Benedictine Values & Music
There’s no shortage of music that connects to these Benedictine values,” says Dr. Adam Kluck, who taught as visiting assistant professor of music at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB+SJU) during the 2023–2024 academic year. His career has been a winding path since receiving his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In the summer of 2023, he rounded a turn that led to CSB+SJU.
Dr. Kluck had just spent one year teaching at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., and previously taught in Wyoming, Iowa and Colorado. A love for Minnesota’s thriving choral culture drew him and his family to this year-long position at CSB+SJU. He was surprised to quickly discover a prior connection to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict when he arrived: He had once put on a benefit concert at Benet Hill Monastery in his hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Early in the interview process, Dr. Kluck was inspired by the unique hospitality demonstrated at CSB+SJU. The support and encouragement he received from colleagues during a hymns concert early in the year solidified a desire to dive into Benedictine values through music. His efforts manifested in a concert entitled “Sacred Music for the Living,” which was performed at Sacred Heart Chapel on May 3, 2024.
The project was made possible by a professional development grant that Dr. Kluck received with the help of a letter of enthusiastic support from Father Anthony Ruff of Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minn. Sisters Janine Mettling and Elaine Schroeder were also named as pillars of encouragement during the project’s development.
The choir and audience were modest in numbers, but the project was a fulfilling experience for those involved. Dr. Kluck was able to exercise his range of skills as he searched for music that connected to each Benedictine value and reimagined larger pieces to fit the group of eight world-renowned singers who joined him in this unique experience.
Despite the stylistic constraints of a small choir and no instruments, Dr. Kluck believes this format was ultimately beneficial. In total, the choir spent only 10 hours together, yet he reminisces fondly on the strong connections he was able to make with each singer due to the group’s size. The connections, he says, were the most fulfilling aspect in many ways.
Dr. Kluck will now join the faculty at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio, as director of choral studies. He and his wife, Kristen, along with their three small children, look forward to their new journey. On moving on from CSB+SJU, Dr. Kluck expresses his gratitude for the thoughtful actions of the monastic community here, which he says, “changed [his] life for the better” and inspired him to find “the spiritual fulfillment and benefits of every little part of life.”
Alyssa Tasto
This article was featured on page 15 in the fall 2024 issue of Call magazine.
Photo: Dr. Kluck directing “Sacred Music for the Living.”
