SingAmen!

We’re back! Sing Amen took a little hiatus after Christmas, but here at last is our first podcast of the new year. As most people know by now, World Library Publications has officially joined GIA as a new division of the company, and the past couple of months have been full of transitions and moves […] The post Unknown Blessings: A Conversation with Carol Browning (Sing Amen! the Podcast, episode 26) appeared first on Sing Amen.

A Merry Christmas to everyone! If I did this right, this podcast dropped at right about midnight on Christmas Eve, and we hope you enjoy this gift of an hour or so of lovely Christmas choral music to let sing and play through your holy day! A word of welcome to our new subscribers—and if […] The post Gloria in Excelsis!–A Christmas Playlist (Sing Amen! the Podcast, episode 25) appeared first on Sing Amen.

This episode is simply a lovely sampler of music, in various styles, to help us all move deeper into a spirit of gratitude and grace–peace to you all, and from all of us at GIA Publications, prayers and blessings for a beautiful Thanksgiving week! (Eat well, and get some rest. Advent is almost here.

Today we have a conversation with choral conductor Michael Kemp, who has written several books including The Choral Challenge, Innovative Warm-ups for the Volunteer Choir, Rejuvenating Senior Voices (this book helps choir directors help our singers to deal with the vocal issues that begin to affect them as they age,) and his most recent book, […] The post Igniting Choral Rehearsals–a conversation with Michael Kemp. (Sing Amen! the podcast, episode 23) appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 14 – Stories and Songs with John Angotti Today we walk through the extensive catalog of John Angotti. From his first distributed Album On This Journey to his vinyl compilation Thanks and Praise, you will hear stories about your favorite songs that have not been heard before. John talks about his […] The post World Library Podcast Episode 14 – Stories and Songs with John Angotti appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 13 – Songs and Stories with Bob Rowe: A New Beginning (1985) Today we get a rare glimpse into the history of WLP with Songs and Stories with Bob Rowe. Bob was a WLP artist in the early '80s and talks about his only album, A New Beginning. Listeners will get […] The post World Library Podcast Episode 13 – Songs and Stories with Bob Rowe: A New Beginning (1985) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Today we have a special podcast episode to celebrate the month of the Most Holy Rosary, which is October. Father Liam Lawton has produced a new recording entitled “The Rosary: The Mysteries of Life,” (CD-1075) which will be released by GIA in the very near future. This project, recorded by Fr. Liam and the Poor […] The post “The Rosary: The Mysteries of Life,” with Fr. Liam Lawton (Sing Amen! the podcast, episode 22) appeared first on Sing Amen.

This past summer, GIA welcomed our new Editor for Spanish and Bilingual Resources, Mr. Peter Kolar. Today’s podcast is a conversation with him about his life and work and his reflections on his experiences of music ministry within bilingual and multicultural communities. He was one of the directors for the GIA Showcase at NPM last […] The post ¡Cantemos Amén!–A Conversation with Peter Kolar (Sing Amen! The Podcast, episode 21) appeared first on Sing Amen.

One of the great gifts to the singing Church in more recent years has been the wonderful outpouring of new hymn texts by our modern poet-theologians–people like Delores Dufner, Mary Louise Bringle, Herman Steumpfle, Sylvia Dunstan…and over the past decade or so, Adam Tice. Adam’s texts are rich and challenging, addressing many of the challenges […] The post Guide Our Song: An Adam Tice Sampler (Sing Amen! The Podcast, episode 20) appeared first on Sing Amen.

When I look back over the past few decades, it feels as though I have spent a huge portion of my life as a professional musician dealing with tension, pain, stiff shoulders, tendinitis, and all kinds of bodily aches. Most of my colleagues would say the same, I expect. It never occurred to me to […] The post Body Mapping: with Bridget Jankowski (Sing Amen! The Podcast, episode 19) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Okay, it’s been a while since our last podcast! It’s good to be back. Part of the learning curve for me with this site has been realizing when the crunch times come, so I can be ready for them…I’m just coming out of one of those crunch times, because in Publisher World, there is a […] The post Show By Your Life: A Conversation with Lori True (Sing Amen! The Podcast: Episode 18) appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 12 – Craig Colson: Higher Praise Today I speak with composer Craig Colson as we walk through his latest album Higher Praise. Craig also talks about his upcoming workshops and concert at the National Pastoral Musicians Conference in Raleigh, NC July 15-19, 2019.  If you're not registered, visit npm.org today! Higher […] The post World Library Podcast Episode 12 – Craig Colson: Higher Praise appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 11 – Mickey McGrath and Carolyn Pirtle Today I Speak with Author and Artist Mickey McGrath and talk about his new book, A Holy Mosaic: Love, Diversity, and the Family. Inspiration from Pope Francis.  I also speak with Author and Composer Carolyn Pirtle and talk about her new book Praying the Rosary […] The post World Library Podcast Episode 11 – Mickey McGrath and Carolyn Pirtle appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 10 – Mikey Needleman Today I present an interview with Mikey Needleman, A VAO artist. We walk through his musical career and ministry and discuss his albums.  Visit his artist page here at VAO to sample any of his albums! Available on iTunes and everywhere podcasts are found.   The post World Library Podcast Episode 10 – Mikey Needleman appeared first on Sing Amen.

