What Is Moravian Music and What Does the Moravian Music Foundation Offer?

Moravian music is the sacred and concert repertoire created and preserved by the Moravian Church, a Protestant denomination with Central European roots whose American settlements—especially Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Salem, North Carolina—produced a large body of 17th- and 18th-century compositions. The Moravian Music Foundation (MMF) is the organization that preserves, shares, and celebrates this repertoire. If you are a worship leader, musician, researcher, or curious listener, MMF is the main entry point for scores, recordings, research tools, concerts, and classes.

What "Moravian" Means in a Music Context

The Moravians were a religious community that placed music at the center of worship and daily life. That produced:

• A deep archive of manuscripts and published works by Moravian composers, much of it from the 1700s.
• A living tradition that continues into the present day, with contemporary composers and performing ensembles.
• A worship function — music was understood as a means of proclaiming the Gospel, not merely as performance.

This is why MMF's work spans both historical preservation and current performance and publication.

What the Moravian Music Foundation Does

MMF describes its mission as inspiring, engaging, and educating. In practice, its work includes:

• Preserving and sharing Moravian music from the 17th and 18th centuries to the present
• Producing resources for the Moravian Church, musicians, researchers, educators, and audiences
• Publishing music and creating recordings and video
• Presenting concerts
• Offering classes, lectures, and workshops

Resources You Can Use

Scores and Publications

MMF publishes music and makes selected scores available. One documented example is Charles Fussell's Specimen Days, a 1992 cantata for baritone solo, chorus, and orchestra. A piano/vocal score PDF is available; upon ordering, the PDF is sent by email to the purchaser, with a delivery address listed as [email protected]. Biographical information on Fussell can be found in the Finding Aid for the Charles Fussell Collection at MMF.

Recordings and Streaming

MMF offers streaming, downloads, and CDs. One featured recording is a collection of Moravian hymns played on banjo by Rev. Adam Goodrich.

Research and Discovery Tools

The site provides discovery tools and catalog/search access for researchers, along with finding aids for composer collections. These are the starting points for anyone doing archival or scholarly work.

Events, Classes, and Participation

Concerts and Programs

MMF presents concerts, programs, classes, workshops, and other events. Events from the Bethlehem, PA office are specific to the Lehigh Valley area and the Northern Province.

Moravian Music Sunday

Moravian Music Sunday 2026 falls on May 3, 2026, with resources and materials provided for worship leaders. It is celebrated on the fifth Sunday of Easter.

The Psalm of Joy

The Psalm of Joy is a service of word and music created by the Moravians in Salem, NC, for July 4, 1783, as part of the first official Independence celebration, giving thanks for the end of the Revolutionary War. MMF is promoting it in connection with the 250th anniversary of America (1776–2026).

Singers Wanted: Unitas Chorale

Unitas Chorale is a performing ensemble of the Moravian Music Foundation specializing in music of Moravian composers from the past and present. The site includes a call for singers.

How to Get Started

For purchases, MMF links to a licensing/purchase portal, and at least one score order is handled by email. Check current availability and terms directly through the Foundation, since offerings and event dates change.