The following was written for us by Mark Williams, Chair of the ACNA Music Task Force, and director of music at Christ Church Anglican, Savannah, GA. We are grateful for his hard work and friendship and commend these resources to all Anglican churches in need of some liturgical and musical help during this pandemic:

Your ACNA Music Task Force has posted on the ACNA MUSIC RESOURCES website (acnamusic.org) the following helpful items for on-line worship for use during the current Coronavirus pandemic.

Under the HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS tab, you will find a collection of hymns, spiritual songs, and anthems appropriate to the Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide.  This collection provides links to YouTube recordings many with on-screen texts for singing along.  They are all of a high quality. Also, under the Hymns and Spiritual Songs tab you will find a Worship Music Planner with appropriate weekly lists of music for worship following the liturgical calendar.  This should be updated through Trinity Sunday by this Monday evening, March 31, 2020.

Finally, under the PSALMS IN WORSHIP tab, you will find The New Coverdale Psalter set to both Simplified Anglican Chant and simple/beautiful Gregorian Chant along with highly memorable and singable melodies.  Also included are full instructions on teaching these historic forms of chanting the Psalms to your congregation. These should be fully updated by mid-week, April 1, 2020.

The focus of the Provincial Music Task Force is to provide resources, teachings, and aids to help the local parish in their worship and to restore and to equip current and future leaders in their work of ministry.   In this, we know it all has to begin somewhere; to begin with priests and musicians with a calling and a joy upon their hearts to work as a team to more effectively lead God’s people in worship through music.

In this light, your Music Task Force has begun its work to provide resources for the full range of musical expression across the Province: traditional hymnody, songs of praise, anthems, chant, and service music as well as resources for new and existing choirs, folk groups and praise teams, keyboardists, handbells, and the vital Pastor/Church Musician relationship. Some resources will be downloadable and printable, some will be instructional videos or Q & A teachings, and some will be links to quality websites supporting the work of liturgical music and worship. Do visit the ACNA Music Resources page often as new updates and fresh content will be arriving soon.