Degrees

Students are admitted jointly to the Institute and either the Yale School of Music or the Yale Divinity School. Each degree candidate must complete all the course requirements of that school as well as the curriculum of the Institute. A description of the degrees offered is included here. Detailed information about the curriculum and requirements of Yale School of Music and Yale Divinity School can be found in their respective bulletins.

Yale School of Music

Master of Music

A two-year postbaccalaureate degree in musical performance, this program includes intensive study of a primary discipline (e.g., keyboard, conducting, composition), augmented with theoretical and historical studies.

Master of Musical Arts

A three-year degree in musical performance, which is considered predoctoral residence, this program is designed to provide intensive training in performance or composition. Two years of residence in the M.M. program count toward this degree. However, students who have earned the M.M. degree at another university are expected to spend two years in residence at Yale for the M.M.A. degree.

Doctor of Musical Arts

This degree is awarded to those who have earned the Master of Musical Arts degree and have demonstrated exceptional competence as performers, as well as deep intellectual curiosity about all areas of music, its history, theory, styles, and sources. Following receipt of the Master of Musical Arts degree, candidates must demonstrate distinguished professional musical achievement and return to Yale after at least two years for a comprehensive oral examination and a final public performance.

Artist Diploma

This diploma is offered to applicants who hold a master’s degree or the professional equivalent. Although a fundamental knowledge of musicianship and the history of western music is presumed, candidates will be tested in these areas when they enter the program. Minimum performance requirements for each year of residence are one solo recital, one major ensemble performance, and one performance of a work for soloist and orchestra. Students who have completed the Master of Music degree at Yale may complete the work in one academic year; those who have earned the M.M. or its equivalent elsewhere will be in residence for two years.

Yale Divinity School

Master of Arts in Religion

This two-year program offers the opportunity to prepare for new and special forms of ministry that do not require ordination. Students may elect to complete either a comprehensive program that introduces the basic theological disciplines, or a concentrated program of study in preparation for one of the many forms of lay ministry or service.

The Comprehensive Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.)

The Comprehensive M.A.R. Program emphasizes general studies in the basic theological disciplines without stressing ordination as a goal. Institute students in this program use their electives for further graduate-level study in music and the arts. Some matriculate in doctoral programs in religious studies or musicology.

The Concentrated Master of Arts in Religion (M.A.R.)

Students may apply for the Concentrated M.A.R. Program in Religion and the Arts (either the visual arts or literature) or in Liturgical Studies. Basic course work at the Divinity School is integrated with studies on the graduate level within the professional schools and the Graduate School department appropriate to the concentration. Undergraduate preparation in the concentration sufficient for work on the graduate level is required.

Extended Degree Program
An extended degree program is offered for selected students in the concentrated M.A.R. programs. This allows students to take up to six additional three-hour courses during a third academic year in the program.

No more than fifteen students will be admitted to this program each year. An application for admission to the extended degree program must include both a statement explaining why the student wishes to extend a concentrated M.A.R. program and a letter of recommendation from at least one faculty member in the field in which the degree program is concentrated. Applicants will be selected by a committee appointed by the dean; the committee shall consist of one faculty member from each teaching group related to a concentrated M.A.R. program.

Applications for admission to the extended concentrated M.A.R. program are due by September 15 of the third term of a student’s concentrated M.A.R. program. Admission decisions will be announced by October 1 of that term.

Master of Divinity

This three-year program (sometimes including a fourth year of internship) is designed as a preparation for the ordained ministry. Its comprehensive plan of studies includes intensive work in the areas of Bible, theology, history, religion, and culture, and the practice of ministry. Institute students in this program use their electives for further graduate-level study in music and the arts.

Master of Sacred Theology

This one-year program is available to graduates of theological schools who have completed the Master of Divinity degree. It is designed to provide advanced training for a specialized form of service. The area of specialization should be proposed at the time of application.

Joint Degrees and the Double Major

Institute music students may, in the first year of study, decide to audition for rigorous programs that are designed for church musicians. Those pursuing a joint degree will complete requirements for the Master of Arts in Religion (either concentrated or comprehensive) and the Master of Music; the double major is for a music student wishing to major concurrently in organ and choral conducting. For further discussion, please see “Programs of Study.”

Programs of Study

The Institute of Sacred Music and the School of Music

Students should also consult the bulletin of the School of Music for degree requirements and other course information.

Program in Choral Conducting

Mission

The program prepares students for careers as professional conductors in many contexts, particularly educational, civic, and church settings. A primary emphasis of the master’s degree is laying the foundation for continued work in a doctoral program. Students are expected to expand their musicianship skills and develop the broad knowledge of repertoire required of conductors.

Degrees and Requirements

The program for choral conductors includes individual lessons with the choral conducting faculty, and lessons during regularly supervised sessions with the repertory and recital choruses. Attendance at a weekly seminar, Repertory Chorus rehearsals, and membership in the Yale Camerata are required each term, as is participation as a singer in either the Yale Schola Cantorum or the Repertory Chorus. First-year students conduct Repertory Chorus in two shared performances. Second- and third-year students present a degree recital with the Recital Chorus. Choral conducting students are required to study voice as a secondary instrument for two terms and are encouraged to pursue other secondary instrumental studies. For more information about curriculum and degree requirements of the Yale School of Music, please see the School of Music bulletin. Students who are enrolled in the School of Music through the Institute of Sacred Music may have additional requirements as specified by the Institute. All students are expected to avail themselves of the offerings of the University, particularly courses in the Department of Music. Of particular interest to choral conductors are the music and theology courses listed under the Program in Religion and the Arts.

