From 1985 to 2025: Celebrating 40 Years of the Northcutt Lecture Series

On Tuesday, March 25th, 2025, the Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies hosted the 40th annual Northcutt Lecture featuring Dr. Karen Westerfield Tucker.

Dr. Tucker's lecture explored how congregational singing relates to and expresses sacramentality. "In their reflections on sacraments and sacramentality, certain twenty-first-century Christian writers are recovering understandings and variable approaches extant prior to the medieval narrowing of theological and practical definitions. At the same time, they also propose new ways of viewing how sacraments testify to God’s saving purposes in and for the world. We will use both classical explanations and some of these contemporary interpretations to think creatively and expansively about how texted Christian song sung in the context of gathered community might be considered as sacrament, sacramental and/or as an expression of sacramentality."

A Legacy for Church Music Scholarship

Since its inception in 1985, The Northcutt Lecture Series has become an integral part of the academic and spiritual life of the Baylor University School of Music. Designed to bring nationally and internationally known church music scholars to Baylor University, The Northcutt Lecture is made possible by an endowment from Cassandra Northcutt and the late LeGrande Northcutt of Longview, Texas. In attendance to the 40th anniversary lecture were LeGrande and Cassandra's children, Gordon and Aurelia. 

A History of Esteemed Scholars & Lectures

The Northcutt Lecture Series boasts an impressive history of guests from a diverse array of church music perspectives. 

Past presenters include...

Anton Armstrong, James Abbington, Mary Louise Bringle, David Music, Constance Cherry, John Witvliet, Lester Ruth, Jeremy Begbie, Ruth Duck, Carl Shalk, Brian Wren, I-to Loh, Carl P. Daw, Jr., Emily Brink, Don Sailers, Harry Eskew, Carlton Young, Helen Kemp, Donald P. Hustad, Paul Westermeyer, Thomas Troeger, Marva Dawn, Alice Parker, Jane Marshall, Benjamin Harlan, Michael Hawn, Terry York, Allen Walworth, Harold Best, Gordon Borror, Jerry Warren, Robert Shaw, Paul Manz, Milburn Price, William O'Brien

Baylor's School of Music has been greatly enriched by the Northcutt Lecture Series over the last 40 years, and we are grateful to the Northcutt family for their generosity and intentionality to bring this series to life.

The Northcutt Lecture remains of the most prestigious lectures on church music in the world and has attracted the top national and international scholars in the field. We celebrate this momentous occasion with great joy and gratitude to the Northcutt family.