Cast of characters

My choir is a church choir in a liberal Protestant denomination. The church is relatively small (100-150 per Sunday) and quite old (nearing 300 years.) It is located in a rather affluent suburb of a major American city. The choir is ambitious, well-supported financially, and generally pretty dedicated to its music ministry. It is facing the same issues as many church choirs; the most dedicated members, for example, are growing older. (Really, I suppose we all are growing older.) In my time here, we have picked up a few new members- but lost an equal number to "retirement" or moving away.

I am starting my fifth year as Director of Music at this church, which I do in addition to my public school teaching in another town in the area.

Our organist is an unusual figure. She has served as a church organist much of her life, and we have been pleased to have her on board for about four years. However, her primary vocation is professor of liturgy at a major university. What an asset, to have an organist who is a fount of knowledge on church history, theology, hymnody, psalmody, etc. etc. While I have worked with many professionals who have held their own in these areas, it is great fun to have an international authority on the bench.

My wife is a musician with a degree in theology. (It’s nice to know I can’t go too far wrong with two theologians looking over my shoulder.) She directs our Junior Choir and also holds down the alto and/or tenor sections in the Senior Choir when needed. She is my blog editor and co-conspirator in this project. As with much of what I conduct, this project is taking shape through extended, rambling discussion between the two of us.

Our church has been in a long interim period that will, we hope, be coming to an end this fall. This church and the denomination in general are very free of liturgical convention to begin with, so our worship has been suffering a bit without the liturgical leadership a settled pastor can help provide. My hope is that our project may be a thread of constancy in our worship while everything else is changing.

I wonder what the newly-appointed minister’s opinion will be of my Handel-heavy worship planning for the year?