What will ministry at St Andrew's look like in the future?
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What will ministry at St Andrew's look like in the future?
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St. Andrew's Music Ministry (This page is frequently updated.) Click on the links below or scroll down the page to find information on each musical group: INTRODUCTION The St. Andrew's Music Ministry offers a variety of opportunities for participation, and welcomes all who are interested. We believe that we are called to offer our gifts to the glory of God, the Giver, and in the service of one another. (Because it has connotations that are inconsistent with our view of our ministry, the word "performance" is strictly frowned upon.) We seek not only to preserve and pass on the Church's great musical heritage of hymns and anthems but to explore new music that is becoming part of the Church's musical wealth. All the music is selected to be appropriate to the service's scriptural themes and for the church season in which it is used. Our hope is that every member of the congregation will find a number of anthems over the course of a year that speak to him or her in a special way and enrich his or her worship experience. It is our desire that our music ministry will help us all, congregation and musicians alike, to experience some of the awe, majesty and mystery of God. Currently, there are three formal musical groups that assist in leading worship: the Adult Choir, the Netcasters, and the Youth Choir. (There is also a Summer Choir, an informal group that offers anthems periodically during the summer.) You do not need to be able to read music or be a member of St. Andrew's in order to join the music ministry—the only requirement for participation is a desire to sing and a willingness to learn. However, these groups are about more than just music. The St. Andrew's Music Ministry is particularly blessed with a remarkable group of loving people who welcome newcomers as though they were old friends, who enjoy one another's company, who care deeply about one another, and who go out of their way to support one another in times of trouble. For information on the repertoire of the Adult Choir and on services with significant musical components, please follow the link to More on Music. If you have any questions about any aspect of the music program, please email Jay Wilcox at jwilcox@standrews.net. "I would that all the arts, and music in particular, be used in the service of Him who hath given and created them." —Martin Luther The Adult Choir was formed soon after the parish began its life as a mission in 1972. Starting with only a handful of singers, the group has grown and has assisted in leading worship in every space in which the congregation has met. Its members come from many backgrounds and engage in a wide variety of work and studies, both inside and outside the home, but are joined by their love of music and desire to serve. The Adult Choir is constantly expanding its musical horizons. Recognizing that there is a wide range of musical taste in the Church today, the Adult Choir sings music from many countries and cultures in diverse styles from the past five centuries. Who can join: Anyone of high school age or older is welcome to join. A desire to sing in the service of God and in the leadership of worship is the most important qualification, coupled with a willingness to make a commitment to this ministry. Singers do not need to be able to read music—many in the Choir cannot! When we meet: The Adult Choir follows a school-year schedule, leading the service music and offering anthems from the Sunday after Labor Day through the middle of June. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings, from 7:45 to 9:45 p.m. Any other special rehearsals are announced well in advance. Rehearsals are not limited to the preparation of anthems and other music, but include time to work on vocal technique and musical skills and to share personal joys and concerns—and there is also a good deal of laughter. On Sunday mornings, we meet in the Choir Loft at 9:00 a.m. to warm up and review music for the service that day. In addition to Sunday mornings, the Choir sings on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday. On Easter, the Choir sings for services at 9:00 and 11:15 a.m., and enjoys a great brunch in between! Other benefits of singing in the choir are reserved seats on Christmas and Easter, the warmest spot in the church during the winter months, and great fellowship activities (usually involving excellent food). What we sing: Within the past several years, the Adult Choir has offered anthems ranging from the rich sounds of Russian Orthodox liturgical music to the brilliance and enthusiasm of gospel, from the profundity of Bach to the powerful emotions of spirituals, and from the mysticism of Herbert Howells to the lyricism of John Rutter and David Ashley White. The Adult Choir's ministry has been enhanced from time to time by instrumentalists playing flute, oboe, violin, cello, harp, trumpet, and cornets and sackbuts, and by sacred dance. For more