#093: "Composing for the Singing Church": Composers' Interest Section (with Tom Kendzia)

I want to thank the listeners who have been reaching out & giving feedback to the podcast lately! We got one email last week that I wanted to share. After last week’s episode featuring Paul Turner & RCIA preparations, we received this email about the inclusion of RCIA in their community:

“In our church this year we have 3 RCIA Candidates, no Catechumens. Two of the candidates have connections to our Music ministry. One is a Tenor in our choir. A second is the husband of an Alto in our choir.

Our RCIA chair even moved their meeting night to avoid choir practice!

Thanks for the podcast.

Gerry – Choir Manager, Newtown, CT”

 

Thanks to Gerry for sending along that message, and thanks to Gerry’s parish for the relationships fostered between RCIA candidates and music ministry!

 

Today on the podcast we hear from Tom Kendzia, composer and chair of the Composers Interest Section. Tom is a liturgical musician whose music has been published since 1980. In 2020, he celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of his first collection, “Light of the World.” Tom participated in the first NPM Convention in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the first NPM Composers’ Forum Competition a year later. After 40 years of composing, Tom continues to write and publish his music, while also being the Chair of the Composers Interest Section at NPM…and, of course, still ministering to his church community of 35 years.

SHOW NOTES

Information about the NPM Composers’ Forum Competition can be found here on the NPM website.

TK Head Shot.jpeg

Bio: Tom Kendzia

Tom is a liturgical musician whose music has been published since 1980. In 2020, he celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of his first collection, “Light of the World.” Since then, he has been regularly featured at national conferences, diocesan workshops, and parish events throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. He has performed regularly in Ireland since 2002, and has been the guest conductor of the Irish Church Music Association Summer School, as well as an instructor at this annual event for many years.

Currently the national liturgy and music consultant for William H. Sadlier, Inc.

Tom has over 30 recordings of liturgical and instrumental music, much of it published by OCP, including:

Like a River, Endless Is Your Love, Lead Us to the Water, Clothed in Love, The Ships That Sailed, Make Us One Get On Board (with ValLimar Jansen), and Christ Within Me.

A new collection of liturgical music will be released by OCP in 2020.

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