Choral music enriches worship at St. Martin’s.
St. Martin’s parishioners include an abundance of gifted musicians who love to incorporate others into their midst. The choir sings at the Sunday 10am service, with accompaniment by organ, piano and occasionally guitar, string bass, praise band, violin, and flute (and we’re open to other instruments too). Anthems range from Renaissance motets to contemporary Christian music. On the first Sunday of the month, we have more interactive service, designed to be accessible to a wide variety of ages. We also have a Pop-Up Choir on First Sundays, which means anyone can join the choir to sing the anthem; just show up at 9:15am to learn the song.
Jeffrey Jubenville leads the program as Music Director and organist. He works with Choir Director Suzanne Jubenville.
Our sanctuary also includes a Baldwin grand piano and an organ built by the the Bond Organ Company.
♫ CLEF NOTES ♫
Notes from our Music Directors for Sunday, November 24, 2024
On November 24, the Sanctuary Choir will sing Alice Parker’s arrangement of Charles Wesley’s hymn “Rejoice, the Lord is King,” in honor of the Feast of Christ the King. Written in 1744, the text of the hymn draws heavily on Scripture, especially Philippians 4:4 (“Rejoice in the Lord always”) and other passages celebrating Christ’s kingship and victory over sin and death. In her arrangement, Parker retained the hymn’s usual tune, Darwall’s 148th, but she transformed the stately character of the melody to a sprightly, cheerful tune with echoes of the madrigal. Alice Parker (b. December 16, 1925) is an influential American composer, conductor, and arranger, best known for her contributions to choral music; she is also an educator whose pedagogical approach emphasizes expressive, inclusive music-making. Hymn-writer Charles Wesley was one of the key founders of Methodism, originally a devotional, evangelical movement within the Church of England. He was known for drawing large crowds of working class people to his outdoor sermons, especially in Wales and Cornwall. Charles Wesley and his brother Samuel were prolific hymn writers, and their movement and music influenced the direction of the Cornish and Welsh male-voice choir tradition.
—-Stay tuned for our next installment!
