Worshippers at the 10:30 service at LCH will probably recognize the name Bruce Bengtson from the Sunday bulletins. This Sunday the choir will be singing another of his Alleluias (Gospel Acclamation). Bruce has been organist and director of music at Luther Memorial Church in Madison, Wisconsin since 1978. We met Bruce over twenty years ago when we became members of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and have renewed our friendship numerous times at ALCM events and conferences. In 1992 when Carl Crosier took a sabbatical, he spent some of the time in Madison and came home with many of Bruce’s Gospel Acclamation verses.

Bruce plays a weekly organ recital and is responsible for the choral and instrumental program at Luther Memorial. He started organ study in Salem, Oregon, obtained an organ performance degree under Dr. Robert Anderson at Southern Methodist University, and did graduate work in organ and church music at Valparaiso University (where he met Allen Bauchle). He won first place in two national organ playing competitions.

Bruce has been to Hawaii at least three times and played two organ recitals at LCH. We also met up with Bruce in 2007 and had a great time in Leipzig at the Bach Festival together.

So in case you were wondering who Bruce Bengtson is, now you know!