Holy Week is upon us. I figured that at this precise moment in our musical lives no one listening here is looking particularly for new repertoire or deep thoughts or formational development—we are looking to get through the week with beauty and prayerfulness, we are creating folders and scripts and parts for the trumpet players […] The post Night Prayer (Sing Amen! the Podcast: Episode 17) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Today we have a conversation with Kate Williams, who compiled and edited the beautiful new resource Of Womb and Tomb: Prayer in time of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Stillbirth (G-9816).  The resource is made up of a book, a CD, and a music collection, and I’m pretty sure it’s the first collection of its kind—since it […] The post Of Womb and Tomb: a conversation with Kate Williams (Sing Amen! the Podcast: episode 16) appeared first on Sing Amen.

February is Black History Month, so it seemed appropriate to devote a podcast to some of the wonderful and Spirit-filled offerings from our African-American brothers and sisters in faith, and the amazing heritage of spirituals and Gospel music they continue to keep alive and growing. So here is I hope a pretty diverse lineup of […] The post Glory, Hallelujah! A Black History Month Choral Sampler (Sing Amen! The Podcast: episode 15) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Welcome back, and happy new year! We took a little break in January to get caught up and moving again, but we are back and have a great lineup of podcasts set for 2019, so if you are not subscribed yet, please do subscribe to us at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or Stitcher, to make […] The post Muchos Miembros Hay–Ministry in a Multicultural Parish (Sing Amen! The Podcast: Episode 14) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Merry Christmas! If you have found your way here in some part of the calm after the Christmas storm, welcome. I hope your celebrations of the Nativity were full of beauty and prayer and lovely music–and that you got a nice long nap after.

So! It’s almost Christmas, the calendar year is drawing to a close, and musicians everywhere are deep into the work of the season! First, as this year ends, a huge thanks to those who have followed this blog and podcast through our first six months. Despite a bit of a lull as the holiday season […] The post A Christmas Playlist (Sing Amen! The Podcast, episode 12) appeared first on Sing Amen.

I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite things here at GIA is going through the back catalog and wandering the not-right-off-the-presses areas of the warehouse, because there are so many treasures there—sometimes we get caught up in the allure of whatever is shiny and new and forget how much amazing stuff is still out […] The post God Comes Tomorrow: Music for Advent and Christmas (Sing Amen! the Podcast, episode 11) appeared first on Sing Amen.

(**UPDATE** This episode was completed and recorded before the tragic events at Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday. Thus what brief narration and commentary I give on the episode does not address the tragedy of eleven people who lost their lives nor the countless numbers who grieve them. And even now, it becomes harder and […] The post Of Soulful Saints and Saintly Souls: a Choral Sampler (Sing Amen! the Podcast, episode 10) appeared first on Sing Amen.

So out of David’s and my long conversation several months ago we were able to pull not one but two podcast episodes; the first one was two weeks ago (please check it out if you haven’t yet!), and here is part 2. Here we go a little into what seems like one of the elephants in […] The post Conversation with David Haas, Part II: On Self-care and Avoiding Burnout (Podcast, Episode 9) appeared first on Sing Amen.

This past January, GIA released David Haas’s book I Will Bring You Home: Songs of Prayer, Stories of Faith, an amazing volume telling the stories behind more than 130 of his best-loved songs. But looked at all together, this book is not just about the songs—it tells the story of a life, of a vocation […] The post Sing Amen! the Podcast, Episode 8: David Haas (Part 1) on How He Got Here appeared first on Sing Amen.

