Music plays a significant role in the worship life of Trinity Presbyterian Church. We are pleased to offer musical opportunities for individuals of all ages and abilities and we extend a warm welcome to anyone who would like to join us!
Our music ministry is exciting and diverse: honoring sacred music traditions of the past while open to new expressions of praise inspired by the Spirit today. It is our hope and deepest desire that every note of music proclaims the truth, love, and justice of Jesus Christ and empowers us to live faithfully as his disciples. Perhaps the well-known Choristers Prayer sums it up best:
"Bless, O Lord, your servants who minister in your temple. Grant that what we sing with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
You will find a complete list of musical opportunities listed below. If you have any questions or would like more information about our program, please do not hesitate to contact our Minister of Music, Paul Vasile.
The Trinity Choir welcomes adults to sing on Sundays from September through mid-June and for special services on Christmas Eve and Good Friday. We also perform two significant works of choral music each season, usually as part of a special worship presentation. Our repertoire is varied, including well-known cantatas and oratorios, English choral music, African-American spirituals, Renaissance motets, as well as contemporary hymns and anthems. You are warmly invited to rehearse with us on Thursday evenings from 7:15-9:15 p.m.
The Festival Choir welcomes everyone who loves to sing, whether you read music or learn by ear. This special ensemble sings at worship celebrations throughout the year, including World Communion Sunday, All Saints, Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday, Palm Sunday and Pentecost. Our musical selections are fun and diverse, including gospel and blues, spirituals and folk songs, as well as music from around the globe. The Festival Choir offers two rehearsal options. For those who are able to attend during the week, rehearsal is held from 7:30-8:45 p.m. on a Wednesday prior to a performance. For those who have a busy mid-week schedule, a rehearsal will also be offered on Sunday morning after the Christian Education hour.
The Handbell Choir invites adults and teenagers to ring with this unique-sounding ensemble. We perform hymn arrangements, original compositions, and are exploring new ways of using the bells in our worship services: incorporating them into processionals, ringing hymn descants, and accompanying responsorial Psalm settings. The Handbell Choir rings once a month and on special occasions throughout year. You are welcome to rehearse with us on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Instrumentalists of all ages and abilities are welcome to share their talents with us throughout the year! Whether you feel comfortable playing a solo, accompanying a choir or just playing along with a hymn or two, you can make a special contribution to our worship services. Talk with Paul Vasile if you are interested.
Whether you are a musician or a music-lover, you have an opportunity to make a musical offering of your own through the Psalm 150 Fund. This important fund provides for guest musicians on special occasions and also provides financial support for other creative and meaningful musical endeavors throughout the year. We encourage you to give generously and joyfully to this special offering next May!
Mark your calendars to gather in the Dining Room Friday, May 9th for a meal and some music as we celebrate all that we have experienced together and all that Paul Vasile has shared with us and the community during his ministry with us.
Paul Vasile's imminent departure from our Music Ministry will leave some pretty big shoes to fill. No, I'm not talking about his organ shoes, though they are big enough (we hope he'll remember to take those with him!). I mean that we need to begin looking for a new way to staff our Music Ministry with faithful and talented servants. The Session, Personnel Commission, Worship and Music Commission and the staff want to take advantage of the interim period to really reflect on the possibilities for this ministry and to discern in what musical direction God is calling us. Before we nominate a search committee to find a leader, we need some time for dreaming. Dr. Dan, Margy Brown (chair of Personnel) and I (chair of Worship and Music) will be appointing a diverse group of people to join us in our dreaming. With the session's blessing we will form a team of dreamers - individuals from a wide variety of niches within our congregation including parents, choir members, instrumentalists, members of different age ranges, and folks who prefer to just listen. We will discuss with our "Music Ministry Needs Dream Team": What kind of music ministry will not only best serve our congregation and enrich our worship time, but will also call us to greater faithfulness, comfort those in need, invite and engage our neighbors, increase our mission and enlighten and enliven our souls? What kind of gifts do we need in such a position? Where and how can we best seek these gifts? How will we know when we have found them? When we believe we have an idea where God is leading, we'll let the session know that it's time for a search committee. During this time of dreaming and discernment, please keep the future of our music ministry in your prayers.
