When asked once to give a presentation on “small groups in the Moravian Church,” my colleague C. Daniel Crews responded, “The whole Moravian Church is a small group!” This being so (the membership of the Moravian Church worldwide is approximately eight hundred thousand), the Moravian Church has nonetheless had a significant impact in all corners of the world, particularly in education, in worldwide mission endeavors, and in music.

Donald M. McCorkle's ground-breaking doctoral dissertation, entitled “Moravian Music in Salem: A German-American Heritage” (Indiana University, 1958), as well as his other publications and presentations, sparked a great deal of interest in research into the music of the Moravians, especially in North America. As the first director of the Moravian Music Foundation, Dr. McCorkle set a high standard for research. Although I did not know Dr. McCorkle, I am proud to follow in his footsteps. It is no exaggeration to say that all research into the music of the Moravians in America has been grounded on the firm foundation he laid.

Over the past fifty years, many students and scholars have completed a great many research projects dealing with aspects of Moravian music. What has been lacking, however, is a general introduction to this rich and varied musical culture, reflecting current research. Each of the following essays introduces and explores a facet of this music. Should reading these essays raise more questions and spur more research, this book will have succeeded.

No project of this complexity is completed without the aid of many persons. E. Allen Schultz, the former executive director of the Moravian Music Foundation, reviewed the first beginnings of an outline for this book and has provided invaluable encouragement, friendship, and sage advice for nearly fifteen years. Karl Kroeger, another former director, worked with me on my master's thesis (my first Moravian musical research project) and has been a mentor and guide throughout my years at the Moravian Music Foundation. Philip Dunigan, a former member of the foundation's Board of Trustees, has applied his keen intellect to various aspects of Moravian musical research for more than twentyfive years now, and has contributed insights, a broader perspective, and unflagging enthusiasm to many areas of my work.