You might be looking on this page for information on a program of choirs, or a list of major musical works performed, or which style of music is offered at which service, or what kind of pipe organ we have, or what kind of praise band we have. These are important to the church’s music in different ways: they call for peoples’ varied gifts, and summon our excellence and commitment. But before any of these, what you’ll find first on this page is a reminder that the music of the church is centered around the people’s song. What we sing together – in prayer, in thanksgiving, in hope, in grief – reminds us that we belong to God and helps form us as a community of faith. Hymns and global songs, short songs and responses, age-old doxologies and new choruses, classic hymns and newly-commissioned texts: all these find a place in our worship. This is part of our prayer whenever we gather for the Lord’s Supper: “We praise you, joining our voices with the heavenly choirs and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name.” At our worship, the people sing a lot! Choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists complement the congregation’s song, sometimes singing for us, sometimes leading or supporting our song. These singing relationships make possible a wide range of music. On a given Sunday, music might include a Genevan psalm, a Wesleyan hymn, an African chorus, a song from the Iona Community, a contemporary song and a recent hymn text set to a known tune. Singing at worship is led by voices and instruments. Our choirs, described below, support hymns and songs; sometimes various stanzas of a hymn might be done in a dialogue between choir and congregation. The organ (Aeolian-Skinner, 1953) leads a number of hymns and songs; instrumental support comes also from piano, guitar, percussion, bells, and brass and wind instruments. Music is anchored in the movements of worship – praise, confession, the Word proclaimed, offering, sacraments, and sending – and is shaped around the scriptural texts for the day. Our hope is that a wideness of music might reflect the wideness of God’s love, of God’s people, and of our hospitality. This is a time of great abundance and variety in Church music; it can also be a time of divisions and confusions related to styles or instruments. Our hope is for music to be a unifier of community rather than a divider of tastes. If you have questions about or interest in music at First Presbyterian Church, please give Eric a call or email: Eric Wall, Director of Music, 828-253-1431, ext. 111 ewall@fpcasheville.org
If you are interested in singing or instrumental playing, read on for details about choirs and ensembles. Chancel Choir This choir for adults serves most Sundays at the 10:55 service; they also offer music for special services, such as All Saints, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday. Its role is leading, teaching and under-girding congregational song, as well as offering a wide range of anthems and special music - Renaissance motets, African-American gospel music, American folk music, Bach and Mendelssohn, modern anthems, global songs, and more. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. No audition is required; call or email Eric for more information.
Youth Choir This choir is for 6th - 12th graders. They rehearse on Sundays at 4:30, before Youth Fellowship meetings. They sing frequently in worship, offering anthems and service music.
Older Children’s Choir
his choir is for 2nd-5th
graders. They rehearse on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:00, following Wednesday
Church Night suppers. Children learn singing, handbells, music fundamentals,
and hymns; they also learn about worship participation and leadership. They
sing for Sunday worship and for special services such as All Saints and
Christmas Eve. Younger Children’s Choir This choir for kindergarten and first graders meets on Sunday mornings at 9:45, as a part of Bible Journeys. They learn songs, work with rhythm instruments, and play musical games; they also sing several times in the year for worship.
Instrumental Music There are many opportunities for instrumentalists to play. We are currently forming an instrumental ensemble for wind, brass, and string players. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings from 6-7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. We also involve percussion and guitar in different ways in worship. Contact Eric for more information.
Links of interest: The Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM) (www.pam.pcusa.org) is a national organization of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for people who are involved in the areas of worship, music, and the arts. PAM offers resources to professionals and lay persons alike in areas such as creative worship planning, professional concerns, available positions, discussion groups, book resources, and more. PAM also sponsors major worship and music conferences during the year, the largest of which is the Montreat Conference on Worship and Music, held nearly in our own backyard each June. For more information, see their website.
The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada (www.thehymnsociety.org) was founded in 1922 and has from its beginnings been dedicated to promoting congregational song: The Hymn Society is for those who · believe that congregational song is an integral component of worship · believe that the writing and singing of new texts and tunes needs to be promoted · value learning about the origins of the words and music they sing The Hymn Society publishes a journal and newsletter, sponsors an annual conference and numerous hymn tours, offers a book service for hymnals and publications, and sponsors searches for new hymns. The new president of the Hymn Society is Dr. Mary Louise (Mel) Bringle, who has written for our congregation:
“We Gather in Memory, in Hope, and in Praise” - written to celebrate Pete’s ten-year anniversary with us
The Ministry of Congregational Singing (www.congregationalsinging.com) was founded by pastor and hymn-writer John Thornburg. It is based in Dallas, Texas, and was created to help congregations, musicians, and other worship leaders “build community through the power and grace of singing” and to “put an end to the worship wars.” John Thornburg writes: Many churches feel that to have dynamic and vital worship, they must choose between traditional and contemporary styles. They ask, "What do the people want? "Though this is not an unimportant question, there is a deeper question to ask, and it is an exciting and challenging question: "What MUST we sing in order to be the church God is calling us to be?" Asking that deeper question keeps our search for exciting church music from being a popularity contest with winners and losers. John is already a friend of our congregation, as we have commissioned hymn texts from him: “She Was So Young” - a hymn celebrating both the Magnificat and the young mother of Jesus who uttered its powerful words “The Day Is Coming, Says the Lord” - an Advent hymn tracing the themes of Advent texts in Lectionary Year C The website provides essays, poetry, and other resources.
The Wild Goose Resource Group (www.iona.org.uk - click on Wild Goose Resource Group) is a semi-autonomous group of the Iona Community in Scotland, which is is an ecumenical Christian community founded in the early twentieth century and committed to seeking new ways of living the gospel of Jesus Christ in today's world. The Iona Community is based both on the island of Iona, one of Britain’s most ancient sacred places (on the western coast of Scotland) and in Glasgow, where its beginnings arose from attempts to link worship and work and to connect the Church to the realities of the Depression-era industrial poor. The Wild Goose Resource Group takes its name from one of the ancient Celtic symbols for the Holy Spirit and exists to enable and equip congregations and clergy in the shaping and creation of new forms of relevant and participative worship. Songs and liturgies written by its two resource workers, John Bell and Graham Maule, have found an enormous welcome in all kinds of worship around the world. The WGRG has also helped to make available songs of the world church. First Presbyterian folks will know many of the WGRG’s songs. The Iona Community’s website is a great source of information about the Community’s many activities; it includes a link to the WGRG.
The American Guild of Organists (AGO) (www.agohq.org) is a national professional organization for organists and others who work in church music. In its more than one-hundred-year history, it has served church musicians tirelessly. The AGO provides resources, promotes professional ethical standards, works for the fair treatment of church musicians and helps address grievances, sponsors bi-annual national and regional conventions, and promotes the preservation and renewal of the craft of organ playing and organ building. Visit their website for numerous features and information.
|
||||
