Welcome (in advance) to the Holy Mountain - we're so glad to have you at Sewanee Church Music Conference!  Here is some basic information which will help you navigate through your week as a “newbie.”  If you find yourself in any kind of need while on campus, do not hesitate for a moment to ask a Board Member (or one of the seasoned conferees) for assistance.  You'll find that the folks around here are a loving, encouraging, and friendly bunch.  So feel free to drag up a chair and join any group you encounter.  Some people have been making their yearly summer pilgrimage to Sewanee since the 50's and 60's and have cultivated treasured friendships here over the decades.  It is our hope that this summer is the first of many years for you, too, to forge relationships that will last a lifetime.  
 
WHAT TO BRING
While you are a guest at the Sewanee Church Music Conference, we want you to be comfortable.  Following are items that you will need for your stay here.  (If you forget something, no fear - located close to the campus are banks, ATMs, convenience stores, Piggly Wiggly, CVS, Dollar Stores, and multiple locations wherein you can acquire 'wholly spirits!')

​Absolutely DON'T leave home without these:

• Choir vestments (as Piggly Wiggly does not stock cassocks and cottas, unfortunately)
• Academic hoods are appropriate for Evensong, if desired
• Dark dress shoes for use with vestments

             Music folders and pencils are being provided (because we have a generous benefactor!), and you won't need a hymnal or BCP during the week. 
Attire

• The Tennessee mountains are beautiful, but weather conditions can change on a dime.  Days are usually comfortable and nights can become quite cool.  
• Casual “summer camp” clothing is appropriate for all activities on campus.
• Venues are air-conditioned, but outside is not.  We recommend a light jacket or sweater for classes and rehearsals.
• You will want something nicer, but not formal – think summer frock or sport coat - for the banquet on Saturday night.

Suggested items: (NOTE:  towels, sheets, pillow cases, pillows, and a light-weight blanket are provided)

• A twin sized foam mattress covering for your bed - dorm beds can be a little on the uncomfortable side for some guests.
• Small cooler and glasses/mugs if you would like beverages or snacks in your room.
• Extension cord for hair dryers, curling irons, etc.
• Small flash light for safely maneuvering dark hallways during the night.
• Coffee or tea, if you'd like to make some in your dorm kitchen.
• Umbrella or light rain coat. 
• Walking shoes (!!!)
• Backpack
• Small fan for your room.
• "Dressy" clothes for the Saturday Banquet.
• Organ shoes, if you are playing in a master class (or if you happen upon an impromptu pop-up hymnsing somewhere).
• A "coverlet" for your bed.  (A sheet and light blanket are provided, but if you like something heavier, throw that bedspread in your suitcase!)
• Small clip-on lamp for your bed or bedside table.

Bring your SELF!
Conference attendees will be singing Friday Evensong and Sunday Eucharist at All Saints' Chapel on the campus of the University of the South (Sewanee).   Be sure to get a sub for your church during the week you are at the conference so you can fully participate in all the services for the week.  You'll have worked hard on repertoire for Friday's Evensong and Sunday's Eucharist, and your fellow conferees depend upon and value your voice and presence!  So most importantly, BRING YOURSELF (along with your extension cords, walking shoes, and choir vestments)!  

A NOTE ABOUT CELLPHONE SERVICE  & WiFi
If you have AT&T, you're golden.  Folks have reported problems with other carriers, however T-Mobile is increasing its presence through the building of new cell towers.  Cellphone service can be spotty, which means that phone calls AND text messages can bee problematic.  WiFi is ubiquitous and robust, thoughout the campus.  Facebook Messenger (for calls and texts) has saved the day for lots of people, as has Google Voice and WhatsApp (and surely others).  Everyone seems to be able to access the internet and their emails with no problems reported.

GETTING TO AND AROUND ON CAMPUS
Flying in? Find out shuttle info on the TRANSPORTATION tab of our SCMC website.
Here you can also get info on driving or walking. Guests with automobiles can assist those who might need transport among venues on campus.
​​CAUTION: Obey the 20 MPH speed limit precisely. (They mean it - just ask Nancy Jones.)

REGISTRATION
Registration is from noon – 4:00 pm on Monday, July 8, 2024 at Quintard Hall.  If you have any problems on Registration Day, call or text our registrar, Ellen Jones, at 423-368-0095. Since Quintard Hall is a dorm, the physical address is not public.  Set your destination to Chapel of the Apostles (COTA) at this address (Quintard Hall is to the RIGHT of COTA):
     355 Tennessee Ave
     Sewanee, TN  37375
Click here for our MAPS page.

MEALS
Ever yearned to eat your lunch inside a beautiful cathedral? Well, McClurg Dining Hall will satisfy that desire. It's an absolutely beautiful piece of architecture. The cuisine is amazing and varied. You will not suffer from hunger! You are welcome to unlimited dining during McClurg Hall's hours of operation. There is a vast array of gastronomical delights to suit every palate (and dietary restriction). If you are staying on campus, your name badge is your meal ticket (it's literally your meal ticket). If you are lodging off campus, you are certainly welcome to enjoy your meals at McClurg. Use the pay-as-you-go for your Dining Hall meals. 

MAPS
Check out our map page with addresses and map buttons (which, when clicked, pops up on your favorite device with an option to open in your favorite map program).  

• There are addresses listed for the venues, if you're old-school and still like consulting map books.
• There is a button for an interactive campus map which you can use when you're on University of the South territory - it locates you, reaches out to hold your hand, and guides you to the venue you ask it to show you.  

WHAT TO DO WHILE YOU'RE IN SEWANEE (and have a few spare moments)
Our website has an extensive AREA GUIDE section highlighting these things.
Here's what you'll find:

• Before/After the Conference – for those who come early or stay late, several interesting things to while away some quality time
• Trails & Overlooks – some breath-takingly beautiful scenery to get you outdoors and appreciating God's creation
• Historic Sites – if you need to get outside your own cranium for a while, these areas will give you insight to the region
• Skilled Artisans – if you need to go shopping for a one-of-a-kind gift to take to loved ones back home, there are lots of unique and wonderful finds just around the corner
• Restaurants – dining out is a real pleasure, and here are some of our favorite eateries and watering holes
• Other Joys & Treasures – if you have a quick moment and want to stretch your legs or need to go to the Post Office, or if you're looking for good specialty shops, here are some good recommendations

Finally, please get ready for a rich and enjoyable week spent among colleagues. Refresh yourself, replenish your spirit, and bask in the beauty and in the love of God that lives in our midst during this week. And if you find that we have left out pertinent information that might be helpful for future newbies, please let us know – your helpful perspective is appreciated. ([email protected]) Have a great time!

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with us, your servants who seek through music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to us even now glimpses of your beauty, and make us worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

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