Notes from the Music Director…
December was a busy month for the choir. They sang each Sunday during Advent, including the Christmas pageant, and on Christmas Eve. Laura Yurs joined the choir on flute one of those Sundays,
The WUSD Carolers made their annual visit on December 21st, and while this article is being written well before, we expect several guest singers on Christmas Eve, including “grown and flown singers” and next generation singers. I’ll name those in the next newsletter. James Ortega joined us already on Dec. 7th. And, of course my continuing thanks goes to Tom Rusch, who serves the music program of our church in so many ways!
Senior Choir continues at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings in the choir room and meets weekly, unless noted ahead of time. We will meet at 6:00 on Christmas Eve to rehearse, but we won’t rehearse on December 28th. We will resume rehearsals on Jan. 4, 2026.
Something extra to look forward to will be an Ecumenical Choir as part of the service that our church will host on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
We can always use more singers. There are no special requirements to be in the choir. Familiarity with music reading is helpful but not required. In the past few years, I have been choosing and adapting the music that I use to the skills and numbers of the singers that attend. We generally work on 2-3 pieces of music each week, so that we are working ahead and have several rehearsals on the same piece of music before singing it in a service.
You do not have to be a church member or make a weekly commitment to be a part of the choir. High school age and above are welcome (and I would consider musically enthusiastic or advanced 8th graders.) Drop-ins are also welcome. If you play an instrument, please let me know. You never know when there might be an opportunity to play.
Church musicians, vocal or instrumental, are providing ministry in another way. We not only serve as leaders of the hymns but also add an anthem or special music to the service which is intended to expand upon the theme of the lectionary or the service, or provide music as a backdrop for prayerful meditation.
-- Juanita Edington
