The Teaching Ministry of Congregational Song Will Be the Focus of the Northcutt Lecture April 6

David W. Music will become first Baylor University professor to give lecture

Contact: Terry Goodrich, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-644-4155
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WACO, Texas (March 31, 2021) – Baylor University’s Center for Christian Music Studies will host David W. Music, professor of church music at Baylor University, for the Spring 2021 Northcutt Lecture Series. His lecture, “The Teaching Ministry of Congregational Song,” will be held on Zoom at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

“While we will miss meeting in person this year, we are excited about the many possibilities that the online format will afford,” said Monique Ingalls, Ph.D., associate professor of music and church music graduate program director. “As Dr. Music delivers his lecture from Baylor’s beautiful Armstrong Browning Library, we anticipate a large online reunion of students, alumni, and friends of the Baylor Center for Christian Music Studies across the state and around the nation.”

Not only will this be the first time in more than three decades that the Northcutt Lecture will be held virtually, but it also marks the first time the Northcutt Lecture will be given by one of Baylor’s own.

“No one could be more deserving of this distinction than Dr. Music,” Ingalls said. “He served as professor of church music at Baylor since 2002 until his retirement in 2020, and over his 40-year academic career, Dr. Music has become widely known as a prolific scholar, a gifted editor, a notable hymn arranger and a wise mentor.”

Music’s areas of expertise include congregational song, American church music, music of the Reformation and Baptist church music. In 2010, he was named a Fellow of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada, and in 2018 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Baptist Church Music Conference. He also has spent a number of years in full- and part-time church music ministry.

Music is author or co-editor of 10 books, including “‘I Will Sing the Wondrous Story’: A History of Baptist Hymnody in North America” (2008); “William J. Reynolds: Church Musician” (2013); “Church Music in the United States 1760-1901” (2014); and “Repeat the Sounding Joy: Reflections on Hymns by Isaac Watts” (2020). In addition, his publications include hundreds of articles in various periodicals as well as choral anthems, critical editions, service music, hymns and arrangements for keyboard and recorder.

Since its inception in 1985, the Northcutt Lecture Series has become an integral part of the academic and spiritual life of Baylor School of Music. Designed to bring nationally and internationally known church music scholars to Baylor, the Northcutt Lecture is made possible by an endowment from Mrs. Cassandra Northcutt and her husband, the late LeGrande Northcutt of Longview, Texas.

“The Northcutt Lecture is one of the most prestigious lectures on church music in the world,” said Randall Bradley, D.M.A., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Music in Baylor’s School of Music. “Since its inception by LeGrande and Cassandra Northcutt, the lecture has attracted the top national and international scholars in the field.”

To RSVP for the 2021 Northcutt Lecture, please visit the Center for Christian Music Studies website at baylor.edu/ccms/northcutt. The recording of the lecture will be placed into the CCMS resource library at http://sites.baylor.edu/ccms.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 19,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT THE BAYLOR UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The Baylor University School of Music provides transformational experiences that prepare students for careers in music. Students thrive in a Christian environment characterized by a nurturing resident faculty, an unwavering pursuit of musical excellence, a global perspective, dedication to service and devotion to faith. They investigate the rich musical and cultural heritage of the past, develop superior musical skills and knowledge in the present, and explore and create new modes of musical expression for the future. While preparing for future leadership roles, students join with School of Music faculty in enhancing the quality of community life, enriching the larger culture and making Baylor a place in which heart, mind and soul coalesce. Baylor’s School of Music is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music and the Texas Association of Music Schools. Degree programs include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in performance, music education and academic majors, as well as doctoral degrees in church music. Degrees leading to the Bachelor of Music Education conform to certification requirements of the Texas Education Agency. Visit baylor.edu/music to learn more.