When we think of pastoral music composers, we think of David Haas. Marty Haugen. Dan Schutte. Tony Alonso. Jesse Manibusan. Ed Bolduc. Steve Angrisano. The list of well-known composers goes on and on. They are names that we see on our choral octavos, or on the composer’s credits of our hymns each week. In a way, we create this cultural divide between those who compose and those who take their songs into the churches for ministry. I’ve heard people say, “I can’t do what these ‘big name’ composers do.” And yet they arrange choral works for their choir, or write their own psalm setting to match the musical needs of their parish.
Some of us might feel a tugging on our hearts to compose, writing down a scripture verse or little segment of a melody that we keep thinking about. But how do we act upon that call? Even more, what if we don’t see ourselves as composers, and stop ourselves before we even put pen to paper?
As a pastoral musician, composing sacred music may seem daunting. Today David Kauffman and I discuss how to honor that call from the Spirit, and how any pastoral musician can grow such gifts.