THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

THE J. W. PEPPER BLOG | DELIVERING MUSIC SINCE 1876

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Sacred

The Best New Music for Church Choirs

Our team is always working to make directors’ jobs easier: we do everything possible to simplify the process of choosing repertoire, so you can...

How to Use the Worship Planning Tool

As the director of your church’s choir, choosing appropriate repertoire for each service is central to your spiritual mission, and yet finding singable selections...

Directors’ Vote 2021 Results

Directors’ Vote: The Results Are In! The Most Popular 2021–2022 Editors’ Choice Selections For years, music directors and performers have relied on Editors’ Choice—our annual...

New Sounds Podcast: Check Out New Music… from Your Couch

Welcome to our new podcast: New Sounds of J.W. Pepper! Each episode features a different publisher or composer who will introduce some of their...

Top 5 Summer Music Conferences 2021 – Online or In Person

Summer is the perfect time to refresh and rejuvenate while you prepare for the fall. And what better way to do that than in...

Copyright for Virtual Worship Services: What You Can and Cannot Do

J.W. Pepper recently conducted a webinar regarding copyright as it pertains to virtual worship services. Here's a summary of the webinar along with a...

How Church Music Directors Can Help Congregants Overcome Fear

In recent months, there have been many days when it has been tough to find courage. So, you may be asking yourself: As a...

An Interview with Sacred Music Composer Tom Trenney

Upon meeting Tom Trenney, one can’t help but notice that there is something special about him. His calm spirit, nonjudgmental loving manner, high intelligence,...

Ways to Virtually Engage Your Church’s Music Ensemble

When we go through a crisis in life, we do two things: we go back to foundational constants, and we seek connection. We listen...

A Journey in the Wilderness – Self-Care for Church Musicians in Difficult Times

Words seem inadequate to describe the current situation that all of us are facing. Many of you have been let go from your church...

The Music and Ministry of Pepper Choplin

From his first piece with Purifoy Publishing, Within These Walls, to his latest “fresh off the press” anthem with The Lorenz Corporation, Pepper Choplin...

Holiday Self-Care for Church Musicians

Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? This amazing season of the year redefines the word “busy.” Is it possible that...

My Top 10 Reasons for Having a Children’s Choir

I will never forget to this day that special night my father drove me to our church in my hometown of Shelby, North Carolina...

Randy Vader: Choirs Doing More Than Just Singing

As CEO of PraiseGathering Music Group, Randy Vader has vast experience in the sacred music publishing business as a writer and composer, and with...

Composer Patrick Hawes’ Spiritual Path

British composer Patrick Hawes gives an unusual answer when asked if there’s anything career-wise he wishes he could do better. His response: “Nothing.” The...

Recruiting Members for Your Church Choir

Most choir directors spend time thinking about how to keep their group vital and thriving. This usually involves the recruitment of new members from...

Multigenerational Singing in Church

The spiritual and educational value of asking different generations to sing together is meaningful, and the energy they create together can be palpable. In...

Church Musician or Magician? A Choral Planning Guide

It’s that time of year! Whether you started planning two years ago or you will wait until the first week of rehearsals (don’t worry,...

The Inside Voice: An Interview with Keith Getty

Keith Getty burst onto the scene in 2001 with In Christ Alone, a modern hymn that quickly became a staple of Christian worship services....

Mark Cabaniss’ Top 10 Reasons for Performing a Musical

Night of Miracles… Joy Comes in the Morning… Friends… It’s Cool in the Furnace… Celebrate Life… and the list could go on. Hopefully, you’re...

The Inside Voice: An Interview with Kim André Arnesen

Kim André Arnesen is one of today’s most promising young choral composers. As a child growing up in Norway, Arnesen developed a love for...

The Inside Voice: An Interview with Mark Hayes

Known to be one of the most versatile composers and arrangers of our time, Mark Hayes is popular with both worship and secular choirs....

John Rutter on Christmas

When you hear the name John Rutter, your mind automatically jumps to the thought of Christmas music.  What makes Rutter's name so synonymous with Christmas?  We...

Church Music Publishers Association endorses J.W Pepper’s print-on-demand music service

Exton, PA - The Church Music Publishers Association endorses J.W Pepper as the print-on-demand music supplier for its publisher members. J.W. Pepper's print on demand...

The Celebration of Christ the King Sunday

With the end of the liturgical year approaching, so too is the oft misunderstood Feast of Christ the King.  Many Christian faiths celebrate this...

Growing up ”Southern”

My mother and grandmother were born and bred in Kentucky, something that I am most proud of.  Having a Southern heritage is something that...

The Changing Role of the Choir in Worship

In 1968, sacred music changed forever.  The “Jesus Movement” in Southern California gave birth to what would eventually become known as Contemporary Christian Music...

The Benefits of Attending a Live Reading Session

On July 23, 2012, J.W. Pepper hosted Summer Sing, a choral music reading session in the company’s corporate headquarters in Pennsylvania.  While reading sessions...

A Legacy of Praise

So many things influence who we are.  For many of us, our spiritual lives are surrounded by music.  So much so, they often seem...

Harmony Singing

Everyone seems to enjoy good harmony singing.  From the Andrew Sisters during World War II, the McGuire Sisters, the Four Lads, the Mills Brothers,...

Preserving Gospel Music and Inspiring Teenagers

I recently came across a 60 Minutes segment that was very moving, encouraging, and left me with goosebumps -- so I had to share it...

The Margil Mass

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, composer Ronnie Sanders remembers the five beautiful, historic missions in San Antonio as a natural part of...

Rejoice in the Small Choir

It has been long-standing tradition that if you are a church choir member, you sing SATB music.  I don't know when this became the...

Choral Conversations: Mary McDonald

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Mary McDonald, a multi-talented musician from Knoxville, Tennessee. In addition to her work as a composer, arranger, producer,...

Goodbye, My Friend

As a faithful attendee of Pepper new music reading sessions, "Goodbye, My Friend” was presented at one this summer.  Call it premonition or just...