Music
Episcopal Church music is characterized by a diverse, liturgical, and often choral tradition, centered on The Hymnal 1982, which constrains 720 hymns, spanning from ancient monastic chants to modern compositions. It emphasizes reverent, participatory worship, featuring organ, choirs, and cantor-led anthems, with a strong focus on Anglican choral traditions.
Core Resources: The primary hymnal is The Hymnal 1982, supplemented by resources like Wonder, Love, and Praise, Lift Every Voice and Sing It, Voices Found
and Enriching our Music.
Music Style: The music is frequently described as “more worship than performance,
incorporating soaring descants, Anglican chant, and Polyphony.
Key Elements: Services often include:
Organ Music: traditional, often featuring instruments like the Flentrop organ.
Choirs: Adult, children, and youth choirs, as well as handbell choirs.
Service Music: Chanted canticles, Psalms and congregational singing
Diverse inclusions: While anchored in tradition, the Episcopal repertoire also includes Taize chants, Caribbean music, African music, and contemporary styles.
While the traditional, formal style is common, some parishes incorporate a wider variety of and even contemporary music.
Definition: A cantor in the Episcopal Church acts as a worship leader or choir director. lso a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or
parishioners respond.
PSALM 98 PRAISE THE JUDGE OF THE WORLD
(4) Make a joyful noise to the
LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song
(5) Sing praises to the LORD
with the lyre,
with the lyre and the
sound of melody,
(6) With trumpets and the
sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before
the King, the LORD.
Music is deeply embedded in biblical narrative, often used to express praise, thanksgiving, and lament. The Bible encourages believers to engage in musical worship as seen in verses like Ephesians 5:29 which states, “as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts,”. This highlights the communal aspect of music in worship, fostering unity among believers.
BELL CHOIR BELLS
On January 6, 2002 thanks to Kay Dill the choir bells were dedicated for their
use. Kay was responsible for obtaining the bells so that members of the parish could purchase them as memorials to parish members. The memorial names are engraved in each bell.
EARLY MEMBERS OF THE BELL CHOIR
At Libby’s right is Kay Dill who acquired the bells. The last member to the right in the back row is Bishop Wright on one of his annual visits.
CHURCH ORGANIST
On August 29, 2023 our parish lost the services of our organist and parish member Mary Ann Torkelson. Right-a-way the Vestry began its search for her
replacement. We were very fortunate in 2024 to find Jake Darmstadter a high school student in Georgetown. His mastery of the pipe organ was quite an accomplishment for one so young. He arranged two concerts to raise money for the repair of the pipe organ. In June of 2005 he graduated from high school and was making arrangements to pursue studies in music at Temple School of Music in Philadelphia, PA. He left us in August but on a couple of occasions when home was back for a Sunday service to play the organ.
We are blessed to find Mike Marotta to play our electric piano for the church services. In his absence we have our members Ruth Myers or Linda Bennett to fill in.
Having visited with our church piano player about the electric piano he confirmed that it has tabs that will play sounds of a trumpet, harp, violin, etc. Though they will not replace having the actual instrument sound this is the best we can do for now. The organ after its reconstruction might well have stops of individual instruments that will resound with more authority of the real thing.
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS ON THE PIANO
Having visited with our church piano player about the electric piano he confirmed that it has tabs that will play sounds of a trumpet, harp, violin, etc. Though they will not replace having the actual instrument sound this is the best we can do for now. The organ after its reconstruction might well have stops of individual instruments that will resound with more authority of the real thing.
Circa 1910
Nave, Sanctuary, And Chancel When St. Paul’s Had A Choir
At the present we are working on more interest from the parish for a church choir which the church has not had for years.