Choral conductors are advised to observe rehearsals of each of the various vocal and instrumental ensembles. Further conducting experience is gained by serving as assistant conductor for one of the faculty-led choruses, and by directing the Battell Chapel and Marquand Chapel choirs. Visiting guest conductors have included Stefan Parkman, Sir David Willcocks, Robert Shaw, Krzysztof Penderecki, James MacMillan, Sir Neville Marriner, and Helmuth Rilling, who will return in 2008. Stephen Layton will also visit in 2008.

Additionally, a choral conducting major enrolling in the Institute of Sacred Music will elect the ISM Colloquium each term and one academic course taught by an ISM faculty member. Should the student be exempt from MUS 510, he or she will elect one additional ISM course.

Program in Organ

Mission

The major in organ prepares students for careers as informed church musicians, soloists, and teachers, and for doctoral-level programs. The departmental seminar is devoted to a comprehensive survey of organ literature from the seventeenth century to the present. For one week each year the department invites a visiting artist/teacher to be in residence. These have included Daniel Roth, Marie-Claire Alain, Catharine Crozier, Peter Planyavsky, Martin Haselböck, Thomas Trotter, Naji Hakim, David Craighead, Olivier Latry, Susan Landale, Ludger Lohmann, Jon Gillock, Michael Gailit, Karel Paukert, Thomas Trotter, and Hans-Ola Ericcson. Typically, they teach a week of individual lessons and an organ seminar and perform an organ recital. The visiting artist-in-residence in 2007–2008 will be Jon Laukvik. Harald Vogel, Ja Kyung Oh, and William Porter will also perform in the annual “Great Organ Music at Yale” series, inaugurating the new Taylor and Boody organ in Marquand Chapel.

Students have the opportunity for practice and performance on the extensive collection of fine instruments at the University: the H. Frank Bozyan Memorial Organ in Dwight Memorial Chapel (Rudolph von Beckerath, three manuals, 1971); the organ in Battell Chapel (Walter Holtkamp, Sr., three manuals, 1951); the organ in Marquand Chapel (E. M. Skinner, three manuals, 1932); and the Newberry Memorial Organ in Woolsey Hall (E. M. Skinner, four manuals, 1928), one of the most famous romantic organs in the world. The 2007–2008 academic year will see the inauguration of the new Taylor and Boody mean-tone organ in Marquand Chapel. The Institute also possesses a Taylor and Boody continuo organ (2004). Two-manual practice instruments by Flentrop, Holtkamp, Casavant, and others are located in Woolsey Hall and at the Institute of Sacred Music, which also houses five Steinway grand pianos, a C. B. Fisk positive, a Dowd harpsichord, a two-manual Richard Kingston harpsichord, and the Ortel Organ (Flentrop, 1960).

Degrees and Requirements

Students may enroll in the Institute of Sacred Music for all programs—M.M., M.M.A./ D.M.A., and Artist Diploma. For more information, see the bulletin of the School of Music.

Additionally, an organ major enrolling in the Institute of Sacred Music will elect three academic courses taught by ISM faculty, as well as the ISM Colloquium each term.

Program in Voice

Students majoring in vocal performance at Yale are enrolled in one of two separate and distinct tracks: the Opera track (sponsored entirely by the School of Music, with Doris Yarick-Cross as program adviser), and the track in Early Music, Oratorio, and Chamber Ensemble (sponsored jointly by the Institute of Sacred Music and School of Music, with James Taylor as program adviser). Both tracks are designed to enhance and nurture the artistry of young singers by developing in them a secure technique, consummate musicianship, stylistic versatility, performance skills, and comprehensive performance experience. In both tracks there is a strong emphasis on oratorio and the art song repertoire, and each student is expected to sing a recital each year.

The Yale community and the New Haven area offer ample opportunities for solo experience with various Yale choral and orchestral ensembles, as well as through church positions and professional orchestras. Close proximity to New York and Boston make attendance at performances and auditions in those cities convenient. Additionally, students have the opportunity to teach voice to undergraduates in Yale College and to nonmajors in the Yale School of Music.

Information about the Opera track can be found in the bulletin of the Yale School of Music.

Early Music, Oratorio, and Chamber Ensemble

Degrees and Requirements

This vocal track, leading to the M.M. degree or Artist Diploma (for external candidates), is designed for the singer whose interests lie principally in the fields of early music, oratorio, art song, contemporary music, and choral chamber ensembles.

Private voice lessons are supplemented by intensive coaching in art song and oratorio literature and by concentrated study of ensemble techniques in the chamber ensemble Yale Schola Cantorum, directed by Simon Carrington. Schola’s touring and recording schedules provide invaluable professional experiences, and singers’ activity in Schola offers the opportunity of working with such renowned conductors as Sir David Willcocks, Sir Neville Marriner, Valery Gergiev, Jeffery Thomas, Nicholas McGegan, Helmuth Rilling, and Stephen Layton. Schola’s performances feature these voice students in the various solo roles.

