Faculty Profile—

Tom T. Shelton, Jr.

2

Church Music Exchange

Welcomes Alumni &

Community Members

3

Where Are You Now?

Alumni Updates

4-5

Festivals, Services, and a

Symposium! Extraordinary

Sacred Music Events in 2013

5

Sacred Music Department

Welcomes Noteworthy Guests

6-7

In Christ There Is No

East Or West

7

Westminster Choral Ensemble

Events in 2013

8

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Alumni:

As always, autumn at Westminster is a

time of high energy, high hopes, and big

dreams. It is my pleasure to send you

greetings and news from the sacred mu-

sic department. As church music contin-

ues to inspire the worship of millions of

believers around our ever-changing

planet, our work here at the college con-

tinues to be a project of great import as

we seek to train leaders for a future that Check in with her and host them if you

ever have the opportunity! We are very

excited about our new conductor of Jubi-

lee. A recent graduate of Westminster,

Brandon Waddles is an extremely gifted

pianist and arranger. You may check out

some of his inspiring spiritual arrange-

ments in the Westminster Choral Series

published by GIA.

We have entered a wonderful era at

Westminster: the choirs sound terrific, a

brand new building is in the making right

before our eyes, and our student body is

filled with bright and talented musicians

hungry to serve the world through music.

Blessings on each of you as you contin-

ue your own good work, and be in touch

if you’d like to know more, reconnect

after a period of years, or to just say

“Hi!” As always, it’s a great privilege and

joy to be a part of the grand design

known as Westminster.

Steve Pilkington,

Associate Professor of Sacred Music

GREETINGS FROM WESTMINSTER!

is radically different from the one we

may have imagined several decades or

even a few years ago. While a plethora

of music styles bathe the ears of Ameri-

ca’s worshippers, the essential truth

that God works mysteriously through the

power of sacred sound remains un-

changed. It is our daily privilege to chal-

lenge, train, encourage, and motivate

the hearts and minds of our students as

we seek to engage believers and seek-

ers alike with thrilling, moving, and ex-

cellent sacred song.

To provide a solid foundation and more

comprehensive instruction for all sacred

music majors, the department wel-

comed Tom Shelton to our faculty last

year. Tom brings decades of experience

in both church and school settings; he is

superior in the choral training of children

and youth. Already he’s established a

midwinter children’s choir festival on

campus and has brought a wealth of

skill to the various practical courses we

offer in our fine curriculum. A published

composer of sacred music, he also con-

tinues to present workshops and con-

duct festivals especially in the southern

states from whence he hails.

Our two sacred music ensembles on

campus, Jubilee Singers and Westmin-

ster Concert Bell Choir, continue to

thrive. Kathy Shaw provides exceptional

training for our ringers and produces

excellent concerts as evidenced in the

annual tour she undertakes each spring.

IN THIS ISSUE:

SACRED MUSIC

Sacred Music Newsletter

Fall 2013

Tom T. Shelton, Jr. is a native of Greens-

boro, N.C. and a graduate of the Universi-

ty of North Carolina at Greensboro, where

he earned both a Bachelor of Music Edu-

cation and Master of Music in Choral Con-

ducting. He is Assistant Professor of Sa-

cred Music at Westminster Choir College.

Focusing on children’s and youth music at

Westminster, he teaches classes in con-

ducting, sacred music, and music educa-

tion. In addition, he is conductor of the

Princeton Girlchoir’s Cantores (high

school) ensemble and the Children’s

Choir (grades 4-6) at Doylestown Presby-

terian Church in Doylestown, Pa.

Mr. Shelton has a passion for music edu-

cation in all areas: church, school, and

community. He taught middle school cho-

ral music in Winston-Salem/Forsyth Coun-

ty for 18 years. During that time he was

selected Teacher of the Year for both At-

kins Middle School and Kernersville Mid-

dle School. In 1999 the North Carolina

Music Educators Association presented

him with the North Carolina Middle

School Music Teacher of the Year award.

