I am another who will have to be at NOMAD in spirit only this year. Next year...My earliest religious musical experiences were in synagogues, where the cantor or the congregation sang, without accompaniment. There was no separate choir, and everyone sang in unison or in octaves. Christian spiritual music was someting of a shock (though a pleasant one!) at first. Personally, although I started out with a guitar and a dulcimer, over the years I have done less and less playing; I now almost always sing without instruments. I find myself more and more in the role of storyteller when I sing and an instrument seems to get in my way. Of course, it may have something to do with lack of practice...