Weekly seminars and voice classes provide in-depth instruction in performance practices, diction, and interpretation, and singers have the opportunity to participate in master classes by internationally renowned artists, such as Russell Braun, David Daniels, Christian Gerhaher, Donald Sulzen, and Lawrence Zazzo. Students are encouraged to avail themselves of the offerings of the University, particularly courses in the Department of Music. Additionally, a vocal major enrolling in the Institute of Sacred Music will elect two academic courses taught by Institute faculty, as well as the ISM Colloquium each term.

For more precise information about the courses and requirements in this track, contact the Institute’s Admissions office at 203.432.9753.

Church Music Studies

Mission

Training tomorrow’s professional church musician is one of the core elements of the Institute’s mission. Church Music Studies is an optional certificate program designed for organ, choral, and/or vocal majors enrolled in either the Master of Music or Master of Musical Arts program in the Institute of Sacred Music and School of Music. By electing courses from a broad set of categories, taking a proseminar in church music, and participating in selected worship opportunities, the student will gain an understanding of the history, theology, and practice of the variety of Christian liturgical traditions. Music students will work side by side with Divinity students as they together develop the skills and vocabulary necessary for vital and effective ministry.

Curriculum

An organ, choral, or vocal major follows the normal programs for the Master of Music degree as required by the School of Music. The electives in the program are guided by the requirements for Church Music Studies. Students will develop their individual program of study in collaboration with the Church Music adviser.

The curriculum is designed so that an organ major can complete it concurrently with the M.M. degree program in two years of full-time enrollment. A choral or vocal major will need to enroll for a fifth term as a nondegree student following graduation with the Master of Music in order to complete the requirements. For information about enrolling for the fifth term, see the special section under Expenses and Financial Aid. Students will not continue studio lessons during this fifth term.

Four-credit courses
Students will elect one course from each of the following four categories (4 credits each):

Biblical Studies

One course from the O.T./N.T. Interpretation sequence.

Liturgical Studies

Foundations of Christian Worship
Creativity and the Congregation

History of Sacred Music or Religion and the Arts. Sample offerings:

J.S. Bach’s First Year in Leipzig
Mozart’s Sacred Music
Music and Theology
Iconography of Christian Art
House of the Lord

Art of Ministry. Sample offerings:

Hymnody as Resources for Preaching and Worship
The Parish Musician

Two-credit courses
Students will also elect three skills-based courses (2 credits each); for example:

Elements of Choral Conducting (for organ majors)
Voice for Non-Majors
Choral Ensembles
Organ for Non-Majors
Leading Congregational Song (a course team-taught by an organist and one skilled in global hymnody)
Church Music Skills (administration, working with instruments, handbells, praise band, etc.)

Proseminar
A one-credit course will be offered each year for Divinity and Music students alike, in which issues including the theology and practice of liturgy, music and the arts, as well as program development and staff leadership will be dealt with. Participation in selected worship opportunities will be a key component in these discussions.

Students interested in pursuing the Certificate in Church Music Studies should consult with the program adviser as soon as possible after matriculation. Voice or choral conducting students who wish to elect the fifth semester must state their intention of doing so by December 15 of their second year.

The Institute of Sacred Music and the Divinity School

Students should also consult the bulletin of the Divinity School for degree requirements and other course information.

Program in Liturgical Studies

Mission

The program offers a basic education in historical, theoretical, and practical aspects of liturgical studies. Thus it pertains both to the training of concentrators in the field who are preparing for Ph.D. programs in religious studies and liturgics, as well as to the education of those with vocations to the churches: musicians and ministers. A substantial number of electives supplement the core course of study, ensuring that students may gain a broad understanding of liturgy and approaches to its study and encounter a variety of traditions. The faculty stress connections with biblical study, church history, and with the practice of sacred music and other religious art forms. Detailed information about the degrees and requirements of Yale Divinity School can be found in the School’s bulletin.

In addition, a liturgical studies major enrolling through the Institute of Sacred Music will elect the ISM Colloquium each term.

Degrees and Requirements

Master of Sacred Theology
If not previously taken, the following three core courses, or their equivalent, are required: Foundations of Christian Worship (REL 782); either The English Reformation: Liturgical Traditions and the Evolution of the Anglican Books of Common Prayer (REL 787) or Parish Worship: Planning and Presiding (REL 934); and a course in ritual studies or liturgical theology, which may be a reading course. Students write either a thesis (one- or two-term option) or an expanded course paper. In addition, students at the Institute present discussion of their work to the Institute Colloquium. Eight full courses are required to complete the degree, six of which must be in the area of concentration, and two of which may be thesis work.

Graduates of theological schools of recognized standing who have obtained the B.D. or M.Div. degree may be admitted to a program of studies leading to the Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) degree.

The work for this degree may be regarded as a fourth year of preparation for the Christian ministry. The S.T.M. program may also be used as a year of specialized work in one of the theological disciplines or as preparation for doctoral studies. The schedule of courses may involve offerings in other schools or departments of the University.

Each candidate is required to plan, submit for approval, and pursue an integrated program designed to serve either of the purposes stated above. A minimum of three-fourths of the courses taken must be related to a designated field of concentration.

A candidate for the S.T.M. degree must complete the equivalent of at least twenty-four term hours of graduate study beyond the B.D., M.Div., or equivalent degree. Only course work graded High Pass or above is credited toward the S.T.M. degree. A thesis, major paper in a regular course, or other acceptable project in the selected field of study is required. It must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to do independent research. Students writing theses or projects are required to register in REL 999, S.T.M. Thesis or Project.

