Choral & Instrumental Groups
There are currently eleven groups serving our church throughout the year, not to mention the numerous instrumentalists of all ages who come forward to share their gifts. Here you can find all of the groups that serve the 9:30 a.m. Sunday service (choral/handbell), the 11:00 a.m. Sunday service (praise & worship), and weekday youth services. Feel free to come to a rehearsal to get a feel for the group and talk to current members. No matter your age or experience, there is a place for you here.
CHANCEL CHOIR
Choir for Grades 6 & up
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Thursdays, 7:00p, Complete Schedule
SERVICES: Weekly, Sundays, 9:30a
CONTACT: Michael Olbash, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Chancel Choir focuses on more advanced choral music for young people, and overlaps for 30 minutes with the adult choir rehearsal so that the members can learn to sing advanced anthems with the larger group. Sight-reading skills are sharpened by requiring all members to read multiple voice parts.
CHAPEL BELL ENSEMBLE
Handbell group for adults
(and students with permission of director)
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Wednesdays, 7:30p, Complete Schedule
SERVICES: Every 4 to 6 weeks, Sundays, 9:30a
CONTACT: Michael Olbash, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Chapel Bell Ensemble at the United Church of Christ uses an assortment of handbell ringing and table techniques to perform a variety of sacred repertoire with our 5-octave set of English handbells from the Whitechapel Foundry and a 3-octave set of tone chimes. The ensemble occasionally participates in massed ringing events with other handbell groups, and has hosted concerts of handbell music. We are sending two of our ringers to the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Area 1 Festival, June 25 to 29, 2009, in Orono, ME.
CHERUB CHOIR
Choir for Grades Pre-K & K
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Sundays, 9:30a (during class)
SERVICES: Every 6 to 8 weeks, Sundays, 9:30a
CONTACT: Susan Holbrook, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Cherub Choir is composed of the two pre-k classes and the kindergarten students. We are pleased that high school senior Emma Cree Gee is directing our Cherub Choir again this year. Each Sunday during class time, the children spend 10-15 minutes with Emma learning a variety of songs of praise for our God. Children at this age love to use simple hand movements, instruments and their voices to learn about God. The children participate several times a year in worship with a song.
FOY BAND
For instrumentalists, Grades 6, 7 & 8
REHEARSALS: Monthly, Wednesdays, 3:00-4:00p, Mondays, 4:45 (before FOY)
SERVICES: Monthly at FOY Worship
CONTACT: Heidi Willson, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The FOY Band is where young musicians can begin to develop their skills playing in an ensemble. Practice at home with a rehearsal cd and sheet music prior to rehearsals is a vital component to this group's success.
PRAISE TEAM
For singers & instrumentalists, adults
(and students with permission of director)
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Wednesdays, 7:00p, Sundays, 10:00a
SERVICES: Weekly, Sundays, 11:00a
CONTACT: Heidi Willson, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Praise Team provides music and leads worship for the Praise Service. These talented musicians are volunteers who dedicate much time in and outside of rehearsals to share the talents God has given them. While the Praise Team's repertoire consists of Scripture-based contemporary Christian and gospel music, its unique instrumentation allows the band to cover many genres within contemporary worship music.
PRAISE TEAM KIDS
Choir for Grades 2 to 8
REHEARSALS: Monthly, Wednesdays, 7:00p-7:45p
SERVICES: Monthly, Sundays, 11:00a
CONTACT: Heidi Willson, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Praise Team Kids sing at the beginning of the Praise Service with the Praise Team, and are then dismissed for Sunday School. While some of our Praise Team Kids read music, it is not a necessary skill to participate, as each singer receives a rehearsal cd and lyric sheets in order to learn the music at home prior to rehearsals.
SANCTUARY CHOIR
Choir for adults (and students with permission of director)
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Thursdays, 7:30p, Complete Schedule
SERVICES: Weekly, Sundays, 9:30a
CONTACT: Michael Olbash, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Sanctuary Choir sings from a large repertoire of sacred choral music, including Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony, Classical and Romantic oratorio choruses, great English sacred choral anthems, and the best of contemporary music for the traditional church. The repertoire is sung in English, Latin, French, German, and other languages; and, it includes the works of composers as diverse as Mendelssohn, Faure, Durufle, Brahms, Rorem, Pinkham, and Palestrina. In addition to Sunday worship, the ensemble also provides musical leadership for the December Carol-Sing, Christmas Eve services, and Holy Week liturgies. In preparation for Christmas and Easter, the ensemble expands into a Festival Choir, inviting occasional singers to participate in choral activities; and, during the summer months, a small core of singers helps to provide musical leadership for weekly worship.
SENIOR HIGH BAND
For singers & instrumentalists, Grades 9 & up
REHEARSALS: Sundays, 5:30p-6:30p; (before SHF)
SERVICES: Weekly at SHF Worship
CONTACT: Heidi Willson, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Senior High Band provides music for worship at Senior High Fellowship. Members receive a rehearsal cd and sheet music in order to practice at home prior to rehearsals. This group has a lot of fun while learning to lead others in worship through the talents God has given them.
TRAINING CHOIR
Choir for Grades 1 & 2
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Wednesdays, 4:45p, Complete Schedule
SERVICES: Every 3 to 4 weeks, Sundays, 9:30a
CONTACT: Michael Olbash, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The training choir is designed for children who are not yet old enough to read with great accuracy, but who are able to learn basic concepts of pitch and rhythm. Children are taught by rote to learn hymns, spirituals, and simple anthems, and are assisted by members of the Treble Choir when singing at Sunday services.
TREBLE CHOIR
Choir for Grades 3 to 5
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Thursdays, 6:00p, Complete Schedule
SERVICES: Every 1 to 2 weeks, Sundays, 9:30a
CONTACT: Michael Olbash, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The treble choir is designed to give young people an opportunity to express themselves musically in a faith-centered environment. Music selections tend to be unison, canons/rounds, or simple two-part pieces of a sacred nature, chosen especially to both relate to the liturgical season and scriptural themes of the day as well as illustrate a particular musical idea or technique to the singers.
YOUTH BELL ENSEMBLE
Handbell group for young people, Grades 3 & up
REHEARSALS: Weekly, Wednesdays, 6:30p, Complete Schedule
SERVICES: Every 4 to 6 weeks, Sundays, 9:30a
CONTACT: Michael Olbash, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
ABOUT: The Youth Handbell Ensemble uses repertoire specially tailored to the number and skill level of participants. The curriculum begins with color-coded music and gradually encourages children to ring more challenging parts as they master the recognition and application of rhythmic notation.
