. Henry Gerike, director of choirs at Concordia Seminary. “By attending, choir members and directors will learn and rehearse new choral music that can be used in their own churches. They also will learn better the art of singing. Each of our clinicians provides great insights into singing the praises of our Lord.”
This year, a Choral Reading Session will be held Friday, Jan. 21, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. In the session, Busarow will guide participants through the seasons of the church year in a series of concertos, motets and instrumental settings. The session is open to all, but is especially designed for choir directors. There is no charge to attend.
The cost for the Schola Cantorum is $80 per congregation ($90 after Jan. 16). For congregations with less than 200 members, the cost is $70. For that fee, a choir can send as many choir members as it desires. Lunch and the choral music to be learned are not included in the fee.
For registration forms, call (314) 505-7123 or visit the Seminary’s Web site (www.csl.edu/ComingEvents.htm [1]).