The work for the degree may be taken in one year, or distributed over two, three, or four years; it must be completed within four years of matriculation. In the case of students who wish to extend their studies, nine term hours is the minimum course load that can be regarded as a full-time program of studies. Normally, no work taken prior to matriculation will be counted toward the degree nor will credit be transferred from other schools unless approval to utilize a course to be taken elsewhere has been given in advance.

Master of Arts in Religion
Six courses in the field are required. One of these six must be Foundations of Christian Worship (REL 782), the core course of the program. Students must also take The English Reformation: Liturgical Traditions and the Evolution of the Anglican Books of Common Prayer (REL 787), or Parish Worship: Planning and Presiding (REL 934), or another course with a strong practical component; and a course in ritual studies or in liturgical theology (either of which may be a reading course). The other three courses are electives in the field. The remaining courses are taken in Bible, theology, and church history, and in courses in Christianity and culture in Area III of the Divinity School curriculum, according to the student’s needs as determined in consultation with faculty in the area of concentration.

Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity students enrolled through the Institute may concentrate in liturgics for the purpose of the Institute Certificate, although the Divinity School does not formally recognize concentrations within the M.Div. degree. Students who do so take three core courses (see above), two electives in liturgical studies, write a final paper, and present the results of their work in Colloquium.

Program in Religion and the Arts

Mission

The program enables students to pursue concentrated study in either literature or the visual arts. Students declare their concentration in the first year of study. Courses in these areas are taken principally at the Divinity School, and elsewhere in the University: in the Graduate School (e.g., the departments of English, Comparative Literature, American Studies, History of Art) or, with permission of the instructor and the ISM faculty adviser, in the schools of Art and Architecture. In addition, students study the traditional curriculum of divinity: Bible, theology, history of Christianity, liturgics. Programs are developed individually, in light of the student’s particular background, interests, and professional goals. Students are encouraged to attain reading proficiency in a second language relevant to their field of study.

In addition, students enrolling in the Religion and the Arts program through the Institute of Sacred Music will elect the ISM Colloquium each term.

Graduates of this program, who receive either the concentrated Master of Arts in Religion degree or the Master of Divinity degree, follow a variety of career paths: some pursue doctoral study in one of the arts, while others go on to teach on the secondary level or to serve the church as ordained clergy or in an arts-related ministry.

Degrees and Requirements

Master of Arts in Religion, Concentration in Religion and the Arts
In the program in Religion and the Arts, concentrating in either literature or the visual arts, the student devotes at least twenty-one term hours to courses in literature or art history, some of which are to be earned elsewhere in the University. At least fifteen term hours are required in Bible, theology, and history. The program allows twelve term hours as electives, three of which are applied toward the Institute project.

Students with sufficient foreign language expertise may also take courses in foreign language departments. Faculty permission is required for courses outside the Divinity School. A limited number of studio art classes may be taken for academic credit. Admission to studio art courses depends entirely on the permission of the faculty member and is customarily granted only to those with strong portfolios. Credit for studio courses depends on the student’s ability to demonstrate the relevance of the course to theology. Students will develop their concentrated programs in close collaboration with their advisers. Students should consult the bulletin of Yale Divinity School for detailed information about Divinity School degree requirements.

Joint-Degree and Double-Major Programs

At the completion of the first term in residence at Yale, students may make application to the joint-degree program, the Master of Music in performance combined with either the concentrated Master of Arts in Religion in Liturgical Studies or the comprehensive Master of Arts in Religion. This program has the advantage of reducing by one year the total time necessary to receive two degrees. That is, these two degrees may be completed in three concurrent rather than four successive years. If accepted into the program, the student is enrolled in both the Divinity and Music schools, beginning with the second year of study, working toward degrees in each school.

Another option for Institute students enrolled through the School of Music is the double-major degree in performance. For example, first-year students enrolled in the organ program may apply to audition for the choral conducting program or vice versa. Although study in these two programs would be undertaken concurrently and be completed in three years, the end result would be a single Master of Music degree with a double major in organ and choral conducting. As this program is not formally recognized by the Institute and School of Music, support from the major teachers must be secured and separate application made to the Academic Affairs Committee of the School of Music.

Only qualified students whose career goals and abilities prepare them for entering such rigorous programs will be considered. Further information about course work for these interdisciplinary areas may be obtained by contacting the Office of Admissions of the Institute.

Visiting Fellows

Each year the Institute may welcome as visiting fellows a number of scholars, church musicians, pastors, artists, or otherwise professionally qualified persons who have clearly articulated research projects. Appointment may be for one term or an academic year. Visiting fellows have access to the libraries of the University and may audit classes with the permission of the instructor. They are not candidates for degrees and receive no academic credit. There is a fee of $150 per term. Visiting fellows are encouraged to participate as fully as possible in the life of the Institute, particularly the Colloquium, where they may be invited to share the results of their works in progress. Inquiries about appointment to this program should be addressed to the Office of Admissions of the Institute.

The Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium

Colloquium is central to the purpose of the Institute and to the faculty’s involvement in, and personal attention to, how ISM students are trained. Colloquium is the meeting ground for all Institute students and faculty, the place where we study together, grapple with major issues, and share our work as students of worship, music, and the arts.

The Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium is a course, taken for credit, that meets every Wednesday from 3.30 until 5 p.m., with informal discussion from 5 to 5.30 p.m. It is divided into two term-long parts, with responsibility for the fall term resting primarily with the faculty and outside presenters, and for the spring term primarily with the students. Particular attention will be given throughout the year to preparing students and faculty for the upcoming 2008 study trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. This year scholars in the architecture, liturgy, and music of the region will make presentations in Colloquium.

