Resources for Liturgical Music:
Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship
Issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2007, this document replaces the earlier music documents, Music in Catholic Worship and Liturgical Music Today, and it provides a comprehensive and pastoral overview on the use of music in the sacred liturgy. This text could be considered the handbook for all parish directors/coordinators of liturgical music. Available in English and Spanish.
Cantor Training Resource
The Liturgical Ministry Resource prepared by the Office for Parish Life contains a section for the training of cantors. The resource includes a PowerPoint presentation, definition of terms and additional resources. Click here to learn more about this resource.
National Association of Pastoral Musicians
Founded in 1976, the National Association of Pastoral Musicians is an organization dedicated to fostering the art of music in the liturgy through various online and printed resources, workshops and a yearly national convention (which began in Scranton in 1978) that draws church musicians from all over the world. Visit the NPM website at www.npm.org for more information and to become a member of the national organization.
Scranton Chapter of the National As
sociation of Pastoral Musicians
The Scranton Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians is the local organization that continues the mission of fostering the art of liturgical music. The Scranton Chapter of NPM offers presentations and resources on the topics of liturgy and music at various parishes in the Diocese of Scranton throughout the year. The work of the local chapter is supported by annual membership. Visit the Scranton Chapter of NPM’s website at www.ScrantonNPM.com to learn more.
American Guild of Organists (Pennsylvania Northeast Chapter)
The mission of the American Guild of Organists Pennsylvania Northeast Chapter is to foster a thriving community of musicians who share their knowledge and inspire passion for the organ. The local organization seeks to engage, support, and uplift every organist in Northeastern Pennsylvania. To learn more or to see upcoming events, visit www.agopane.org.
Liturgy Training Publications
Liturgy Training Publications of the Archdiocese of Chicago has worked in collaboration with the National Association of Pastoral Musicians to offer online workshops for cantors and musicians throughout the year. These virtual workshops are different than other webinars in that they invite participants to engage with the presenter and one another in providing feedback, reflections on the topic
at hand, and discuss best practices and strategies for enhancing engagement in their ministries. The cost for each session is $10-$15, and discounted rates are available when purchasing a series of workshops. Past workshops for musicians have included, The Cantor’s Tune-U; The Cantor as Animator of the Assembly Bringing the Liturgy to Life; Sing to the Lord—A Theology of Parish Music Ministry. To see what current and past sessions are available for purchase and download, please visit https://ltp.org/virtualworkshops.