Complaining about weddings is probably the single favorite pastime of church musicians when they get together. (Okay, even as I read what I just typed, I have to acknowledge that many of my friends and colleagues have a much longer list of things and people we all love to complain about, but let’s just accept […] The post Sing Amen! The Podcast, Episode 7: How to Love Wedding Music Ministry (Interview with Mary Prete) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Greetings all! Here is the contemporary sampler recording I said I would do, since I’ve been leaning more heavily in the choral direction for a while. And it is definitely a sampler; there is no real guiding principle for what is chosen here beyond it being songs I like, in an order that seems to hang […] The post Sing Amen! The Podcast, Episode 6: A Contemporary Sampler appeared first on Sing Amen.

Today's podcast is intended to be sort of a journey in music, hopefully a quiet time to just be still and let ourselves be ministered to a little. The post Sing Amen! The Podcast, Episode 5: In Time of Lament appeared first on Sing Amen.

As promised, this episode of our podcast features a conversation with conductor, teacher, and author Dr. James Jordan–He is basically one of the giants in choral music and education right now, a professor at Westminster Choir College and conductor of the critically acclaimed Westminster Williamson Voices, the editor of GIA’s Evoking Sound choral music series, […] The post Sing Amen! The Podcast, Episode 4: Dr. James Jordan, On Trust, Honesty, and Breathing in Front of Other People appeared first on Sing Amen.

We sit down with Ed Bolduc at the National Pastoral Musicians Conference in Baltimore, Marlyand. You can visit Ed's artist page here!   The post World Library Podcast Episode 7- A Conversation with Ed Bolduc appeared first on Sing Amen.

Greetings, everyone! With the NPM conference behind us and the various publisher reading sessions still to come, I’m guessing a lot of listeners are in the process right now of choosing new music for their choirs over the coming year. And I’m here today to just compound further the eternal dilemma of “there’s so much […] The post Sing Amen!: The Podcast, Episode 3: A Sacred Choral Sampler from Evoking Sound Choral Series appeared first on Sing Amen.

For more than thirty years now, Diana Kodner Gökçe’s Handbook for Cantors has been “the” book on the ministry of the cantor, used for countless workshops and classes around the country, and by many of the ministers who lead the sung prayer of the community every week. Literally as I write this, Handbook for Cantors, […] The post SingAmen! The Podcast: Episode 2—Diana Kodner Gökçe, on Cantoring, Children’s voices, and the Fourth Wall appeared first on Sing Amen.

For this first full-length SingAmen! podcast episode, we are featuring a recording of a wonderful conversation I had with Fr. Michael Joncas I had last April. When I listen back to it now I think, “Wow, Jenn, you sound like a complete fan-girl,” which isn’t too off-base; this is Michael Joncas, after all... The post SingAmen! The Podcast: Episode 1—J. Michael Joncas, on Composing appeared first on Sing Amen.

Today we are launching the “trailer” for the SingAmen! Podcast, with a few hints of what’s to come! The podcast expects to publish a new episode every couple of weeks or so, more or less alternating between interview/instruction type episodes and ones that are more assortments of musical selections. You can subscribe on iTunes or […] The post SingAmen! The Podcast is here! appeared first on Sing Amen.

Today we talk to James Wahl about his new album Sitting at the Kid's Table. We also talk about his ministry in Raleigh, NC.  You can get his albums from  wlpmusic.com, iTunes or anywhere digital music is sold. Buy Now on iTunes! You can also get a CD at wlpmusic.com The post World Library Podcast Episode 6-James Wahl: Sitting at the Kid's Table appeared first on Sing Amen.

Today we talk to Lorraine Hess about her new album Glorify Him.  Lorraine tells the stories behind her new release. You can get this album from VoicesAsOne.com, wlpmusic.com, or iTunes.   The post World Library Podcast Episode 5-Lorraine Hess: Glorify Him By Your Life appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 4: An American Icon in the Vault—How WLP did an album with Bing Crosby This is a special episode of the World Libary Podcast. We answer the question: How did WLP do an album with Bing Crosby?  To help answer that question I talk to Betty Zins (Organist on the Bing […] The post World Library Podcast Episode 4: An American Icon in the Vault—How WLP did an album with Bing Crosby appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 3 – LA Religious Education Conference 2017, a look back A look back to RE Congress 2017 as we are already looking ahead to Congress 2018. We catch up with Danielle Rose, Lorraine Hess, Noelle Garcia, and Andrew Chinn.             The post World Library Podcast Episode 3 – LA Religious Education Conference 2017, a look back appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 2 – Interview with Craig Colson Episode 2: Interview with Craig Colson who talks about his career as a church musician. He also talks about his CD I Am the Way and his book Psalms for the Church. The post World Library Podcast Episode 2 – Interview with Craig Colson appeared first on Sing Amen.