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. Transitions like the one I am about to undergo are a bit of organized chaos. At the same time I am writing a goodbye to you, I am writing words of introduction to the congregation at Park Avenue Christian Church. At the same time I am selling a house, I am exploring apartments in New York City. I feel something like Janus, the two-faced god in Roman mythology who looks both forward and backward at the same time. The emotions are truly bittersweet and as I reflect on my seven years here at Trinity I feel inclined to share a few words that I hope can adequately sum up my gratitude.
The music ministry of a church is about the gathered people of God singing their praise and prayer from the heart. In the past seven years we have found wonderful and diverse ways to express our joys and grief, our fears and hope, our doubts and our faith, to the God who gave us the gift of music. Worship has welcomed music from so many styles, countries and traditions; gifts have been shared by a steady stream of children, students and professionals; we have heard Scripture sung and proclaimed with great energy, color and depth. But the music ministry has not been done by me. Yes, I have had an important leadership role. I have supported and shaped the congregation's and choir's singing. I have encouraged and cajoled. I have I have taught and shared music that I love. But I am convinced that the music ministry of Trinity Presbyterian Church has been done by you all along. On those Sundays when the organ has dropped out of a hymn and I have heard the strong, rich tone of the congregation a cappella, or those moments when I have heard a service response or Psalm refrain sung with great gusto by young and old alike - those are the times that my heart has been filled with incredible joy. I have heard the congregational choir leading worship. And that, my friends, is at the heart of a healthy church - a sign of vitality. And it tells me that the music ministry of this congregation will continue to thrive long after I am gone.
I recently received an email from a regular visitor to the congregation and want to share her words with you as an encouragement. "I think that the greatest tribute that the congregation could offer is to continue the work that you started with community involvement and outreach through the Arts, and continue to integrate the celebration of the Arts with the celebration of the Word." I certainly have no control over the future, trusting that God will bring strong interim leadership and guidance as you begin to search for a new pastoral musician. But I cannot leave without a challenge to keep extending a radical, gracious welcome to all. Over the past years, Trinity has gained a reputation as a congregation that is hospitable to the community, and many of the relationships that we have cultivated have returned countless blessings. Keep it up! And as you reach out, don't forget to keep reaching in, too. Celebrate the amazing gifts within this congregation. There is so much untapped potential - the many talented, young musicians coming up the ranks, as well as the singers, instrumentalists, composers and creatives who are and will become part of the church. Don't let music become something reserved just for a few but be a church that provides a place for all to share their notes, their phrases, their arias or even their kazoo solos. For we have truly and deeply welcomed others only when we have truly and deeply received their gifts.
It has been an incredible honor and joy to serve as the Minister of Music here at Trinity. You have provided a place for me to grow and risk, to succeed and to fail, to share my passion for music and for my faith. You have offered freedom, honesty, support and love in such large measure. I am proud of the work we have done together - building a diverse, inclusive music ministry, a refurbished pipe organ, new choir robes and musical outreach to the community. But, above all, I am proud of the ways that we have grown in our welcome of the new and unfamiliar, in our ability to speak with respect and love about our preferences and differences, and in our openness to the ways that music can bring new life to our faith.
I leave you with the words of another Paul, because he says it better than I ever could. I love you all and will miss you dearly.
[more]And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ-the Message-have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives-words, actions, whatever-be done in the name of Jesus, thanking God every step of the way.
(Colossians 3:14-17, from The Message)
Sunday May 3, 8pm in the Sanctuary. The concert includes a world premiere of a new work by St. Louis composer Barbara Harbach, as well as pieces inspired by poetry and literature of St. Louis writers.
...will rehearse in the Choir room on Friday, April 25 & May 2 at 7:30 pm (note time change) in preparation for singing in worship on May 4th. All are invited to join.
By now, most of you have received word that our Minister of Music, Paul Vasile, has been hired to be the new Minister of Music at Park Avenue Christian Church in New York City. This is an exciting opportunity for Paul and before he goes, we will have an opportunity to celebrate his ministry with us and send him to his new ministry.
