Grace College Assistant Professor of Worship Arts Dr. Wally Brath recently performed his original jazz Psalms project, “Connexion,” at the 2025 Calvin Symposium on Worship. The annual conference, held at Calvin University, is for pastors, worship leaders, and musicians in the local church who want to grow in their theological understanding and practice of worship.
“It is always a privilege to lead worship in any context, but I was very encouraged by the way the participants at the conference engaged with the Psalms,” said Brath. “I arranged the Psalms thematically to tell the metanarrative of the Bible: Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration. Many people gave feedback that they were deeply moved at the experience of singing through the Psalms in such an expressive way.”
Brath was familiar with the conference, having attended on and off for many years and bringing worship arts students occasionally. After accompanying singer/songwriter Rachel Wilhelm last year at the conference, the Calvin Symposium board invited Brath to lead a service of his jazz Psalms this year.
Brath performed on Thursday, Feb. 6, alongside Nikki Lerner, the original singer on the project, along with Greg Tardy on clarinet and saxophone, Rob Linton on bass, David Lerner on drums, Shana Brath on violin and a chamber string group from Calvin.