World Library Podcast Episode 1 – Interview with W. Clifford Petty Episode 1: Interview with W. Clifford Petty who talks about his latest CD, “We Are Filled With Joy”. The post World Library Podcast Episode 1 – Interview with W. Clifford Petty appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 3rd Sunday of Lent (C) Psalm: The Lord is Kind and Merciful by Ed Bolduc (WLP) from the CD and collection Love One Another  listen Psalm: The Lord is Kind and Merciful by Craig and Kristen Colson (spiritandsong) from the CD Fill Us With Your Love 40 Days by Matt Maher (spiritandsong.com) from the CD Welcome to […] The post Song Ideas for 3rd Sunday of Lent (C) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 2nd Sunday of Lent (C) Psalm: The Lord Is My Light by Ed Bolduc from the CD and collection Awake to the Day  listen 40 Days by Matt Maher (spiritandsong.com) from the CD Welcome to Life *Be Still for the Presence of the Lord by David J. Evans (Capitol CMG/CCLI) Voices As One vol. 1 *Blessed Be Your […] The post Song Ideas for 2nd Sunday of Lent (C) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Psalm: Be With Me, Lord by John Angotti from the CD Joy Beyond Our Dreams  listen   40 Days by Matt Maher (spiritandsong.com) (from the CD Welcome to Life) Be With Me, Lord by Tom Booth (spiritandsong.com) (from the CD Find Us Ready) *Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman (worshiptogether.com) Christ In Me Arise by Trevor Thomson (spiritandsong.com) (from the […] The post Songs for First Sunday of Lent (C) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) PSALM: In the Sight of the Angels by Matthew Ficcara (WLP) listen *Be God's by Danielle Rose (WLP) from the CD Mysteries and the collection Voices As One vol. 2  listen Can We Love? by Tom Booth (spiritandsong) from the CD Captured *Christ Has No Body Now But Yours […] The post Song Ideas for 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) PSALM: I Will Sing by Craig & Kristen Colson (spiritandsong) from the CD Fill us With Your Love *Be God's by Danielle Rose (WLP) from the CD Mysteries and the collection Voices As One vol. 2  listen Can We Love? by Tom Booth (spiritandsong) from the CD Captured *Christ […] The post Song Ideas for 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) appeared first on Sing Amen.

We don't always have to play everything the way it is written down or recorded.  That's one version!  For example, here's the way the Glory to God from Mass of Saint Ann is recorded: It starts our big and full, 3 parts vocals, trumpet, drums, bass, guitars…everything.  That is one way to do it. STUDIO […] The post Vary your intros appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Behold by WAL (WLP) (from the CD Always and Everywhere) Bread for the World by Bernadette Farrell (spiritandsong) Holy Is the Lord by Tomlin/Giglio (Capitol CMG) *I Am the Bread of Life by Tom Kaczmarek (WLP) (found in the collection Voices As One vol. 2) *I Am the Bread […] The post Song Ideas for 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Behold by WAL (WLP) (from the CD Always and Everywhere) Bread for the World by Bernadette Farrell (spiritandsong) Do This In Memory of Me by Chris Muglia (spiritandsong) (from the CD Songs for Communion) He Lives in Us by Amelia Acosta (WLP) (from the collection More Voices as […] The post Song Ideas for 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Behold by WAL (WLP) (from the CD Always and Everywhere) Bread for the World by Bernadette Farrell (spiritandsong) Do This In Memory of Me by Chris Muglia (spiritandsong) (from the CD Songs for Communion) He Lives in Us by Amelia Acosta (WLP) (from the collection More Voices as […] The post Song Ideas for 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Desert Song by Brooke Ligertwood (Hillsong/CCLI) Faith Enough to Believe by Craig and Kristen Colson (WLP) (from the CD I Am the Way) Give Glory by WAL (Jacob and Matthew Band) (WLP)(from the CD Every Day and More Voices As One vol. 1) I Am Yours (Consume Me, Completely) […] The post Song Ideas for 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) appeared first on Sing Amen.

Song Ideas for Most Holy Trinity All Creatures of Our God and King arr. by David Crowder (worshiptogether.com) And We Cry, “Holy” by Aaron Thompson (WLP) (from the CD 10,000 Angels and the collection More Voices As One vol. 1) **At the Name of Jesus by Ed Bolduc (WLP) (from the CD Hymns and the collection More Voices As One […] The post Song Ideas for Most Holy Trinity appeared first on Sing Amen.