So what about our music ministry when Paul leaves? Our first step will be to find an interim who can guide our music ministry until we hire a permanent Minister of Music. We also will spend some time defining how best to configure that position. And then we will name a search committee who will find our new Minister of Music. If this process unfolds as it has in the past, we will have a new Minister of Music in place by January or February of 2009. In the meantime I encourage everyone to hold onto some great strengths as we move forward in this process:
Please pray for Paul and for the congregation in this time of transition.
Saint Louis Symphony Family Concert - Saturday, April 5 at 10:30 a.m. Free and open to the public.
This special educational concert features musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra performing selections that will inspire, enrich and awaken children's love for music.
Imrat Khan in Concert - Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. $15 adults, $10 students/seniors. Don't miss this performance by one of the world's finest Indian musicians. His breathtaking virtuosity communicates a generous humanity that touches audiences and turns each performance into an unforgettable experience.
...will be held on Sunday, March 16 at 4 pm in the Sanctuary. Jay Carter is lauded for his luminous tone and stylish interpretations. He is joined by the newly-formed Baroque ensemble Saint Louis Baroque. $10/ticket, $7 students/seniors.
Trinity members and friends have been all over the St. Louis airwaves this past week. You can see or hear them via the following links:
Many of us know that Trinity member Vicki Carmichael is a fantastic singer and voice teacher. And she has shared her musical gifts with our community so generously in the past years. But did you know that she is one of the winners of the Artist Presentation Society's annual Young Artist Competition? This local Arts organization encourages and promotes exceptional young musicians, giving them public performance opportunities during the early stages of their careers. Some of the previous winners have achieved international fame. Others have established careers as music educators and as members of symphony orchestras and opera companies.
On Sunday, March 9, at 3 p.m. she will perform her award recital at Unity Christ Church at 33 N. Skinker Blvd. (corner of Forsyth and Skinker). The program will include works by Handel, Mozart, Chabrier, R. Strauss, Schoenberg and Bernstein. I invite all of you to show your support for Vicki.
Due to illness, the March 9 concert has been canceled. Watch the Trinity web site for news about rescheduling.
Music from Handel Cantatas and Oratorios - Sunday, March 16 at 4 p.m. $10 adults, $7 seniors and students. Instrumentalists and vocalists from St. Louis Baroque join acclaimed countertenor, Jay Carter, in a program of arias and choruses from Handel's oratorios and cantatas.
Saint Louis Symphony Family Concert - Saturday, April 5 at 10:30 a.m. Free and open to the public.
This special educational concert features musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra performing selections that will inspire, enrich and awaken children's love for music.
Imrat Khan in Concert - Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. $15 adults, $10 students/seniors. Don't miss this performance by one of the world's finest Indian musicians. His breathtaking virtuosity communicates a generous humanity that touches audiences and turns each performance into an unforgettable experience.
The Funraiser raised $1,500 towards the purchase of new robes for the choir. Thank you to all who attended and who have donated so far. This is a great beginning, but, the more funds we raise, the more design and fabric choices we have (those who saw the "fashion show" know what we mean!). Checks with "choir robes" or "Funraiser" in the memo line can be sent to the office or put in the offering plate. Thank you in advance!
The Clayton Silver Strings is a string orchestra made up of older adult amateur musicians. Sunday afternoon, February 10 at 3 p.m. they will a perform a concert here at Trinity featuring Bizet's Carmen suite, highlights from Copland's Rodeo, Telemann's Masquerade and other light classics. Entry is free and all are welcomed to attend.
Enjoy an evening of fabulous music and laughs on February 23 at 7:30 p.m. A special Musical "Fun'Raiser" will feature the diverse musical talents of our congregation:
And much, much more...
All proceeds will help to purchase new robes for our choirs. The current robes, over 25 years old, are ready to be retired. We hope to purchase ones that are more comfortable and better reflect the diversity and hospitality of our music ministry. The concert is open to the public; a donation of $20 is suggested but gifts of all sizes are welcomed. Don't let cost keep you from coming to an event that you will not forget (hopefully for good reasons!). If you can't attend but would like to make a donation, checks earmarked "Choir Robes" can be put in the offering plate or sent to the church office. We look forward to seeing many of you on February 23 at 7:30 p.m.
[P.S. COCA has a theater performance at 8 p.m. the same evening. Come early to get a good seat!]
