Music Program Before Covid-19
Newcomers often tell us that our music program is what first caught their attention about Fauntleroy Church, either on a Sunday morning or at a special event. While the Chancel Choir is the centerpiece of this program, it’s only one of several ways to share your gift of music. Following are details from Music Director Bronwyn Edwards; contact her at sirensongbron@gmail.com or 206-932-5600 for details.
Chancel Choir
Three things are important to know about this choir:
- It is a non-audition choir. If you want to sing, you're in.
- Second, our choristers range in age from 10-ish to 90-ish.
- Third, September through June we rehearse Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:00 p.m., and warm up and rehearse the anthem on Sunday before worship.
This choir reflects a diverse range of singing, playing, and reading skills, as well as musical tastes. What I love most are its camaraderie and enthusiasm. We have a core group of dedicated choristers who rehearse every week, plus members who participate as often as young children, demanding jobs, or other circumstances allow. The strength of the core group lets me welcome everyone else with open arms.
Underlying it all is a shared love of music, and this choir has demonstrated that it's game for anything. While most of our repertoire is based on reading and interpreting sheet music, I explore other ways to help singers learn their music. With particularly challenging pieces, I provide parts online and on CD for those who don't have access to a computer. It's always a joy to break free of written music altogether and sing joyfully from the heart and music memories.
Since I began directing here in 2008, the choir has performed the classical works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Mendelssohn. We have mixed classical Beethoven with New Age arrangements. We have sung traditional church anthems, and we have rocked the sanctuary with contemporary music. We have sung a cappella in prayerful restraint and joyfully with bongos, congas, rain sticks, and African rhythms. The choir has even successfully performed music that I have written or arranged on the day of rehearsal! I welcome requests from our choristers for music that means something to them and I have been known to arrange it myself if I can't find the sheet music in stores or online.
Choir members are opinionated, letting me know I've written an anthem in the wrong key, for instance, or that the feel isn't right. Those with considerable musical expertise offer enlightened input on performance, pronunciation, translation, expression, things that work, and things that don't. We function as a team, and I am thrilled to have a number of capable people on board who lead rehearsals and direct in my absence.
In addition to choristers, we have instrumentalists who regularly accompany our anthems. They include brass and reed instrumentalists, percussionists, violinists, and guitarists, as well as beautiful solo voices. We have a wealth of musical talent at Fauntleroy Church and always welcome more!
Other Musical Opportunities
In addition to the Chancel Choir, we encourage smaller groups to sing and perform. I am always happy to cultivate ensembles. Our Sweet, Sweet Music series of evening performances for the community is a perfect venue for ensemble singers who prefer a short-term commitment. This series also affords great opportunity to perform a wide variety of secular music, from show tunes to folk and jazz.
Fauntleroy Church has a rich history of bell ringing. Membership in our Bell Choir is quite fluid, with veterans buttressing those who are new to ringing. Geared to teens and adults, this choir typically performs during Advent and the Easter season. Its members also support special musical interludes during Sunday worship and special events throughout the year.
Our latest edition, the Rainbow Bell Choir uses bells keyed to colors so that very young children can create rewarding music while they develop rehearsing and performing skills. Rehearsals are conveniently scheduled on Sunday mornings a few weeks before a scheduled performance, usually during a worship service.