Before joining the faculty of Westminster

Sacred Music Newsletter Page 2

Choir College, Mr. Shelton served as As-

sociate Director of Music for Children and

Youth at First Presbyterian Church in

Greensboro, N.C., and as conductor of

the Chorale for the Greensboro Youth

Chorus.

Mr. Shelton has been active with the

American Choral Directors Association,

serving as a clinician for ACDA and

NAfME Conferences in Alabama, Kansas,

Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina,

and South Carolina. His ACDA leadership

positions have included Southern Division

President (2011-2012), National R&S

Chair for Middle School/Junior High

Choirs (2007-2009), and North Carolina

President (2005-2007). He currently

serves as the New Jersey ACDA R&S

Chair for Youth and Student Activities.

Choral groups under his direction were

invited to perform for the North Carolina

Music Educators Conference and the

North Carolina ACDA Conference. Mr.

Shelton was invited to present the inter-

est session “Working with Boys in the

Middle School Choral Setting” for the

2006 Southern Division ACDA Confer-

ence in Charleston, W.V., using his 8th

Grade Young Men’s Ensemble as the

demonstration choir. In February, he will

present a session for the 2014 Eastern

Division ACDA Conference in Baltimore.

Mr. Shelton has conducted festivals and

honor choirs for elementary, middle

school, and high school students in 14

states and abroad, including the ACDA

Central Division Junior High Honor Choir

as well as all-state choirs in Alabama,

Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mis-

sissippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, and

South Carolina. His compositions have

been published by Choristers Guild, Colla

Voce Music, Heritage Music Press, Hin-

shaw Music Company, Santa Barbara Mu-

sic Press, and Walton Music.

FACULTY PROFILE—TOM T. SHELTON, JR.

This group of graduate students conspired to dress up as Dr. Pilkington for Halloween. Note the ties, jackets, glasses, and skinny jeans.

CHURCH MUSIC EXCHANGE

WELCOMES ALUMNI & COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Westminster’s sacred music department

hosted a Church Music Exchange for

alumni, current students, and church mu-

sicians in the tri-state area on January 11,

2013. Just as the Magi presented their

gifts in the season of Epiphany, these mu-

sicians brought their own gifts of experi-

ence, conversation, and creativity to an

informal time devoted to fellowship and

the exchanging of ideas.

The morning-long event began with re-

freshments and the singing of “We All Are

One In Mission,” and, after introductions

and a getting-to-know-you activity, pro-

gressed to a guided group discussion led

by Professor Tom Shelton. Small groups

shared their perspectives on pressing is-

sues in their church settings, the role of

church musicians in local leadership, and

the evolution of church music over the

past 20 years. The morning concluded

with updates from representatives of vari-

ous professional and working organiza-

tions (such as ACDA, Choristers Guild, and

RSCM America) and finally the hymn

“Canticle of the Turning.”

The sacred music department has tenta-

tively scheduled its next Church Music Ex-

change for Friday, January 24, 2014.

Watch for an invitation to arrive via e-mail

in December 2013, and please consider

joining us! We would love to meet you and

share tales from traveling the road of

church music ministry in the 21st century.

Sacred Music Newsletter Page 3

CHURCH MUSIC EXCHANGE

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

What are the most pressing issues you encounter in your church setting?

Commitment issues

Communication

Hesitation to change

Integration of traditional and contemporary music

Conflicts and overscheduling

Parishes in transition

Priests not musically educated

Church unity

Changing priorities from worship to service

In these changing times, how should we as church musicians lead on the local

level?

Spend more time in discussion with other musicians

Be flexible with expectations/be understanding

Include an outreach component in our programs

Host/attend events like the Church Music Exchange, providing an opportunity

for fellowship and discussion

Choose music that’s appropriate and of a high quality; elevate the level of

music in church

Pay close attention to protect unity in church and not divide the mission of

the church

Focus on common ground, which may enable more participation

Connect with members and musicians

Keep a sense of direction

Block own ego in service planning

Include solid music education in your program

How has church music evolved in the past 20 years in your particular setting?

