This summer Augsburg Fortress hosted five music clinics around the country, featuring the talent and wit of clinicians Mark Sedio and David Cherwien along with a wonderful line-up of handbell clinicians at each location.
Augsburg Fortress music clinics offer a great way to reconnect with friends and colleagues, find several new music gems in our catalog, and gain some useful insights for your music program. We also hope that by actively participating in reading seasons, workshops, and the hymn festival, you leave feeling uplifted, energized, and excited for the upcoming year!
2024 HIGHLIGHTS
NEW KEYBOARD REPERTOIRE
Mark Sedio and David Cherwien presented new organ and piano music during the Keyboard Reading Session, allowing us to imagine how we might program a piece and what it might sound like in our own space.
One of the best attended sessions!
CHORAL READING SESSIONS
The clinicians presented new music for children’s choirs and adult music for unison-SATB choirs.
Choir directors experience the music firsthand as they become the choir for reading sessions.
NEW HANDBELL MUSIC READING SESSION
Each location had a wonderful handbell clinician who not only read through new music from Chorister’s Guild but provided rehearsal and performance techniques directors could use right away with their ensembles.
MARK SEDIO WORKSHOP: Sing with Body, Soul, and Spirit
So often singing-challenges are not actually ear-challenges but rather body, mind, and breath challenges. Mark demonstrated how the use of movement and imagery can help unify vowels, assist with breath energy, and help choirs convey the meaning of the piece. 
Mark Sedio had us all dancing in the pews, blowing out imaginary candles, and removing imaginary swimming caps to show how simple movements can help the choir’s sound quickly and easily.
DAVID CHERWIEN WORKSHOP: Living in Wonder: The Hymnody of Susan Palo Cherwien
Susan Palo Cherwien not only provided the church with such beloved hymns as “O Blessed Spring” and “Rise, O Church, Like Christ Arisen,” but published four volumes of hymn collections. David Cherwien presented a moving and in-depth biography of her life as a poet and hymn writer, stating that she was a singer first, then a writer of hymn texts; she chose to follow where life led her.
For further reading, see David Cherwien’s recent AF blog post:
A Tribute to Susan Palo Cherwien's Life and Final Release, Living in Wonder
HYMN FESTIVAL Infinite Beauty
Featuring two new hymn collections--Love Astounding by Jeannette Lindholm, and Living in Wonder by Susan Palo Cherwien--the clinicians led us through hymns that explored themes of wonder, creation, love, and peace. We also had opportunity to sing in English, Hebrew, Arabic, and American Sign Language.
Everyone was invited to sing in the Hymn Festival Choir to help lead the singing and gain insight from David Cherwien!
MUSIC CLINIC TOP SELLERS
CHORAL
Dust Remember You Are Splendor, by Anne Krentz Organ (SAB, piano)
O Come Let Us Sing, by Walter Pelz (SAB, organ)
What Joyous Song Unfolding, by Zebulon Highben (SATB, organ)
God You Spin the Whirling Planets, by Nathan Zullinger (2-part mixed, organ)
How Firm a Foundation, by David Cherwien (SATB, organ)
The Son of Mary, by Andrew Parr (SAB, piano)
KEYBOARD
Come and Praise, Volume 4, by Mark Sedio (organ)
Hymns of Joy and Grace Vol. 3: Piano Settings for the Church Year, Sylvia B. Oines
Gathered and Sent: Pairs of Preludes and Postludes for Organ, by Brenda Portman
A Garland of Graces: Music for Organ and C Instrument, by various composers
Welcome and Wonder: Eleven Piano Settings, by Anthony Giamanco
Partita on "Rise, O Church, like Christ Arisen," by David Cherwien
Look for news about our Summer 2025 Music Clinics!
