It’s a wrap! The 51st Annual Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy, aptly themed Splendor of God’s Glory Bright, ended with a glorious Saturday 10:30am Eucharist at Church of the Nativity in Greenwood in August. The Conference is grateful to Reverend Don Chancellor, and Organist/Choirmaster David Williamson for their hospitality. The Eucharist was the culmination of a week of intense rehearsals, excellent lectures, and Morning and Evening Prayer. The respect and camaraderie among singers, music staff and clinicians was obvious!

The Greenwood setting for the weeklong Conference was very convenient for the participants. Lodging was at The Alluvian, which is next to the Episcopal Church of the Nativity where Morning and Evening Prayer, lectures and choir rehearsals, were held. The ladies from Nativity prepared delicious lunch and evening meals most of the week, with the St. Lawrence Guild from St. John’s Laurel providing the evening meal on Tuesday. The food was absolutely wonderful! And the coffee was fresh, hot and delicious every morning!

The choir spent several hours a day sight reading and rehearsing a beautiful selection of sacred music. The directing skills of clinicians Marjorie Johnston, Director of Music at First Presbyterian, Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and Brad Hughley, AAGO, ARSCM, Organist and Director of Music at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Indianapolis, Indiana complemented each other beautifully. Dr. Jeff McLelland, Director of Music and Fine Arts at Independent Presbyterian in Birmingham and Kipp Gill, Organist and Associate Director of Music at Shandon United Methodist in Columbia, South Carolina accompanied rehearsals, played for the daily services, and treated the attendees to an elegant selection of organ preludes and postludes. The choristers this year worked very well together; most were excellent sight readers and made wonderful progress developing a beautiful sound, even as early as the first Evening Prayer.

Thursday, the choir made a day trip to St. James Episcopal Church in Greenville where Father Brandt Dick and Dr. Matt Butler, Choirmaster/Organist, graciously welcomed the choir, and their delightful hospitality team provided an excellent lunch for the choir. The choir celebrated a lovely Festival Choral Evensong at 5:30pm, which was well attended by the church members and community. The Reverend Joe Robinson, now of Wareham, Mass. returned to his Mississippi roots for the conference, and his lectures and homilies provided wonderful food for thought, discussion and spiritual growth.

As is customary, the Thursday Festival Choral Evensong was recorded. The recording will be posted on the Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy website, as will a recording of the Saturday morning Eucharist.

Many of the participants have a long history with the conference, some attending 10, 20 or even 30 years! A host of young organists, choristers and choirmasters were in attendance for the first time and quickly become advocates for the conference based on their excellent experience. All were blessed by the camaraderie, excellent direction and music selection. Opportunities to meet, interact with and network with fellow church musicians, and to learn new ways to recall and live into and honor the Baptismal Covenant were abundant. Several enjoyed the chance to present their compositions for performance and critique.

Choristers, clinicians, and musicians came from Texas, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Louisianna, and of course Mississippi!

A talent-rich evening at the Friday Night Cabaret brought the house down, and was a fitting and fun finale to an amazing week of creativity.

Co-directors David O’Steen, Organist and Choirmaster at St. Philip’s, Jackson, and Dr. Jeff McLelland deserve at huge shout-out for putting together a beautifully coordinated conference.

The Mississippi Conference on Church Music and Liturgy also welcomed new Board members: Dr. Matt Butler of St. James, Greenville, and Dr. Josh Nichols, Organist at Chapel of the Cross, Madison.

It’s not too early to sign your folks up for next year!

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