One of the primary tenets of the Institute’s mission is to bring into conversation the broad fields of arts and religion. To this end, ISM students from the two partner schools of Music and Divinity collaborate on a final presentation to be given in their final year. In their penultimate year, student pairings are made and as a team they develop a topic and thesis to which they both can contribute significantly and collaborate equally. This process is advised and monitored by ISM faculty. As the end of the year, they award the Faculty Prize to the best student presentation.

We videotape all presentations for our archives. Selections appear on the DVD that accompanies the journal Colloquium, published annually.

Courses Taught by Institute Faculty, 2007–2008

See the bulletins of the School of Music and the Divinity School for full course listings and degree requirements. Courses listed here may be cross-listed in other schools or departments. Information is current as of July 15, 2007.

The letter “a” following the course number denotes the fall term; the letter “b” denotes the spring term.

Music Courses

MUS 509a–b, 609a–b, 709a–b, Art Song Coaching for Singers. Individual private coaching in the art song repertoire, in preparation for required recitals. Students are coached on such elements of musical style as phrasing, rubato, and articulation, and in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish diction. Students are expected to bring their recital accompaniments to coaching sessions as their recital times approach. Ted Taylor, Judith Malafronte.

MUS 515a,b, 615a,b, 715a,b, 815a,b, Improvisation at the Organ. Development of improvisatory skills at the keyboard. Jeffrey Brillhart.

MUS 519a–b, 619a–b, 719a–b, 819a–b, Colloquium. Participation in seminars led by faculty and guest lecturers on topics concerning theology, music, worship, and related arts. Required of all Institute of Sacred Music students. (P/F).

MUS 531a–b, 631a–b, 731a–b, Repertory Chorus. A reading chorus open by audition and conducted by graduate choral conducting students. The chorus reads, studies, and sings a wide sampling of choral literature. Marguerite L. Brooks, Simon Carrington.

MUS 532a–b, 632a–b, 732a–b, Conducting Repertory Chorus. Students in the graduate choral conducting program work with the Repertory Chorus, preparing and conducting a portion of a public concert each term. Open only to choral conducting majors. Marguerite L. Brooks, Simon Carrington.

MUS 535a–b, 635a–b, 735a–b, Recital Chorus. A chorus open by audition and conducted by graduate choral conducting students. It serves as the choral ensemble for four to five degree recitals per year. Marguerite L. Brooks.

MUS 536a–b, 636a–b, 736a–b, Conducting Recital Chorus. Second- and third-year students in the graduate choral conducting program work with the Recital Chorus, preparing and conducting their degree recitals. Open to choral conducting majors only. Marguerite L. Brooks.

MUS 537b, Collaborative Piano: Voice. A course designed for pianists focusing on the skills required for vocal accompanying and coaching. The standard song and operatic repertoire is emphasized. Sight-reading, techniques of transposition, figured bass, and effective reduction of operatic materials for the recreation of orchestral sounds at the piano are included in the curriculum. Ted Taylor.

MUS 539a, The Motet in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. The motet was the most important vocal genre in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Composers such as Josquin Desprez, Orlando di Lasso, and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina led the genre to its peak. In the seventeenth century, however, the genre underwent a transition. Modern genres like concerto, monody, and solo song employed, on the one hand, techniques that were developed in the motet (like counterpoint); yet on the other hand, they claimed the place of the motet as the leading vocal genre in church music. The course outlines the history of the motet in the crucial time between its peak in the sixteenth century (starting with Josquin) and its transition (or one might even say dissolution) into other genres in the seventeenth century (until Bach). The course combines a general overview with an in-depth study of selected composers of the time. Besides this analytical approach, the course also looks at the religious context of this music-historical change of paradigm, as the transition from polyphonic music in the sixteenth century to soloistic genres in the seventeenth century went along with a change in piety around the turn of the century. Markus Rathey.

MUS 540a–b, 640a–b, 740a–b, 840a–b, 940a–b, Individual Instruction in the Major. Individual instruction of one hour per week throughout the academic year, for majors in performance, conducting, and composition. Faculty.

MUS 544a–b, 644a–b, 744a–b, 944a–b, Seminar in the Departmental Major. An examination of a wide range of problems relating to the area of the major. Specific requirements may differ by department. Faculty.

MUS 546a–b, 646a–b, 746a–b, Yale Camerata. Open to all members of the University community by audition, the Yale Camerata presents several performances throughout the year that explore choral literature from all musical periods. Members of the ensemble should have previous choral experience and be willing to devote time to the preparation of music commensurate with the Camerata’s vigorous rehearsal and concert schedule. Marguerite L. Brooks.

MUS 552b, Monteverdi’s Sacred Music. Claudio Monteverdi was one of the “fathers” of opera. However, besides his major contributions to the history of this secular genre, he also composed a considerable number of sacred works: his Vespers from 1610, several masses, and many sacred concertos for ensembles of different sizes. A study of these compositions shows that Monteverdi the opera composer also had a strong sense for “musical drama” when it came to his sacred works. The course studies Monteverdi’s religious compositions in the context of his works in general (especially the operas) and their relation to the emergence of the sacred concerto in the first half of the seventeenth century. Both Monteverdi’s operas and his sacred music focus on an intensive presentation and interpretation of the text. Therefore the course also studies the texts used by Monteverdi and explores the religious and theological context of his compositions. Markus Rathey.

