William Bradley Roberts

The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
February 24, 2019

This snowy Sunday, we are pleased to welcome the Reverend Dr. William Bradley Roberts as our guest preacher and choral conductor. He will lead the Cathedral Choir in two of his anthems, "In All These You Welcomed Me" and an arrangement of a spiritual, "This Little Light of Mine."

William Bradley Roberts is currently Professor of Church Music at Virginia Theological Seminary and Director of Chapel Music.

He received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Houston Baptist University with double majors in Voice and Music Education. He received the degrees Master of Church Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from Southern Seminary (Louisville, Ky.) with an emphasis in Conducting and Voice. His doctoral dissertation is entitled Darius Milhaud, His Life and Choral Works with Biblical Texts: A Conductor’s Study.

Roberts was ordained to the priesthood in May 2016. Prior to his coming to Virginia Seminary, he was an Episcopal church musician for thirty-three years, the most recent position being St. John’s, Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. Before coming to St. John’s, he held similar posts in Tucson, Arizona; Newport Beach, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and Houston, Texas.

He has taught on the music faculties of Indiana University Southeast, Southern Seminary, Mars Hills College and Louisville Presbyterian Seminary.

Roberts is a composer with works published by Augsburg-Fortress, G.I.A., Hope, Paraclete, St. James Music Press, and Selah. His hymns and other music for worship appear in several volumes including the hymnals of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod and various collections of Church Publishing Inc. He has composed on commissions from a number of schools, churches and individuals.

Dr. Roberts has had articles published in the Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians (AAM), the Journal of the Association of Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commissions (ADLMC), and The Living Church. A book, Music and Vital Congregations: A Practical Guide for Clergy, is available from Church Publishing Inc., New York.
Gothic Records has released a recording of Roberts' compositions, the first in a series, called "New American Choral Music," in this case featuring the Choir of St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. (See cover.) It is available from the websites of Gothic Records, Amazon, or as a download from iTunes.

Roberts was chair of the Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Church Music and a founding board member and chair of the Leadership Program for Musicians. Currently he is a member of the boards of the Anglican Musicians’ Mentoring Project, and Melodious Accord, a non-profit organization that promotes the work of composer Alice Parker. He was on the New Music Commissions Committee for the 2010 national convention of the American Guild of Organists.

Active as a leader at conferences and workshops, Roberts has made presentations in the dioceses of Washington,  Dallas, East Carolina, Los Angeles, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, Southern Virginia, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Western New York.
Music for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
February 24, 2019

Hymns
390   Praise to the Lord, the Almighty   Lobe den Herren
304   I come with joy to meet my Lord   Land of Rest
124 (stanza 5)   What star is this, with beams so bright   Puer nobis
593   Lord, make us servants of your peace   Dickinson College
657   Love divine, all loves excelling   Hyfrydol

Service Music
S-277   Gloria in excelsis   New Plainsong, David Hurd
Psalm 37:1-8   St. Martin's Psalter, Thomas Pavlechko
S-125   Sanctus   A Community Mass, Richard Proulx
S-154   Fraction Anthem   New Plainsong, Hurd

Anthems
"This Little Light of Mine"   Spiritual, arr. William Bradley Roberts
"In All These You Welcomed Me"   Roberts
"Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us"   Roberts

Organ Music
Toccata in F Major   Dietrich Buxtehude

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