Beginning with this issue, we plan to be more intentional about sending regular and timely newsletters which will include music suggestions as well as additional hints and tips. Phyllis Thompson, who previously provided the content for our past website newsletters, has retired from that part of her relationship with Musiklus. Over the years, her extensive research and compilation skills provided us with a rich trove of resources which link musical selections with scripture readings and the flow of the church year. We will be building upon the great work she did for us and are profoundly grateful for the foundational effort she contributed.
If you have not visited the new version of the website, please consider doing so as there is much to explore. It took the better part of two years to redesign, refine and develop the site to bring it to its current stage. We have now completed nearly all of the necessary testing and fixing which is required for a site this complex and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it is working. Explore. Click everywhere!
Among many exciting new features is our welcoming of additional authors and composers. Gordon Light and Common Cup Company’s music is being prepared for inclusion. Two titles are now available (see "Beloved" and "In Newness of Life")
with a dozen more in various stages of arranging. Pat Mayberry’s music has also begun to appear (see "Kyrie" and
"Light of Christ"). We hold Gordon and Pat’s creative work in high regard and are committed to making their offerings in the same flexible formats as Ron’s own music, presenting a variety of versions and arrangements. Our hope is that other artists will be joining us as the year unfolds. While this is certainly a confusing time, it is also a highly creative time for musicians and other artists. The late George Shorney (past president of Hope Publishing Company) referred to the vast amount of new congregational song which appeared during the last decades of the 20th century as a "Hymn Explosion". We think we may well be experiencing another wave of similar creative output.
There will be no one reading this who needs any explanations about the challenges of 2020. On a very personal note, and even before the pandemic became a reality to all of our lives, we lost writing partner Shirley Erena Murray at the end of January and Ron’s only brother a matter of days later. We know that our grief is not unique. We are but a part of a painfully large population which has suffered terrible losses.
We look, with hope, to the future. The closing of 'live' worship gatherings and the general hurt and confusion of this time has had a huge impact on our own income flow. While development expenses continued to mount, revenue from the website plummeted over 90%. We have intentionally tried to focus our time in isolation as wisely and as creatively as possible for the past ten months with an eye to the promise of times to come. If you have friends or colleagues who might not be aware of the Musiklus site and who would find it useful, this would be a welcome time for you to pass the word along.
So, friends and colleagues: Onward! We look forward to sharing new ideas and dreams as this site continues to expand its reach.
Blessings,
Ron Klusmeier & Christina Bogucki