World music has been included in the church

There is a greater emphasis on congregational singing

Music publishing has focused more over the years on children’s church choir

music, rather than just SATB church or treble school music

Greater availability of higher-level children

There has been a push for contemporary music in many denominations

Jack Cleghorn

M.M. Sacred Music, 2011

Where are you now? I’m the Director of

Liturgical Music at Stella Maris Catholic

Church in Sullivan’s Island, S.C. In that

role I conduct a We Sing program (ages 5-

8), youth choirs (ages 8-18), an adult

choir for an English mass, and a Latin

choir for our Latin rite. I’m also the con-

ductor of the Youth Orchestra of the Low

Country, which has existed for over 40

years with the purpose of performing

quality repertoire with kids that don’t get

to do that in high school.

What initially attracted you to Westmin-

ster’s sacred music program? I didn’t

have to choose to do either organ or sa-

cred music; I am an organist and a con-

ductor, and I could fuse the two.

How did Westminster’s Sacred Music De-

partment prepare you for your current

roles? Westminster taught me a stand-

ard of excellence and the way everything

needs to be approached to do a job well

done. It set the bar to show me what mu-

sic can be, what it is, and how to connect

to your developing players and singers.

What is your favorite memory associated

with Westminster sacred music? My con-

ducting recital with Sarah Moerman

(M.M. 2011), where we got to perform

Bach’s cantata Wir danken dir (BWV 29).

It allowed me to both play for and con-

duct a performance of a major Bach work

with my friends, colleagues, peers, and

the support of everyone.

Kristian Kohler

B.M. Sacred Music & Music Education, 2013

Where are you now? Yale Divinity School.

I’m pursuing a Master of Arts in Religion,

a two-year degree, in contrast to an

M.Div., which is more of a ministry track.

But I’m switching to an M.Div.!

What initially attracted you to Westmin-

ster’s sacred music program? I really

liked the small community at Westmin-

ster and particularly in the Sacred Music

Department. It felt like a very personal

place, and I also liked that it was not affil-

iated with a specific church—that it was

ecumenical and that there were a lot of

things there to enrich sacred music study.

So I was attracted to the community and

diversity. And also to all of the amazing

performance opportunities. It’s one thing

to study Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and

another thing to perform it the next se-

mester. It allows you to live out the things

you study in a unique way.

How did Westminster’s Sacred Music De-

partment prepare you for your current

roles? Through the incorporation of prac-

tical experiences (including classes like

Conducting Church Choirs and Field Edu-

cation) and their focus on doing worship

well. And also through Sacred Music Col-

loquium and different events like that

with guest speakers and Dr. Pilkington’s

series on Italian Renaissance art. It

sparked my passions and interests.

What is your favorite memory associated

with Westminster sacred music? The

WHERE ARE YOU NOW? Updates From Three Recent Sacred Music Alumni

Commissioning/Sending Service that we

did every year. Every year you’re taking

part in it, and doing that service for oth-

ers, until senior year it’s done for you.

It’s not a one-time thing; you’ve seen it

happen, and you’ve been a part of it. It

embodied our community spirit every

year.

Maria Seuffert

B.M. Sacred Music & Voice, 2009

Where are you now? I just started a doc-

torate in choral conducting at Indiana

University, and I’m a full-time director of

music at St. Paul Catholic Center in

Bloomington, Ind., the Catholic center on

campus and a fully operational church

for the community.

What initially attracted you to Westmin-

ster’s sacred music program? My church

choir director from home in Rhode Is-

land was familiar with the program, and

she encouraged me to apply. I visited

the campus and liked the small environ-

ment.

How did Westminster’s Sacred Music

Department prepare you for your current

roles? It prepared me significantly, in

that I felt prepared to enter a master’s

degree at Emory University. This is also

the first time I’ve been a music director,

and I feel the practical knowledge about

how to work with a choir and church

staff and administrators came from

Westminster. We had a lot of hands-on

experience, which came from our clas-

Sacred Music Newsletter Page 4

continued on page 5

FESTIVALS, SERVICES, AND A SYMPOSIUM!

