Music

 
 


Music

                                                           This is Bjorn Gustafson, St. Mary's Music Director

St. Mary’s has always had

an active music program.

This year is no exception!

 

        The Cherubim Choir will develop young children’s voices by providing fun musical interaction and singing for those pre-Kindergarten age and older (about age 4 or 5 - through first or second grade.) This group will meet on Thursday afternoons from 4:30 - 5:10 and present music in the church service about once every six weeks.

 

    The Seraphim Choir will give older kids their opportunity to sing and make music. This choir will meet on Wednesdays from 5:00 - 5:45 and provide music at the service about once a month. This group will also receive instruction on the bell plates (instruments like the handbells, only lighter!) and perform on these as well.


    The Magnificat Choir is St. Mary’s vocal choir for adult voices. Though this choir has a tradition of singing Sept. - May, this year the group will be using a quarter system, four 8-10 week chunks of this longer period for which one may join. Roughly, the four quarters are: Fall (Sept. - Thanksgiving); Early Winter (Advent-January) ; Late Winter (Lent, this year starting in February - Easter Sunday, Mar. 23rd); Spring (April - May.) Sign up to sing for one or more quarters! This choir meets at 7:15 on Wednesday nights.


    The Marian Bells ring praises to the Lord. The great thing about being in this choir is that you are never flat! Handbells requires a good sense of rhythm and fun. Many of our members don’t read music. We purchased another octave of handbells and need new hands to bring them to life. If you are a teen or adult curious about playing handbells, consider joining us for a rehearsal and trying them out. Marian Bells rehearses this year on Wednesdays from 6:00 - 7:00.


    The St. Mary’s Recorder Consort provides instrumental music for services
periodically through the year. A very independent group, members rehearse their part individually and meet for a few rehearsals proper to each group performance, usually on Thursday evenings. Duets, trios and larger ensemble works are all featured.

 

    A year-long schedule of all musical activities including what groups are assisting in worship on what dates is available to anyone by contacting our director of music, Bjorn Gustafson. May we be blessed by another wonderful year of praising our Maker!


    Occasional Parish Musicians are welcomed and expected. If you play a wind or brass instrument, guitar, piano, percussion, or sing, please consider sharing your gifts with us once, or once in a while. We will always make room for you in our music program!


    Music opportunities for the non-musician include offering a half-hour of your time to help sort, file, and catalog our music library, and volunteering to help prepare music folders for the youth choirs. If you want to support music at St. Mary’s by sharing your time, please let us know!