Music Ministries

Trinity Sunday, Musical Rhetoric, and Goodbye to the Choir Sunday is Trinity Sunday. As you would expect you will hear lots of references to the Triune God in the hymns and choral music. Did you know that “pure” music can reference the Trinity too? In fact, the prelude you’ll hear, J.S. Bach’s, Fugue in E … Read more

Worship on Sunday,  May 12, will be a unique celebration of the Easter season enhanced by special music. Chancel Choir will sing the cantata, Rejoice in the Lamb, by 20th-century English composer, Benjamin Britten. The cantata is about 16 minutes in length. It is a joyful, solemn, playful, mystical celebration of praise to God and … Read more

March 21, 2024 By: Stephen Schall Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Passion. It’s a festive and solemn service. First, we gather on the front lawn with our palm to hear the story of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, then join the parade into the sanctuary singing “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.” Once there, we … Read more

February 29, 2024 By: Stephen Schall This Sunday we’ll hear the choir sing some acapella masterpieces by English Renaissance composers. First are two pieces by William Byrd (c.1540-1623): the Kyrie from his Mass for Four Voices, which we’ll sing each Sunday in Lent, and  at communion, Ave verum corpus. At the offertory, we have  Lord, … Read more

By: Stephen Schall During Lent we will highlight two hymns. During the early weeks we will sing the ancient text, Kind Maker of the Word. This is a seventh-century Latin hymn, Audi benigne Conditor,”  that is attributed to Gregory the Great (c. 540-604). It has been used for centuries during Lent at the daily services … Read more

By: Stephen Schall January finds us exploring a new tune, RENDEZ À DIEU, which can be sung with several terrific texts. So far we have sung it to the hymn, When John Baptized by Jordan’s River and New Songs of Celebration Render. This week we’ll use it twice in the service for two beautiful communion … Read more

By: Stephen Schall January finds us exploring a new tune that can be sung with several terrific texts. Last week I introduced the tune RENDEZ A DIEU and we sang it to the hymn, When John Baptized by Jordan’s River. For the next few weeks, we’ll be using the hymn, New Songs of Celebration Render.  … Read more

By: Stephen Schall January finds us exploring a new tune that can be sung with several terrific texts. This week I’ll introduce the tune RENDEZ A DIEU and we’ll sing it to the hymn, When John Baptized by Jordan’s River.  The hymn was written by Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926). Dudley-Smith is a retired bishop of … Read more

Happy Advent! Happy New Year! This year, with the Fourth Sunday of Advent falling on Christmas Eve, we experience the shortest Advent season there can be. Advent is a beautiful season of expectation as we hear the thrilling and familiar words of prophecy and yearning for redemption, which culminate in the birth of Christ.  This … Read more

November’s hymn of the month is “Jesus Comes with Clouds Descending.” The text was written by Charles Wesley, brother of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. Charles is considered one of the great, if not the greatest, hymn writers ever. Eleven of his hymns are found in The Presbyterian Hymnal including “Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus,” … Read more