The Historical Society of the Episcopal Church (HSEC) is pleased to announce that Dr. Carl MaultsBy, director of music and organist at St. Richard's Episcopal Church in Winter Park, Florida, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Nelson R. Burr Prize. The award, presented during the Society’s annual meeting, recognizes MaultsBy's article, "Afro-Centric Liturgical Music and Its Implementation at St. Philip's Church, Harlem," published in the December 2025 issue of Anglican and Episcopal History (Vol. 94, No. 4).

The HSEC Publications Committee selected the article for its exceptional scholarship, extensive research, and careful documentation. The committee also praised the work for incorporating the personal witness to illuminate recent developments in Episcopal liturgical music.

MaultsBy's article offers a significant contribution to the study of Anglican and Episcopal history by tracing the evolution of music at the historic St. Philip's Church in Harlem. It examines how traditional Anglican musical traditions were gradually supplemented—and, in some respects, transformed—through the incorporation of Afro-Centric liturgical music rooted in the faith, culture, and lived experience of African Americans. By situating these developments within the broader history of one of the Episcopal Church's most influential parishes, the article provides important historical and theological context for this evolution.

Throughout his distinguished career, MaultsBy has led music ministries at prominent Episcopal churches in New York, Washington, D.C., and Florida. He holds degrees from Lake Forest College and the Manhattan School of Music, and his work spans sacred, secular, and film music. An accomplished composer and author of liturgical works, hymnal settings, and organ compositions, he has also served on the Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music.

The Nelson R. Burr Prize is named in honor of historian Nelson R. Burr, whose landmark work, A Critical Bibliography of Religion in America (1961), remains a foundational resource in the field of American religious historiography. Awarded annually, the prize recognizes the author of the most outstanding article published in Anglican and Episcopal History, HSEC's quarterly peer-reviewed scholarly journal. The award honors excellence, originality, and significant contributions to the study of Anglican and Episcopal history.

Recent Burr Prize articles, including MaultsBy’s, are available online at hsec.us/Nelson-Burr-Prize. Print copies may be requested by contacting Director of Operations Matthew P. Payne at mpayne@hsec.us or (920) 383-1910.