MUSIC NOTES
Fall is a wonderful time to join a choir! All of our musical groups welcome musicians, including singers, bell ringers, and guitar players. If you have been thinking about joining one of our musical groups, fall is a great time to join! You are welcome to come to any of our rehearsals, all of which begin right after Labor Day. There are no auditions to join a choir. Our musical organizations include the Chancel Choir, the Joyful Ringers, and PS 96.
Chancel Choir rehearses in the Choir Room on Thursday evenings from 7:45 to 9 pm beginning on September 5th; tenors and basses rehearse each Thursday at 7:15 pm prior to the full choir rehearsal. The Choir meets on Sunday mornings at 9:40 am and sings for the Sunday morning worship service every week from September through June. The Choir sings a variety of anthems, from classical to contemporary. The Choir will sing for the first time this fall on Sunday, September 8th.
Joyful Ringers comprise our handbell choir that meets on Sundays after worship from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm in the sanctuary. The Joyful Ringers play in worship once a month. The group plays a three-octave set of Schulmerich handbells and a three-octave set of Schulmerich melody chimes. The first rehearsal of the Joyful Ringers will be on Sunday, September 15th, and the group will play for worship on Sunday, September 29th.
PS 96 is our contemporary music group with singers, keyboard, guitars, and percussion. The group rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary and plays in the Sunday morning worship service once a month. The first rehearsal of PS 96 will be on Thursday, September 5th, and the group will play for the first time this fall on Sunday, September 8th. PS 96 represents Psalm 96, which begins, "Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth."
The Chancel Choir will begin September with the anthem This Is the Day the Lord Has Made, by Mark Hayes. This composition begins and ends with a joyful melody on the text of the title with a middle section from Psalm 118 adapted by the composer:
You are the Rose of Sharon, the Lover of my soul.
You are my heart's desire; my soul implores me to exalt your Holy Name.
Your Name is music unto my ears, and I must sing of the great love
You've shown to me, because my heart will not be still.
PS 96 will be with us on September 8th and will present Be Okay, by Lauren Daigle, for the Prelude, and Delivered, by Casting Crowns, for the Offertory. We are grateful to the musicians in PS 96 for sharing their contemporary music with us, and we welcome the group back to our worship services.
On September 15th, the Chancel Choir anthem will be The Table Is Spread, arranged by Ann MacKenzie, and utilizing two familiar folk melodies. Ann MacKenzie visited our church in the late 1990's and conducted our Choir for a special celebration. Ann was a faithful United Methodist composer whose music demonstrated her strong faith in God. The Choir presents this anthem in support of Pastor Sandra's message on this day:
Setting the Table.
The Choir's anthem for September 22nd will be Come to the Table of the Lord, by Jay Althouse. This anthem is a gentle invitation to everyone to share in the Lord's Supper, in
coordination with Pastor Sandra's message entitled Invitation to the Table. The anthem text includes:
Come to the table where the bread is broken.
Come to the table where the word of God is spoken.
Take this bread into your life as a token.
Come to the table of the Lord.
Bruce Goody and Jonathan Moretz will be with us on September 22nd and will play Nocturne No. 3, by Burgmuller, for the Prelude, and Barbara Allen, by Beaser, for the Offertory. Bruce will play his flute, and Jonathan will play his electric guitar. We are always appreciative of the beautiful music that Bruce and Jonathan bring to our worship services.
As Pastor Sandra's Communion series continues on September 29 with Blessing the Table, the Chancel Choir will sing the very familiar Communion hymn, Let Us Break Bread Together, arranged by Jay Althouse. This beautiful choral setting calls us to share the Lord's Supper together.
The Joyful Ringers will play Grand Entry, by Kathleen Wissinger, on September 29th. This joyful piece utilizes both handbells and melody chimes in a setting that projects the feeling of a Welcoming Procession as we ring the bells and chimes to praise God.
Millie Beane
Director of Music
The Chancel Choir and the Joyful Ringers returned to our worship in September after many months. Many members of the congregation have told the musicians that they are very appreciative of the music that these wonderful groups provide for our worship. Thank you for your enthusiastic support of our music ministry! Very soon, we hope to see and hear PS 96 as well.
Chancel Choir This vibrant choir meets every Thursday to rehearse in anticipation of weekly singing in worship. The SATB has recently performed works by Randall Thompson, Paul Basler, Felix Mendelssohn, and John Rutter. If you are interested in singing with the choir, please
contact us.
Joyful Ringers This Handbell ensemble rehearses weekly following worship and plays in worship monthly during the non-summer months. For information about how to join the handbell choir, please
contact us.
The Ps96 Ps96 is the Praise Band of Carter Memorial, and it leads music monthly in worship. For more information on the Ps96 schedule and on getting involved with PS96, please
contact us.
Children's Choir The Children's Choir rehearses during Sunday School at various times throughout the year and performs in worship on special occasions such as Palm Sunday or Advent. For more information, contact our
church office.
Messiah Sing Featuring a 12-piece Orchestra, every year during Advent, Carter Memorial hosts a Messiah Sing. The entire community is invited to sing with the orchestra and soloists in the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah and the "Hallelujah" chorus.