Music from Handel Cantatas and Oratorios - Sunday, March 16 at 3 p.m. $10 adults, $7 seniors and students. Instrumentalists and vocalists from St. Louis Baroque join acclaimed countertenor, Jay Carter, in a program of arias and choruses from Handel's oratorios and cantatas.
Saint Louis Symphony Family Concert - Saturday, April 5 at 10:30 a.m. Free and open to the public.
This special educational concert features musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra performing selections that will inspire, enrich and awaken children's love for music.
Imrat Khan in Concert - Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. $15 adults, $10 students/seniors. You don't want to miss this performance by one of the world's finest Indian musicians. His breathtaking virtuosity communicates a generous humanity that touches audiences and turns each performance into an unforgettable experience.
I am excited to share that I will be co-teaching a course at Eden Theological Seminary this January term. Titled "Lift Every Voice and Sing: Music Leadership for Participatory Worship," Professor Christopher Grundy and I will help seminarians to learn some of the underlying theory and practical skills needed to help congregations find their voice and return to the joy of singing together. We will discuss issues and strategies related to congregational song, but we'll also practice some of the skills needed to lead congregations in singing.
I will not be in the office as much as usual during the month as classes will meet daily. However, I can always be reached by email or voicemail. I am excited to share my gifts in this context and appreciate the support and prayers of the congregation as I embark on this exciting opportunity!
Join some of the area's finest Early Music performers in a festive holiday program: An Early Music Christmas Celebration on Saturday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. The program will feature a chamber orchestra and chorus performing Vivaldi's joyous Gloria, the Pachelbel Magnificat and several instrumental pieces. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students. [Note: This event was incorrectly advertised as a free concert on the mailing sent earlier this year.]
Sunday, December 2 - The Festival Choir will lead worship. Anyone who loves to sing is welcome to attend rehearsal on Thursday, November 29 at 7:15 p.m.
Sunday, December 9 - The Trinity Choir and guest musicians from the St. Louis Symphony will present A Little Advent Music by the German composer Hugo Distler. Written in 1931, this rarely-performed cantata is based on the Advent chorale Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Savior of the Nations, Come).
Sunday, December 16 - The Handbell Choir and Sunday Morning Singers will offer music of the season.
Sunday, December 23 - We will begin our morning with a Christmas Carol sing at 10:15 p.m.
Monday, December 24 - The Sunday Morning Singers will sing at the 5 p.m. Family Service. The Handbell Choir will ring the prelude at the 11 p.m. Lessons and Carols service and the Trinity Choir will sing a diverse selection carols during the service.
In the Spring of 2008, we will offer another sampling of remarkable and diverse concerts, including:
Your attendance at these events is one important way to show your ongoing support for musical outreach to our community. We are also seeking volunteers to serve as ushers and greeters and to help set up and host receptions after the events. Please contact me if you would like to be part of our Concert Series Team, which is dedicated to enriching lives through engaging performances in eclectic styles!
Web Alert! I have started a blog: www.lovedintobeing.wordpress.com. I welcome the congregation's comments and interaction as I explore music, faith, sexuality and other topics in this format.
Reverberations Concert -
St. Louis Symphony Family Concert
Saturday, November 3, 2007, at 10:30 a.m.
Free and open to the public
The first of two events geared towards younger listeners, this special educational concert features musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra performing music that will inspire, enrich and awaken children's love for music. Join us for a morning of learning and discovery through storytelling and music.
The reception following the concert will offer delicious "family" treats.
Co-sponsored by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
Reverberations Concert - An Early Music Christmas Celebration
Saturday, December 8, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Join some of the area's finest Early Music performers in a festive holiday program featuring music and instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. As at all Reverberations concerts, the audience is warmly invited to greet the artists at a reception following the concert.
Trinity's music ministry has expanded to include a Gospel Choir this year and I want to extend a welcome to anyone who would like to join us. You don't need to sing like Mahalia Jackson. All you need is a open spirit and a desire to offer praise and thanks to God with your voice.