MUS 556b, Mendelssohn’s Oratorios. When Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy conducted Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in 1827, the first performance of the piece after the composer’s death in 1750, he not only started a Bach revival in Europe (and beyond) but also became particularly interested in the oratorio genre. In the following years he composed two major oratorios, Paul and Elijah, and made plans for further large-scale vocal-instrumental compositions. A study of Mendelssohn’s oratorios reveals several interesting influences: Bach (of course), but also Handel and the European oratorio tradition as shaped by Haydn’s late pieces. Mendelssohn combines these influences and comes to significantly different solutions in his two oratorios. The course focuses on the two major oratorios and analyzes the traditions that shaped them, their relationship to other religious and secular works by Mendelssohn, and the impact they had on the composition of oratorios in the later nineteenth century. Markus Rathey.

MUS 571a–b, 671a–b, 771a–b, Yale Schola Cantorum. Specialist chamber choir for the development of advanced ensemble skills and expertise in demanding solo roles in music from before 1750 and from the last 100 years. Enrollment limited to, and required of, voice majors in the early music, song, and chamber ensemble program. Simon Carrington.

MUS 594a–b, Vocal Chamber Music. The class is conducted as a seminar, with a high level of individual participation each week. Grades are based on participation in and preparation for class, the final project, and performances. Attendance is mandatory. The fall term is devoted to Books VI, VII, and VIII of Madrigals by Claudio Monteverdi. Students learn to read from early-seventeenth-century prints, analyze verse structure, and consider performance practices. A staged production of this repertoire (memorized) includes many forms of movement and dance, requiring occasional weekend sessions and extra rehearsals during the production week. Students are expected to learn quickly and must be prepared to tackle a sizeable amount of repertoire. James Taylor.

MUS 595a–b, Performance Practice for Singers. This course is designed for singers and others interested in exploring the major issues of historically informed performance of music before 1800. Judith Malafronte.

MUS 617a, Music and Theology: Luther, Zwingli, Calvin. The Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century was a “media event.” The invention of letterpress printing, the partisanship of famous artists like Dürer and Cranach, and, not least, the support of musicians and composers were responsible for spreading the ideas of the Reformation. But while Luther attached great importance to music, Zwingli and Calvin were much more skeptical. Music—especially sacred music—was not only an opportunity for Reformation, it was also a problem, because it was tightly connected with Catholic liturgical and aesthetic traditions. The Reformation had to think about the place music could have in worship and about the function of music in secular life. But first, a theological authorization had to be found, because the authorization of music by any kind of tradition was no longer possible. The course shows how music was viewed by the reformers and which theological decisions formed the basis for their view. We also look at the effect of these theological matters on musical practice: on liturgical singing and on composers and their compositions. Markus Rathey.

MUS 655b, Music in the Western Christian Tradition. Major watersheds in the history of the Western Christian tradition are explored through repertories of sacred music that embody them or that have inspired or evolved out of religious or liturgical changes. The course proceeds chronologically through a series of case studies and topics. Focus is on repertories of congregational song as well as on composers who developed sacred music for people to sing and play in church, at home, or in public places; and who created complex or technically difficult music that incorporates or relies upon congregational song to make its meaning. Margot E. Fassler.

MUSI 843b, Music and Identity in the USA. An examination of the new scholarship on music and identity in the context of a survey of American repertories, mostly popular, congregational, and communal. Student work focuses on primary source materials for the study of American music and culture, especially as found in the Beinecke and other Yale and New Haven collections, including the Historical Sound Archive, the Collection of Musical Instruments, and various film archives. This course is offered by the Department of Music in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Margot E. Fassler.

Divinity Courses

AMST 809b, Reading the Visual Culture of American Religions. This introductory graduate readings course invites critical engagement with scholarship concerning the visual cultures of American religions. The course is organized to consider multiple practices, experiences, and expressions of religion in the United States from the seventeenth century to the present, and to elicit examination of objects as well as texts. This course is offered by the Department of American Studies in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Sally M. Promey.

REL 738a, Getting Technical: Moving Images, Worship, and Christian Congregations. This course has three major purposes: (1) to work intensely with the substantial bibliography/linkography concerning moving images used within or made within Christian worship, much of which is online; (2) to study the ways that films are made within and about Christian congregations through viewing examples for study and through field work centered on those who film and those who are filmed; and (3) to evaluate the uses of films and filming and of filmed archives for community building, education, outreach, and liturgical scholarship. Margot E. Fassler.

REL 745a, Theologies of Love in the Twelfth Century. This seminar is a study of views of caritas from the perspectives of six twelfth-century theologians. They have been chosen because each of them also wrote or promoted texts for the liturgy, and each allows for an opportunity to study theology within the lives of particular communities: Abelard, Hildegard von Bingen, Bernard of Clairvaux, Hugh of St. Victor, Aelred of Rievaulx, and Richard of St. Victor. In English; students wishing to read in Latin are encouraged to do so. Margot E. Fassler.

REL 782a, Foundations of Christian Worship. This team-taught course surveys the major areas of liturgical studies (theological basis, time, space, word and sacraments, pastoral rites, and daily prayer); exposes students to both theological and historical methodologies in looking at worship; traces the development across time of the various strands and traditions of Christian worship; and provides the rudiments for anyone contemplating ordination, liturgical/musical leadership, or any of the more specialized courses offered. The course is open to all Divinity students; it is highly recommended for ISM students and is also recommended for other students as good preparation for subsequent liturgical studies courses. Bryan D. Spinks, Teresa Berger.

