At First Church we believe that music and arts gives us a window into the divine. Music connects us one to another either in the making of music or in the listening to music. Especially during this time of Social Distancing, First Church is united weekly by our love of music in our weekly worship by email videos and "Thirty Minutes of Joy" Thursday Weekly Organ Concert Series on Facebook Live from 12-12:30 pm with our Director of Music Ministries, Bill Speed.
The following ensembles are currently meeting online, singing from home, participating in worship in creative ways rather than in person during Social Distancing. Music and song are essential to First Church, and we look forward to being together again as soon as safely possible.
Senior Choir meets every Thursday night at 7:15 in the choir room, accessible up the stairs right inside the front doors of the sanctuary. We sing a healthy variety of music, which in the past year has included folk songs, spirituals, motets from the 17th century, movements from Bach cantatas, English cathedral anthems, Sacred Harp melodies, African-American Gospel, contemporary Christian, South African freedom songs, and contemporary classical compositions. We sing both a cappella (unaccompanied) and accompanied by organ, piano, or small chamber instrumental ensembles.
Junior Choir for children in 3rd to 8th grades meets right after school until 5:00pm on Wednesdays. Children often take school buses directly from school to the church, where they are engaged in both singing and instrumental instruction, combined with group activities deepening their church fellowship.
Cherub Choir welcomes children in Kindergarten through Grade 2. We start with a snack and story time, learn fun songs and songs to sing during worship, do rhythm and movement activities, arts and crafts, games, etc.
The Bell Choir: Three octaves of Schulmerich handbells are rung throughout the church year at worship. Weekly rehearsals are held after the 10 am worship service. Handbell ringing is a fun way to make music in a group, especially for those people who don’t consider themselves singers.