EXTRAORDINARY SACRED MUSIC EVENTS IN 2013

Westminster Choir College Children’s

Choir Festival

On Saturday, March 9, 2013, the Sacred

Music Department sponsored a Children’s

Choir Festival conducted by visiting guest

artist Janeal Krehbiel and Professor Tom

Shelton. Participating choirs included: The

American Boychoir Training Choir, Fred

Meads, conductor; Princeton Girlchoir–

Grace Notes, Melissa Malvar, conductor;

Princeton Girlchoir–Quarter Notes, Fred

Meads, conductor; Princeton United Meth-

odist Church Children’s Choir, Yvonne

Macdonald, conductor; and the Trenton

Children’s Choir, Constance Hurtt, con-

ductor. Sacred Music students served as

section leaders and hosts for this event

that culminated with a sharing session for

parents and the community at 2:30 p.m.

in Bristol Chapel.

Alumni Week Hymn Festival

“Body, Mind, Spirit, Voice: A Hymn Festi-

val of Celebration” was held Thursday,

May 16, 2013, as part of the Alumni

Week activities. A reception was held af-

ter the hymn festival honoring Professor

Emerita Helen Kemp, who celebrated her

95th Birthday on Easter Sunday. The

hymn festival was planned by Sacred Mu-

sic graduate students Elizabeth Nowik,

Ruth-Noemi Belonni Rosario, Brian

Schoettler, James Shiell, and Professors

Tom Shelton and Kathleen Ebling Shaw.

Many alumni participated in the festival,

including Liza M. Calisesi ’12, Brenda Day

’80, John Nowik ’82, Anthony J. Rafaniello

’05, Julia Kemp Rothfuss ’66, Kathleen

Ebling Shaw ’85, Brian-Paul Thomas ’83,

and Jason Vodicka ’03, ’09.

Multi-Faith Service in Observance of

Children’s Sabbath

As part of Sacred Music Lab, students

plan and prepare four worship services

during the year. “Blessed Are the Peace-

makers: A Multi-Faith Observance of the

Children’s Sabbath” was held Tuesday,

October 8, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in Bristol

Chapel. Sacred music students Vinroy

Brown, Hazel Eaton, Lauren Lazzari, Mark

Loria, Ruth-Noemi Belonni Rosario, Tessa

Scortino, and Professor Tom Shelton

planned this worship experience. Special

guests for the service included Rabbi

Daniel Grossman from Adath Israel Con-

gregation in Lawrenceville, N.J., choristers

Ian Keller and Evan Corn from the Ameri-

can Boychoir, and Kerry Heimann, the

American Boychoir’s assistant director of

music and accompanist.

Kemp Church Music Symposium:

October 12, 2013

For many years, The Kemp Endowment

for Church Music at Westminster Choir

College has sponsored a Church Music

symposium featuring guest artists pre-

senting sessions on current topics in

church music. Professor Emerita Helen

Kemp works with the Sacred Music De-

partment and the Office of Continuing Ed-

ucation to plan the symposium. This

year’s symposium focused on working

with preschool- to elementary-aged chil-

dren. With the drastic cuts in education

around the country, Mrs. Kemp feels that

church musicians need to provide a quali-

ty musical education for young singers

and teacher training for their leaders.

Featured clinician John Feierabend pre-

sented a session titled “First Steps in Mu-

sic: Becoming Tuneful, Beatful, and Art-

ful.” In addition, Professor Tom Shelton

led a music reading session for church

children’s choirs, featuring the Nassau

Presbyterian Church Grade 3-5 Choristers

(Sue Ellen Page, director.) The symposium

culminated with a hymn festival, “Great

Hymns for Children,” planned by Helen

Kemp, Sue Ellen Page, and Tom Shelton.

Sacred Music Newsletter Page 5

Professor Emerita Helen Kemp '41 leads the

congregation in Austin C. Lovelace's "May the

Road Rise to Meet You"

ses, videotaping ourselves in rehears-

al, and meeting with Dr. Pilkington to

review our progress. I felt very comfort-

able and prepared.