REL 784b, Christian Initiation. This course studies Christian initiation from the New Testament to the present. It comprises a study of liturgical texts, historic and contemporary, and considers issues of baptismal theology. Preferred background: Foundations of Christian Worship. Bryan D. Spinks.

REL 786a, Liturgical Theology. A seminar of up to twenty-five people exploring liturgical theology. The aims of this course are to offer students a thorough introduction to the idea of and the central works on liturgical theology; a grounding in the relationship between Christian worship and Christian theology; a basic introduction to the chief methodological issues facing liturgical theology; an understanding of how liturgical theology is being both challenged and extended by feminist, womanist, Mujerista, political and biblical theologians; and an opportunity to explore how this learning can be applied to the students’ own experiences as ministers, liturgists, and/or scholars. The course is designed for S.T.M. and higher-level M.Div. and M.A.R. students and demands considerable pre-class reading and class discussion. It also requires participation in four consecutive Sunday worship services at a local church and some participation/observation in daily worship in Marquand Chapel. Students are required to attend every class. Siobhán Garrigan.

REL 787a, The English Reformation: Liturgical Traditions and the Evolution of the Anglican Books of Common Prayer. This course considers the liturgical reforms in England, official and unofficial, that gave rise to the Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregationalist, Quaker, and Methodist traditions from 1540 to 1789, looking at liturgical books, theological issues, architecture, music, and preaching styles. The second part of the course focuses on the Anglican Prayer Book tradition from 1789 to the present, and compares the 1979 Book of Common Prayer with that of another Anglican province. This course is required of all Berkeley Divinity School students seeking the Diploma of Anglican Studies; however, the course is designed for students of all denominations, with non-Episcopal students comparing their own denominational book with the 1979 Prayer Book. Prerequisite: Foundations of Christian Worship. Bryan D. Spinks.

REL 789a, Gender and the Liturgical Tradition. Does gender shape liturgy? Is gender inscribed into the liturgical tradition? How did gendered identities mark worship practices, for example in seating arrangements, in participation in or exclusions from certain rituals, or in visual representations in sacred space? And does gender still matter in the formation of liturgical practices in the twenty-first century? Why is there such an interest in “women who worship” in evangelical churches, and what does worship shaped by the cultural contestations surrounding LGBT lives look like? These are just some of the questions this course proposes for intellectual inquiry. Fundamentally, the category “gender” will be understood to attend to all gendered identities and sexualities. Gender, in other words, goes beyond binary femininity and masculinity and includes all gendered particularities (e.g., eunuchs in Byzantium or intersexed people in America, as well as men and women). Gender thus is an unstable and context-specific category, relational with “the other (gender),” but relational also with wider cultural materials and with markers of difference such as status, ethnicity, and age. What relationship is there between gender, thus understood, and the liturgical tradition? Briefly, no liturgy ever was celebrated in a vacuum of cultural referents, and gender constructions were one such fundamental cultural referent. They continue to be a cultural referent, even (or especially?) at a moment in time when traditional gender constructions are breaking down. One could thus say that gender has always been and continues to be a fundamental marker of all liturgical life. This course investigates how the liturgical tradition was profoundly shaped by, and itself shaped and continues to shape, gendered lives and symbolic meanings associated with gendered identities. Prerequisite: Foundations of Christian Worship. Teresa Berger.

REL 797b, Eucharistic Prayers and Eucharistic Theology. This course considers the development of the central prayer of the communion service, the Great Thanksgiving, from its New Testament origins to modern formulations. It also examines the development of the theology of the sacrament of the Eucharist, particularly in the Western traditions, and considers modern ecumenical discussions of the subject. The course is limited to eight students. Prerequisite: Foundations of Christian Worship. Bryan D. Spinks.

REL 835a, Iconography of Christian Art. The goal of this course is to have students start to see theologically and realize that seeing is believing. If Christ is the image of God (Colossians 1:15) and the goal of faith a Beatific Vision, then Christianity is more a visual experience of Presence and encounter than an abstract set of theories. Eye training is essential for any church member, no matter to what denomination or tradition one belongs. This course dares to say that image shapes belief and attitude, as well as being shaped by belief. The course also acts as an historical survey of the visual presentation of the Trinity, Christ, Mary, Church and saints, as well as issues like the Last Judgment, reward, punishment, etc. Jaime Lara.

REL 837b, Modern Christian Art and Architecture. An exploration of the impact of the Christian faith on the visual arts and architecture of the late nineteenth to the twenty-first century. This course begins with the ministry of Vincent Van Gogh and concludes with the intentions of architects of the mega-churches and the art of Kiki Smith. The requirements of the course are for students to think theologically about the results and impact of contemporary culture on the enterprise of faith. John W. Cook.

REL 847a, The House of the Lord. The objective of this course is to prepare future ministers and pastoral personnel to understand and design/redesign their worship spaces. This is visual ecclesiology, not interior decoration. The course also acts as an historical survey of twenty centuries of church design for preaching and sacraments, and demonstrates how sacred space has shaped theology and liturgical practice, as well as being shaped by them. Although there are no prerequisites, it is hoped that students know something about Scripture and Christian worship, particularly that of their own religious tradition. The course consists of illustrated lectures. Jaime Lara.