information on special musical services, the use of historically-informed performance practice and the Adult Choir's repertoire, please follow the link to More on Music. "If you hear the music, join in the singing!" —Anonymous The Netcasters is an outgrowth of an informal group that got together at one of the parish retreats at Shrinemont. It has recently expanded its worship ministry and now leads the music at the Contemporary Services held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month (during the school year) at 6:00 p.m. The group consists of singers and instrumentalists who play a variety of stringed instruments, flute, and keyboard. Of course, other instruments are very welcome—we'll find a way to work you in! Who can join: Membership is open to adults and high school students who have a desire to "make a joyful noise to the Lord!" The ability to read music is not necessary for singers, but a commitment to the ministry of the group is. When we meet: Like the other musical groups at St. Andrew's, the Netcasters follow a school-year schedule. Their rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m., beginning in September. The Netcasters sing once a month on Sunday morning and lead the music at Saturday evening worship on the second Saturday of each month from September through June. The Netcasters also have the important responsibility of leading the music for the annual parish retreat at Shrine Mont, which is usually held on the last weekend in October. "Only the best is good enough for a child." —Zoltan Kodaly The Youth Choir was formed in 1990, and continues a tradition that dates back to at least the 4th Century, when there are the earliest records of children singing during worship. The participation of young people in worship leadership serves as a reminder that we are all children of God. The Youth Choir is the earliest opportunity for the young people of St. Andrew's to become involved in a worship ministry. The Youth Choir is not just about learning to sing well, nor is it just about learning to sing well for the glory of God. In its rehearsals, the Youth Choir learns about the central tenets of the Christian faith as well as about the relationship between what they are singing and the themes of the service at which they are singing. Thus Youth Choir offers an opportunity to reinforce the spiritual truths that the singers learn elsewhere at St. Andrew's. Moreover, studies have indicated that those who sing in a church choir as a child are substantially more likely to continue involvement in the life of the church as teenagers and adults than those who have not had such an experience. So, for parents, Youth Choir is an investment in the future spiritual life of a child. Who can join: The Youth Choir is open to students from the first through eighth grade. If a child is not yet a reader, his or her participation can be greatly assisted by parents taking the music home and reviewing the words with the singer. When we meet: At the present time, the Youth Choir meets on Sundays from 12:15 p.m. (immediately after the conclusion of Sunday School) until 12:45 p.m. The Choir usually sings one or two times a month on Sunday mornings during the school year, and leads the music at the 5:00 p.m. service on Christmas Eve. What we sing: The Youth Choir sings a wide range of music, from African songs to anthems from Native American cultures, and from contemporary gospel to more traditional settings. One of the highlights of the past several years was singing an anthem in Swahili for a visiting African bishop—who could actually understand our pronunciation of the words! During the past several years, the Youth Choir has been accompanied by recorders, guitar, trumpet, flute, oboe, string bass, and even a klezmer clarinetist, in addition to piano and organ. Beginning in the Summer of 2001, a group of singers gathered in the Choir Loft every other week at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning to learn an anthem for that day's service. This is a wonderful enhancement to Sunday morning worship during the summer. It is also a great opportunity to try out the music program at St. Andrew's or to participate in the music ministry for those whose time commitments make it impossible for them to be involved during the school year. Who can join: The Summer Choir is open to all interested and available. Entire families are welcome. Youth who would like to sing need to be able to read words that are similar to a hymn text. When we meet: During the summer, when there are no choir rehearsals, anyone who would like to learn an easy anthem to sing during that morning's service is welcome to come to the Choir Loft at 9:00 a.m. During the month of June, a schedule is established for those Sundays when the Summer Choir will sing; that schedule is published here and in the church bulletin. What we sing: While the anthems we sing are easy enough to be learned with a brief rehearsal, they are anything but routine. They are in a variety of styles, and have been accompanied by harp and violin in addition to organ. |
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