The Music Ministry Program
"Music With Soul" is the goal of our music program. By this, we mean music that we genuinely want to sing and hear, music that moves us in deep and authentic ways and most importantly, music that helps us as we answer Christ's invitation to "Come unto Me." (Matthew 11:28)
The following four quotes help illustrate our approach to music:
- "When we sing, we feel the joy of God."
(paraphrase, Chariots of Fire) - "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord"
- "Sing a new song unto the Lord"
- "The music of the Gospel leads us home."
(Oratory Hymns)
The music we choose for our services includes a mix of the best of the glorious hymns of our faith (we call these hymns our "golden oldies") with the best of the contemporary Christian music.
Our criteria for choosing music is, simply, "Do we love singing this and will it minister to our congregation?"
Our favorite (musical) times are when our two choirs join forces at our joint services, especially when our children are part of the joint choir.
Several times a year we hold concerts featuring guest artists such as Angus Sinclair (keyboard), Kevin Ramessar (guitarist), Handbell Graces (a quartet of handbell ringers), Bonds of Love, and the van Pelt family. Two highlights of our musical year were our annual concert featuring Angus Sinclair and specialty desserts in a church hall decorated to look like a candlelit cafe, and a Jazz Vespers (followed by specialty desserts). Proceeds from these concerts went to Bethany's Hope and Aids orphanage in our sister Diocese in South Africa.
Both Good Shepherd and Christ Church have a vibrant choir. Our choir practice is Thursday evening from 7:30 to 9:00pm (held at Good Shepherd in Woodstock). Each choir practice involves rehearsing music for our services, learning new music and mastering skills that enhance our singing technique. Everyone is welcome to join our choir: no experience or prior training is necessary.
Each year we offer the opportunity to attend Master Singing classes which have been taught by Elaine Overholt, Leslie Fagan, and Jennifer Moir, respectively, for those who are eager for the challenge to improve their signing ability. We also participate in a Christmas Mass Choir with other choirs in our community. We happily provide links to other choirs and exceptional music events in our area to encourage growth in our musical knowledge and joy in our artistic experiences.