Charles Ore: An American Original

This book celebrates the ministry and extraordinary gifts of Charles W. Ore, nationally recognized church musician, educator, and composer. During his teaching career, especially his many years at Concordia College, Seward, Nebraska, Ore’s contributions have helped shaped church music in America.

About the Author

Irene Beethe serves as kantor at Zion Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin. She studied with Charles Ore as an undergraduate student at Concordia in Seward, Nebraska. She has served in a variety of musical capacities in schools and congregations in Michigan and Wisconsin. While pursuing her master’s degree in church music at Concordia in Mequon, Wisconsin, she spent countless hours visiting with Charles and Connie about Charles’ life and growth as a musician, which led to her writing his biography. This Festschrift is a portion of that document.

About the Series

This is the seventh in a series of monographs published by the Center for Church Music, Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Illinois—Shaping American Lutheran Church Music—highlighting persons, movements, and events that have helped shape the course of church music among Lutherans in North America.