What is your favorite memory associat-

ed with Westminster sacred music? I

loved the Tuesday night Colloquiums

that brought in clinicians to work with

us from the outside. That’s actually

how I found out about Emory, because

[Associate Professor of Church Music

and Worship] Dr. James Abbington

came in to talk to us. Colloquium

helped to balance our learning from

inside and outside the program.

Alumni: Tell us where you are and

we’ll feature you in a future edition

of the Newsletter! Please e-mail us at

sacredmusic@rider.edu!

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

continued from page 4

continued on page 7

SACRED MUSIC DEPARTMENT WELCOMES NOTEWORTHY GUESTS

Over the past year we have welcomed

many special guest artists to Westminster

to offer sessions designed to specifically

benefit our sacred music students.

Guests have typically been invited to ad-

dress Sacred Music Lab/Sacred Music

Colloquium on Tuesday evenings. They

have shared their expertise on various

subjects related to church work.

Kevin McBeth

“Everything Old Is New Again…Different,

Too!”

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Mr. McBeth

shared experienc-

es of working in a

large church set-

ting. He is Director

of Music at Man-

chester United

Methodist Church

in suburban St.

Louis, a program

that includes 18 choral and handbell en-

sembles involving nearly 500 partici-

pants. He also serves as Associate Con-

ductor with the St. Louis Symphony Or-

chestra, leading the IN UNISON chorus.

Dr. Mary Goetze

“Expanding Musical Horizons: Issues to

Consider and Procedures to Try When In-

cluding Music from Around the Globe”

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Dr. Goetze present-

ed an informative

session on how to

learn and teach mu-

sic from a different

culture. Her profes-

sional activities cen-

ter on choral music,

multiculturalism,

teacher education and children’s singing.

While at Indiana University’s Jacobs

School of Music, Dr. Goetze founded the

University Children’s Choir and the Inter-

national Vocal Ensemble, an ensemble

that focused on songs from outside the

western art tradition.

Janeal Krehbiel

“Creating the Rehearsal: Shaping the Ad-

venture”

March 5-9, 2013

Ms. Krehbiel served

as an artist-in-

residence for the

Sacred Music De-

partment from

Tuesday, March 5

through Saturday,

March 9. Activities during the week in-

cluded presentations for Sacred Music

Lab/Colloquium, Conducting Class, Music

Education Lab, Student Teaching Seminar

Class, and co-directing a Children’s Choir

Festival with Professor Tom Shelton. Ms.

Krehbiel is founder and director of the

Lawrence Children’s Choir. She was a

member of the Choristers Guild Board of

Directors and has been a featured clini-

cian at St. Olaf College, Montreat Music

Conference, and the North Carolina Sum-

mer Institute for Choral Art. Under Ms.

Krehbiel’s direction the Lawrence Chil-

dren’s Choir was chosen to sing for two

National ACDA Conferences, the National

MENC Conference and was the featured

choir for the World’s Largest Concert on

PBS.

Dr. Dan Forrest

“Composer Conversations and Music

Reading Session”

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Dr. Forrest presented a music reading

session of his music, discussed the

thought process

behind his compo-

sitional work, and

addressed ques-

tions by our sacred

music students. Dr.

Forrest is a pianist-

turned-composer

whose music has

already established a lasting presence in

the U.S. and abroad. His music has been

broadcast on NPR’s “Performance Today”

and has been performed in leading ven-

ues across the country and around the

world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln

Center, and the Kennedy Center. Dr. For-

rest has been commissioned to arrange a

Christmas carol for the 2013 Westmin-

ster Choir College Readings and Carols

service at Princeton University Chapel.

Dr. Sandra Snow

“From Imagination to Inspiration: The Pro-

ductive Rehearsal”

Conducting master class featuring sacred

music graduate students with a conduct-

ing concentration

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Dr. Snow led an AC-

DA Student Chapter

session on the pro-

ductive rehearsal

and a conducting

master class for our

sacred music gradu-

ate students. Profes-

sor of Choral Con-

ducting and Music Ed-

ucation at Michigan State University, Dr.

