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The Ministry of Music and Arts At Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster Church is home to a lively Ministry of Music and Arts. Here at Westminster, artistic and musical experiences are recognized as being vital to the health and development of the spiritual life of the individual and the community. Whenever humans engage in creative activity, whether through word, music, liturgy, or the material arts, we experience, in a special way, our connectedness to each other and to the God who created us all. Choir Program At the center of our Music and Arts Ministry are our church’s choirs, which provide rich musical opportunities for people of all ages: The Westminster Church Choir rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM, and sings at most worship services from September through June. Their repertoire is broad and varied, ranging from ancient plainsong and Renaissance motets to newly composed anthems and sacred music from other cultures. Two or three times each year, the group performs larger-scale choral works, often with orchestral accompaniment. The Westminster Children’s Choir is open to elementary and junior-high-school-age youngsters. Directed by Susan Fedak, the group rehearses on Saturday mornings and sings at worship services during the Christmas Season, on Palm Sunday, and on other special occasions throughout the year. The Westminstrels is an intergenerational handbell choir which meets on Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM and rings monthly during worship services, and especially on festive occasions. New members are welcome at all times. For more information, contact Alfred or Susan Fedak at 436-8544. Westminster’s Historic Pipe Organ and Organ Concert Series Westminster Church’s sanctuary is graced by the sight and sound of a magnificent four-manual, 1929 E. M. Skinner pipe organ. This outstanding instrument was reinstalled in the church in 2003, after a 25-year absence during which it resided in a nearby private home. Since then, the organ has attracted international acclaim, owing both to its exquisite beauty and its unique history. It has also drawn some of the world’s finest organists to perform upon it: the church sponsors an Organ Concert Series, each year presenting several recitals by visiting concert artists. These concerts are free and open to the public; they enjoy wide community support, and are underwritten in part by COMMUNITY ART$GRANTS distributed by the Arts Center of the Capital Region. Other Programs In addition to all this, Westminster’s Music and Arts Ministry sponsors, or has recently sponsored, arts and crafts workshops, guest speakers, concerts of choral, chamber, and vocal music, art and photography exhibits, hymnody classes, liturgical dance performances, young musicians’ recitals, youth musicals, hymn festivals, and field trips to concerts and opera performances in New York City, all open to the public. The Music and Arts Ministry encourages the church’s cooperation with local artists and musicians: over the years, a number of area musicians and ensembles have been in residence at Westminster as performers and/or teachers. The Arts Ministry also oversees the church’s occasional non-traditional Taizé-style worship services, as well as the use of the church’s SANTA ROSA prayer labyrinth: a 24-foot artwork on canvas executed by Robert Ferré of St. Louis, Missouri. The labyrinth is available for personal prayer and meditation at several times during the year, most notably during Advent and Lent. |