May 18, 2025

Celebrating Hellström, Voullaire, and Moravian Romanticism: Treasures of 19^th Century Moravian Music

Recognizing that music is a means of proclaiming the Gospel, we celebrate Moravian music on the fifth Sunday of Easter. At a time when our own world seems to be rapidly changing, we can find some comfort in listening to the sounds of earlier Moravians who also recognized that through it all, God’s love remains eternal.

April 28, 2024

In All Things, Love

Recognizing that music is a means of proclaiming the Gospel, we celebrate Moravian music on the fifth Sunday of Easter. Let us take this time to thank God for the gift of music, a heart-felt expression of the faith, love, and hope that we share as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Recognizing that music is a means of proclaiming the Gospel, we celebrate Moravian Music on the fifth Sunday of Easter,

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For WORD documents, please email us at christopher@moravianmusic.org

300th Anniversary

1722 ~ 2022

Project Website

On June 17, 1722, Christian David fells a tree as the first act of establishing a settlement for religious refugees from Moravia. Today, we celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Herrnhut!
Check out this wonderful animated film (German with English subtitles) created to mark the occasion!

The organ was removed a couple of years ago to be refurbished and has been re-installed for its inaugural concerts on May 13-14, 2022.

Concert live-streaming links have been shared:

May 13, 5:00pm in Herrnhut (11am EST) – Formal Dedication
https://youtu.be/idndx6kDKo8

May 13, 7:30pm in Herrnhut (1:30pm EST) – Inauguration Concert
https://youtu.be/sybKjjmdbOw

May 14, 7:30 pm (1:30pm EST) – Festival Ode with music by Moravian composers (including Jaeschke, Bechler, Kubath)
https://youtu.be/ZGI5n-oDfN4

The Celebration of Herrnhut’s 300^th Anniversary will last all year, but the main events will take place during the week of June 12 – 19, 2022.

Two years ago, the Ministry President of Sachsen (Saxony), Mr. Michael Kretschmer, presented the Herrnhut Church with two grants for the restoration and preservation of the historic Schuster organ in the Saal. The grants represent about €527,000 Euros from the Sachsen Ministry of Culture and Media (Minister Prof. Monika Grütters) for the preservation and conservation of monuments (antiquities). The congregation continues efforts to raise an additional €60,000 Euros.

Schuster Organ

The organ refurbishment and restoration strives to recreate the historic sound and acoustic of an 18th century organ. The organ will have additional stops added, in the style of American organ builder, David Tannenberg. His historical technical plans, preserved in the United States, are being consulted. Tannenberg’s family was from Herrnhut and he emigrated to America in 1748.

These 18th century organs were made to produce a light and lovely sound so that the congregational singing was heard prominently. “We are thankful, now, that we are able to attack this project of an organ renovation under these special arrangements,” said Pastor Peter Vogt. “To create an instrument truly unique that makes it possible again to perform in a similar style of the Moravian composers of the early days of Herrnhut.”

Information about the Organ restoration

Herrnhut Music; organ photos

Information about the Saal renovations

At the end of the Second World War, the Kirchensaal fell victim to a devastating fire. With great effort, the Church rebuilt the hall in a simplified form in the 1950s. After the political change in 1989, the roof and the outer facade could be renewed. Now, the Saal has been completely reconstructed to its old splendor, together with the organ and the adjoining community rooms.

Herrnhut was founded in 1722 and was the original settlement of religious refugees of Bohemian Brethren (Unitas Fratrum).
Herrnhut means the Lord’s watchful care or the Lord’s protection.

The German nobleman Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700–1760), after meeting with their leader, Christian David, invited the refugees to settle on his extended Berthelsdorf estates. Zinzendorf himself had a new residence erected here in 1725–1727).

Herrnhut is still the center of the living history of the Moravians. From this place the Daily Texts go out into the whole world. This is where the famous Moravian Advent stars are made. Thousands of guests visit the place every year and are inspired by the spirituality, the architecture, and the community of faith.

Recognizing that music is a means of proclaiming the Gospel, we celebrate Moravian Music on the fifth Sunday of Easter,

May 15, 2022

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For WORD documents, please email us at info@moravianmusic.org

300th Anniversary

1722 ~ 2022

More info

Available to Moravian churches to use in a Moravian Music Sunday service>
Please contact 336-725-0651 to have the files sent to you directly.

