Unitarian Universalist liturgical music

"This paper grew out of disillusionment in composition in the academic community. I was eager to compose functional music, Gebrauchsmusik , that would connect with a broader community. Thus; I have written ten pieces (choral, congregational song, and instrumental) intended for use in Unitarian Universalist services. The paper examines the considerations of writing music for amateurs, a study of the history of Unitarian Universalist hymnals and the specific hymn tunes used, the functions of congregational music and analyses of my own compositions. This thesis is atypical in that it puts greater emphasis on the relationship between the composer and the amateur musicians rather than the intricacies of the compositions themselves."