REL 854b, Theology and Cinema. This course examines various themes in Christian theology through the lens of cinematic art. Cinema, in both content and form, offers a window into the beliefs and values of both artists and communities. Theology can be understood as reflection upon faith experience, which in turn leads to the formulation of structures of belief. Both cinematic expression and theological reflection, therefore, share an interest in the probing and interpretation of human nature and experience. The course offers a distinctive entree into various topics and issues proposed by Christian theology, as well as a critical appreciation for the history, aesthetics, and narrative strategies of film. Mark Villano.

REL 857a, Four English Religious Poets. The goal of this course is to make students feel at home with the poetry of William Langland, George Herbert, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and T. S. Eliot. If some sense of a tradition develops (Hopkins, for instance, loved both Langland and Herbert), all the better. With Piers Plowman, the goal is to read enough of the poem to promote understanding and ignite a desire to know more. With Herbert and Hopkins, the course combines wide reading with close study of certain poems. The final objective is that students will see Four Quartets in a new light, knowing the tradition that lies behind it. Traugott Lawler.

REL 926a, Playwrights and Dramatic Interpretation/Performance. Fifteen students who have the willingness to be, alternately, both actors and playwrights, will be chosen through an interview process for a course designed to study the writing and practice of dramatic forms. During the term, there are presentational workshops in which students (cast in roles by the class) perform a scene written by another member of the class. The course consists, in part, of the development (with actors and through the revision and further revisions) of student-written dramatic pieces. The objective is for everyone to be immersed in the collaborative work of dramatic writing and performance; to study and experience how the two endeavors are related; and to work in collaborative ways to better understand the art of drama. Thus, the objectives are not exclusively to develop one’s knowledge of the historical and literary aspect of drama (resulting in written literary criticism). The objective is both creative writing and acting, with an emphasis on writing. The course allows for both discussion and workshop time in which students perform student work for each other, always asking “What do playwrights and actors learn together by working together?” Occasionally volunteers may be recruited from the student body as a whole in order to help in the performance aspects of the course. Beverly Coyle.

REL 928a, Musical Skills and Vocal Development for Parish Ministry. The course is designed to equip students preparing for ministry with the vocal and musical skills necessary for planning and leading Christian worship in a wide variety of liturgical traditions. We engage practical matters in congregational song, ways in which singing forms community, and strategies for helping the members of the assembly claim their own voices in a culture that privileges performance-quality individualism over the communal musicianship of the assembly. We learn a diversity of musical and liturgical styles, including chant, psalm-singing, Sacred Harp, and African American and global song traditions in which the role of the enlivener is essential. The course requires field work in local congregations and uses the daily ecumenical worship in Marquand Chapel as a point of discussion. Patrick Evans.

REL 933b, Ritual, Hermeneutics, and Performance Art. This is a course about how ritual is studied and described—a methodologies course, basically. A large part of the course is spent learning about performance art—how it is conceived, executed, described, and critiqued—with the goal of learning new ways of talking about what happens in Christian worship. The aims of the course are to offer students a thorough introduction to performance art; a solid appreciation of the connections between contemporary art and Christian worship; and a clear understanding of the hermeneutical/ methodological issues at stake in the study of Christian ritual. Siobhán Garrigan.

REL 934, Proseminar (Church Music Studies). In this professional seminar, ministers- and musicians-in-training consider models for shared ministry involving musicians and pastors. Using theological and musical principles outlined in class, students gain the skill and understanding needed for a sound liturgical ministry. Faculty TBA.

REL 962b, Hymnody as a Resource for Preaching and Worship. The great English hymnologist Erik Routley observed in one of his last writings: “Periods when somebody somewhere is tearing up the turf and asking questions and organizing rebellions and reconstructing disciplines produce hymns: when the steam goes out of such movements, or they become part of an expanded main stream, hymn writing goes on in a more tranquil way, but never for very long. Another colour is added to the picture by another ‘movement,’ and that movement brings new hymns and new kinds of hymn into the repertory”(Hymns Observed). In light of Routley’s observation, this course opens by examining some of the primary historical periods of hymn writing in the Western church that are represented in mainstream hymnals. Students design a service and create and deliver a sermon based on this historical perspective. Students then learn how to write a hymn text; music students may instead write a hymn setting. Students are required to write hymns in light of the theological and social needs of our time. In teams they collaborate to design and lead us in services that feature their hymn texts with settings (where possible) that music students have composed. Patrick Evans, Thomas H. Troeger.

REL 967b, Theologies of Preaching. In the last decade, homileticians have increasingly turned from a focus on methods of preaching to a concern for the purposes of preaching. Why and what do we preach? How do we theologically understand the act of preaching? How is preaching something in which the gathered congregation participates? What is the interrelationship of the gospel and culture in preaching? The course considers a number of recent works that provide a wide range of answers to these questions. Students write a brief initial essay on what they believe to be their theology of preaching. Drawing upon the theological/homiletical principles that they encounter in their reading, students create and deliver sermons, and then critically analyze the theological character of their proclamation, seeing if it is congruent with their articulated theology of preaching. At the end of the course, they write a final essay about what they discovered from a close examination of the text books, and from comparing the implicit theology of their sermons with the theology that they claimed at the beginning of the course. Where are they congruent, where are they different, and what are the implications for their preaching in the future? Thomas H. Troeger.

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