One of the unique traditions of Gospel music is that is is largely taught by ear. There is no sheet music! We learn by repeating phrases, speaking the rhythm of the text, and by engaging our bodies through clapping and movement. We will also have the privilege of learning from musicians in our community who are well-versed in the style and who will help us sing it with authenticity and skill. It's a great opportunity for fellowship with others, to experience something new and to make a joyful noise.
We'll sing in worship again on Sunday, November 18, and will rehearse the two Friday evenings before - November 9 and 16. We begin with a light potluck meal at 6:30 p.m. and begin rehearsal at 7:30 p.m. I hope that you will join us for this wonderful time, as we praise God's name with the uplifting sounds of Gospel music!
Music floats through the halls of Trinity Presbyterian Church, due to the church's partnership with the Community Music School of Webster University (CMS). Young students from newborns through the age of five can be found in Room 206, enjoying their first taste of music in their Young Years classes. On any given Monday through Thursday, students of all ages arrive for piano, bassoon, trumpet, violin, or Suzuki cello or violin lessons. The Chapel and Choir Room serve as studios for some of the area's finest and best-loved instructors: Mary Lou Gotman, Art Bartzen, Donita Bauer, Bill Bauer, Robert Souza, and Rose Martin.
"The atmosphere and conditions are delightful," commented Rose Martin, who teaches violin. "The acoustics are good, the condition of pianos are good, and it is so very pleasant at the church."
With two semesters successfully undertaken at Trinity, CMS is encouraging those seeking to take lessons in any instrument or voice to consider that location, as several more of the CMS's teachers have expressed interest in offering lessons at the site. The Music School offers individual lessons in all orchestral instruments, guitar, and voice, as well as Young Years music classes and Suzuki strings. Organ lessons are taught at University Heights Methodist Church. The School's orchestras, ensembles, and Pre-College Music Preparatory Program are held in Webster Groves.
Local families with young children find it very convenient to have so many of the Young Years music classes offered at the Trinity Presbyterian Church location. Families with newborns in the "Village" class participate in a variety of multi-level music activities that stimulate babies' growth and development and engage the senses, while they connect with others through music and movement. The "Our Time" class includes 1 ½ - 3 ½ year olds singing, imitating sounds, and rhyming while interpreting the many "moods" of music through creative movement and activities. Older pre-school students can be found singing, using pretend play activities, and storytelling to develop beat, rhythm, and ensemble interaction in their "Imagine That!" class.
"Families have commented that Room 206 is bright and pleasant," commented Maureen Bolain, who can be found teaching one of the Community Music School's Young Years music classes. "They like being so close to the Loop for snacks or lunch after class. And because so many live within walking distance of class, they combine coming to class with their daily strolls."
The CMS is grateful for such a successful partnership with Trinity Presbyterian Church. Families in the area with long-term relationships with the School have found the arrangement very convenient, while new students take advantage of having such a highly acclaimed music school available "in their backyard."
We couldn't have wished for a more cooperative partnership. The entire Trinity Presbyterian Church community has been friendly, inviting, and sincere in welcoming the CMS into their home.
Soon after I arrived at Trinity, Dr. Dan "commissioned" me to write some musical responses to use in worship. Fruits of this encouragement to write liturgical music that would embody the theology and values of our faith community include my Gospel Gloria, bluesy Kyrie, and Baptism response "With Joy and Thanksgiving."
As the Session discussed Trinity's worship schedule last spring and what it might mean to provide a space for all of God's children in worship, my imagination was ignited again. Over the summer I completed a new set of service responses which I'm calling A Mass for All of God's Children. It includes a new Kyrie ("Lord, have mercy") and Gloria ("Glory to God in the highest"), and pieces for Communion that will be used less frequently: a Sanctus ("Holy, Holy, Holy"), an Amen, and an Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God").
The unique part about these responses is that everyone is invited to play a part in them, providing opportunities for all of us to share in musical leadership. There are easy, repeated patterns ("riffs") that anyone can sing; there are approachable melodies that I hope will get stuck in your ears. Each piece can be accompanied by organ or piano alone, or by instrumental parts that range in difficulty and complexity, providing an opportunity for children and adults to play, ring, and strum along.
We will begin to use these responses on September 9. I hope you will join all of God's children at Trinity as we sing the "old, old story" of faith in a new way this fall.