Karen Black
A free lecture will begin at noon in the Wartburg Chapel Commons, followed by a recital at 12:30 p.m. in the Wartburg Chapel sanctuary. Black’s selections, which include “Out of the Depths I Cry to You,” “Salvation unto Us Has Come” and “Dear Christian, One and All, Rejoice,” honor the 500th anniversary of the printing of the first Lutheran hymnals.
Black will perform compositions from a variety of musical eras based on some of the hymns in the earliest Lutheran hymnals. Each composition will be preceded by singing one stanza of each.
Black teaches organ and church music, music theory and aural skills; serves as organist for weekday chapel; and conducts the Kantorei choral ensemble and the Wartburg Handbell Choir. She also recently served as the North Central Regional Councillor of the American Guild of Organists.
She is an active recitalist and clinician and has performed throughout the United States and in Germany. Black is president-elect of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and has served as dean of the Cedar Valley Chapter of the AGO. She also is an active member of the Organ Historical Society and ACDA.
She has been heard on the nationally broadcast “Pipedreams” program. Her essay “J. S. Bach as Theologian-Musician” appears in “Together by Grace: Introducing the Lutherans.”
Black has published organ and choral arrangements with Augsburg Fortress and Morningstar Music, including a collection of organ hymn introductions, “Shine Like the Sun.” In 2021 she released an organ album, “Ein feste Burg,” on the ARSIS label, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the installation of the Wartburg College Chapel Dobson organ.
Participants are invited to bring a lunch.
The next lecture-recital is scheduled for Nov. 8 and will be led by James Streufert of the Dobson Organ Builders.