How wonderful it was at the beginning of the 2021-2022 program year to return to in-person worship with the full choir in attendance! Once we were able to relax our COVID-19 restrictions a bit at the beginning of this current program year, it was even more wonderful! Hearing the choir in full voice again (no more masks), leading our worship in song, was exhilarating and brought joy to many of you according to your comments.

 

Some recent music ministry highlights are:

 

• Movies Go to Church Sunday with music from Sister Act (February)

• Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, fully staged with orchestra, presented by Evanston Chamber Opera, our opera company in residence

• Paul Halley’s Agnus Dei with Clarinet on Palm Sunday

• We brought back, after many years, the quiet, sung, Holy Week service of Tenebrae Lessons and Psalms (we will keep that service this year, too)

• Charles Wood’s Passion of St. Mark on Good Friday (a favorite that returns every few years)

• Craig Hella Johnson’s stirring All of Us (from Considering Matthew Shepard) on Easter Day

• Old Time Religion Sunday (May)

• Dolly Parton Sunday with music written by Dolly and arranged for choir and piano

• Evensong for All Saints (November 6)

• Indigenous Peoples Celebration with music using text by Chief Tecumseh (November)

• Advent Lessons and Carols (Third Sunday of Advent)

• Bob Chilcott’s On Christmas Night as the prelude for our Christmas Eve Midnight Mass

 

A very special thank you to our amazing musicians in the choir and the parish who help us make this ministry so special for the St. Matthew’s community.

 

Let us continue to make a joyful noise together. Alleluia, alleluia.