Snow conducts the Michigan State Uni-

versity Women’s Chamber Ensemble, a

group that has appeared at the National

ACDA Conference. She was a 2013 princi-

pal guest conductor and visiting scholar

Sacred Music Newsletter Page 6

with the Festival 500 International Choral

Festival in Newfoundland, Canada and

she holds a principal residency with the

Pacific International Children’s Choir Fes-

tival. She also conducts honor choirs and

all-state choirs across North America.

Lynnel Jenkins

“Inspiring Through the Gesture: Strategies

for Developing Artistry in Young Singers”

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Lynnel Joy Jenkins

serves as Artistic

Director of the

Princeton Girlchoir

and as the choral

teacher at the Tim-

berlane Middle

School of the

Hopewell Valley Regional School District

in Pennington, N.J. Ms. Jenkins’ varied

conducting and teaching experience rang-

es from the elementary to collegiate level.

She has served as Assistant Professor of

Music Education at Westminster Choir

College of Rider University and as con-

ductor of the Resident Training Choir at

the American Boychoir School in Prince-

ton, N.J. She was on the conducting staff

of the Temple University Children’s Choir

where she served for three seasons. Ms.

Jenkins is a choral conductor and music

educator of international stature, having

lectured and conducted in China, Hong

Kong, Iceland, and South Africa. She has

served as guest conductor for numerous

honor choirs, all-state choirs, and choral

festivals in the United States.

Presentations by special guest artists are

always open to our alumni and communi-

ty. If you would like to be on the e-mail list

for sacred music events, please write to

sacredmusic@rider.edu.

GUESTS Friends: One of our principal themes as we train our young musicians is that church music

must be an inspirational wedding of ancient and new practices, a sensibility that allows us to

draw deeply from the spiritual wells of the past even as we embrace the language and thought

of our own cultural moment. Included here is a durable older hymn text attached to a new

tune. It makes for a nice response and is especially sweet in treble voices. If it’s useful to you,

please employ it freely! –S.P.

continued from page 6

Sacred Music Newsletter Page 7

WESTMINSTER CHORAL ENSEMBLE EVENTS

IN 2013 – JOIN US!

Sacred Music Office

101 Walnut Lane

Princeton, NJ 08540

609-921-7100, ext. 8277

sacredmusic@rider.edu

www.rider.edu/wcc

Joe Miller, Department Chair

Steve Pilkington, Sacred Music

Tom T. Shelton, Jr., Sacred Music

Kathleen Ebling Shaw, Handbells

Brandon Waddles, Jubilee Singers

Kevin Radtke, Coordinator

Alan Morrison, Organ

Matthew Lewis, Organ

Peter Richard Conte, Improvisation

Kathleen Scheide, Harpsichord

Ryan Brandau, Conducting

James Jordan, Conducting

Andrew Megill, Conducting

Amanda Quist, Conducting

SACRED MUSIC, ORGAN, AND CONDUCTING

DEPARTMENT

Sacred Music Newsletter

November 2 Chapel Choir: “Lux Aeterna” (Works by Fauré, Allegri, Paulus, and a world

premiere by Brandon Waddles)

November 9 & 10 Westminster Choir: “Legends”

November 16 Schola Cantorum: “Ye Shall Have a Song”

November 17 Kantorei: “From Maid to Monarch: Women of the Renaissance”

(Works by Weelkes, Purcell, Isaacs, Josquin, and Byrd)

November 23 Williamson Voices: “Illumina: Music of Light and Transcendence”

November 24 Jubilee Singers: “Remembering”

December 6-8 Concert Bell Choir: “Tidings of Comfort and Joy”

December 13 & 15 An Evening of Readings and Carols

December 17-21 Symphonic Choir and the New York Philharmonic: Handel’s Messiah

To subscribe to Westminster’s weekly performance e-newsletter, visit

www.rider.edu/arts

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