Music at 9:00a.m.

Music and hymn accompaniment at the 9 a.m. Eucharist are provided byRuss Hall on the piano.  Russ has been involved in church music since he played for a Methodist Sunday school on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the 1950’s.  His formal music education includes a Bachelor of Music from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore and a Master of Arts in Music Education from Arizona State University.  Russ taught public school music for a number of years as well as singing in several choral organizations.

Russ was invited to play for the 9 a.m. Eucharist in 2003.  At that time all services were being held in Worrell Hall due to storm damage to the nave and consequent loss of use of the organ.  Many changes have taken place since then including the physical change in location of the 9 a.m. Eucharist from the crossing to a site near the font.  In addition, the services of a volunteer cantor from the congregation to lead the singing of the psalms were added in 2008.   Current cantors include:  Susan Drain, the Rev. Fred Krieger, Logan MacDowell, the Rev. Keirsten Wells, and Maureen Yeats.  On occasion, an introit and ablutions hymn are sung by the cantor. 

Special effort is made in hymn selection to facilitate full participation by the congregation.  New hymns are gradually introduced.  The chant tunes used at this service are those used in the Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Those tunes, which are easy to sing, are based on tunes used in the Anglican Church.  The intimacy of the physical location of this service and the less formal atmosphere add to the strength of the congregational singing.

Members of the congregation initiated the first performance of The Broadway Songbook 2011.