Recognizing that music is a means of proclaiming the Gospel,
we celebrate Moravian Music Sunday on the fifth Sunday of Easter,
May 2, 2021
(you are welcome to choose any Sunday suitable for your congregation).
– more info

Whether your congregation is singing together or not, we can let the words of these hymns by James Montgomery work their way into our hearts and souls. Whether we read in silence, or listen to the reading of these words, God listens to each of our hearts, and calls us to respond to God in faith, in love, and in hope.

On this day, set aside to acknowledge our Moravian musical heritage,
we lift our hearts and our voices in praise and thanksgiving.

The Moravian Music Foundation provides all the materials for a service featuring and celebrating Moravian music

CLICK HERE FOR ALL MATERIALS

In light of current guidelines, we encourage churches to choose their own Sunday to feature Moravian Music!

Easily planned with provided resources and materials for a worship experience for your congregation.
This page and shared resources will remain active throughout 2020.

On this day, set aside to acknowledge our Moravian musical heritage,
we lift our hearts and our voices in praise and thanksgiving.

The Moravian Music Foundation provides all the materials for a service featuring and celebrating Moravian music:

These links will open a page with all the documents and materials:

• Background and information
• Bulletin Insert
• Worship outline
• Liturgy for Moravian Music Sunday
• Statement to be read
• Music suggestions
• Special Hymn
• Anthem

all items are easily downloadable on our Moravian Music Sunday PAGE

Through our singing we respond to this God in faith, in love, and in hope. Whether we’re singing old songs or new ones – whether we’re charming the angels with our song or can’t carry a tune in a bucket – we’re called to praise God with our voices. And as we sing and hear one another, we are called to praise God for God’s actions and for each other as companions in our life of faith.

A special note: May 10 is also Mother’s Day. If this date isn’t convenient for your celebration of Moravian Music Sunday, please do celebrate it at any time that “works” for your congregation!

We would appreciate receiving bulletins or reports on what you choose to do for Moravian Music Sunday.  What you do may serve as a model for someone else.
Many thanks, and may God continue to bless your ministry!

Moravian Music Sunday was adopted by the Moravian Church to encourage each congregation to feature and celebrate our Moravian musical heritage. It may be in the form of morning worship, a lovefeast, a Singstunde, a special music service, etc. Details, ideas, templates, music suggestions, and free music available at www.dev.thesignalcompany.com/foundation/moravian-music-sunday/  (always the 5th Sunday of Easter, or 4th Sunday after Easter Sunday)

Theme:
Music and Musicians from Herrnhut

Recognizing that music is a means of proclaiming the Gospel, we celebrate Moravian Music Sunday on the fifth Sunday of Easter, which, in 2018, is April 29. Materials designed to assist your worship planning team in the preparation for Moravian Music Sunday are available HERE. A special note: If April 29 isn’t a convenient time for your celebration of Moravian Music Sunday, please do celebrate it at any time that “works” for your congregation!

This year we take as our theme the musical heritage of Herrnhut, recognizing several composers who were born or lived and worked in Herrnhut in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The suggested order of worship includes hymns and anthems that are keyed to the Revised Common Lectionary, but also that speak to our theme.

There are also many Moravians living today who are writing hymn texts and music, anthems, instrumental music, sacred songs, and all sorts of music – probably someone in your own congregation! While we are offering some suggestions for specific hymns and anthems, we encourage you to seek out those gifted composers and authors in your own congregation and celebrate their gifts.

In recognition of the Moravian Unity Brass Festival to be held in Winston-Salem this July 19-22, we encourage you to use brass players in your worship especially for Moravian Music Sunday but at other times as well.

To help in your planning, we’re including the following on our website —

• A suggested order of service, which can easily be adapted for use in a lovefeast;
• A short liturgy for Moravian Music Sunday;
• A “statement to be read” which focuses attention on Moravian music in the perspective of faith and worship; or, you might invite someone who has visited Herrnhut to speak about their experiences;
• Information regarding the music suggested for Moravian Music Sunday, which you may use in your newsletter or bulletin; and
• A camera-ready “front-and-back” bulletin insert, describing Moravian music and the Moravian Music Foundation.

We would appreciate receiving bulletins or reports on what you choose to do for Moravian Music Sunday. What you do may serve as a model for someone else! Many thanks, and may God continue to bless your ministry!