Sound in the Land: Essays on Mennonites and Music

"In May 2004 more than 100 persons gathered at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario, to take part in a festival and conference dedicated to exploring the diversity of music made by Mennonites. There were scholarly papers, some of which are included in Sound in the Land, reading sessions and concerts of a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from the singing of hymns both old and new through classical to jazz, rock and bluegrass. Gathered into four sections, the essays in this book are representative of that diversity. The first, as one might expect, deals with hymnals, the heart of Mennonite music making over the centuries, the second with musical figures 'at the edges,' and the third explores the world of Mennonite performers, composers and singer-songwriters. The fourth section returns to the theme of hymns and hymnals, this time emphasizing their place and meaning within the communities in which they are used." - Wesley Berg in the Journal of Mennonite Studies Read more