Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir, composed of dedicated volunteers and excellent soloists, is a semi-professional choir that leads our worship service each Sunday and sings for special events in the church and the community.
Special services include:
- All Saints' Sunday, when the choir, accompanied by orchestra, provides a festival setting of the Eucharistic Liturgy.
- Christmas Concert presented with the Children's, Youth, and Handbell choirs. The congregation is encouraged to join the Choirs, Organ and Orchestra singing the carols of the season.
- Christmas Eve Service of lessons and carols, where the choir and soloists, along with trumpet and strings, provide the music.
- The Fifth Sunday of Lent is a special service where a musical setting, often of the Requiem or mass text, is presented by the Chancel Choir and accompanied by an orchestra and organ.
We rehearse on Thursday evening from 7:15 – 9:10. In addition to a lot of music making, the choir provides a fellowship opportunity within the larger congregation. We welcome new members from both the church and the community.
Handbell Choir
The Handbell Choir plays the three-octave set of English handbells and a three octave set of handchimes given to the church several years ago. This choir enriches the worship service with unique sounds, quite different from the usual choral and instrumental offerings.
We rehearse weekly and perform in worship and concert several times each season. Included in the rehearsals are discussions about reading music, the teaching of bell-playing skills, and rehearsing repertoire for performances.
Each season, we look for new bell ringers to fill in the ranks and for alternates to substitute for regular ringers at rehearsals and performances. We welcome new ringers from the congregation and from the larger community.
Children and Junior Youth Choirs
Our Children and Junior Youth choirs offer our children the opportunity to build relationships with each other in a caring Christian community, singing and learning about our faith. The young people's choir program at the Church is grade- and age-appropriate. Biblical and theological concepts, along with vocal skills are actively taught, in an environment where each participant is valued for uniqueness in voice, personality, and musicianship.
The Children’s Choir is for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. In this choir, the children continue to learn through play, singing, and movement while, at the same time, learning more about reading music and using their singing voices well. This choir sings in worship service several times during the year, in the Spring Musical and in City-Wide Children’s concerts.
The Junior Choir is for 4th – 7th graders. As the culmination of the Children's Choir program, this choir is the performing choir. Children's voices at this age have a uniquely beautiful quality. This choir sings in church, in the Spring Musical and in City-Wide Children’s concerts. The children continue to learn more about vocal production, reading music, and singing in two parts.
Pipe Organ
When the First Presbyterian sanctuary was completely renovated in 1988, the church decided to purchase a new pipe organ. It was the wish of church member William H. Kearns to give a fitting memorial to his late wife, and the William H. Kearns Memorial Organ was built and installed by the M.P. Möller Organ Company of Hagerstown, MD in 1990. Mr. Kearns himself died before the organ was completed, but his funds provided the major part of the cost, with other donors supplying the balance.
Dr. Richard Bouchett, Minister of Music at the time, and Mr. Frederick Grimes of New York City designed the magnificent 60-rank organ in consultation with Mr. Daniel Angerstein, Tonal Director of M.P. Möller. The instrument favors French Classical and French Romantic music while giving strong leadership to congregational singing; it also accompanies singers, choirs and instrumentalists very well. The main organ is completely encased and speaks clearly down the length of the nave from its prominent position across the front of the church. The brilliant trompette en chamade is mounted above the rear gallery. As an important instrument in the town, the organ is used in concerts and is frequently featured in the church’s Music from the Top concert series.
The organ was first heard on Easter Sunday, April 15, 1990, and at the dedicatory recital on March 10, 1991, Dr. Bouchett performed the world première of The Last Temptation of Christ, a commissioned work by Ruth Schonthal.
Grand Orgue
16 Flûte conique 12 pipes
8 Montre 61 pipes
8 Bourdon 61 pipes
8 Flûte conique 12 pipes
8 Flûte harmonique 61 pipes
4 Presant 61 pipes
2 Doublette 61 pipes
IV-V Fourniture (2’) 290 pipes
V Grand cornet (TC) 245 pipes
16 Bombarde 12 pipes
8 Trompette 61 pipes
8 Cromorne (Pos)
4 Clairon 61 pipes
Tremblant
8 Trompette en chamade 61 pipes
Deagan Chimes
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Pédale
32 Soubasse 12 notes
16 Contre basse 32 pipes
16 Soubasse 32 pipes
16 Flûte conique (G.O.)
16 Quintaton (Pos.)
16 Bourdon (Réc)
10-2/3 Quint (Réc)
8 Montre 12 pipes
8 Flûte couverte 32 pipes
8 Flûte à cheminée (Réc)
8 Flûte conique (G.O.)
4 Octave 32 pipes
4 Flûte ouverte 12 pipes
IV Fourniture (2-2/3’) 128 pipes
32 Bombarde cornet
32 Contre bassoon 12 pipes
16 Bombarde (full length) 32 pipes
16 Basson (Réc)
8 Trompette 12 pipes
4 Clairon 12 pipes
4 Cromorne (Pos)
8 Trompette en chamade
Deagan Chimes
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Positif (expressive)
16 Quintaton 12 pipes
8 Montre 61 pipes
8 Bourdon 61 pipes
8 Flûte douce 61 pipes
8 Flûte céleste (TC) 49 pipes
4 Prestant 61 pipes
4 Flûte à cheminée 61 pipes
2-2/3 Nazard 61 pipes
2 Doublette 61 pipes
1-3/5 Tierce 61 pipes
1-1/3 Larigot 12 pipes
1 Flageolet 12 pipes
IV Plein Jeu (1-1/3) 244 pipes
16 Douçaine 12 pipes
8 Trompette 61 pipes
8 Cromorne 61 pipes
Tremblant
8 Trompette en chamade
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Récit (expressive)
16 Bourdon 12 pipes
8 Flûte à cheminée 61 pipes
8 Viole de gambe 61 pipes
8 Voix céleste (GG) 54 pipes
4 Principal 61 pipes
4 Flûte à fuseau 61 pipes
2 Octavin (harmonic) 61 pipes
IV Fourniture (2-2/3) 244 pipes
III Cymbale (2/3’) 183 pipes
16 Basson 12 pipes
8 Trompette 61 pipes
8 Basson/Hautbois 61 pipes
8 Voix Humaine 61 pipes
4 Clairon 61 pipes
Tremblant
8 Trompette en chamade
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