Music
Music in Worship
Music is integral to our life together at St. Thomas’. From children who gather for rehearsal to learn a challenging piece to our dedicated adult choir who offer up weekly transcendence, we are in the business of giving God our best. Our music is centered in our glorious Anglican tradition, and over half of the repertoire our choirs sing is composed by women and BIPOC composers.
Our Parish Choir
The St. Thomas Choir rehearses with Michael on Thursdays from 7:30-9:15 pm in Haas Hall and sings at the 10:00 am service. Supported by a core of eight professional singers, we perform music from Gregorian chant to compositions written by living composers, with an emphasis on Renaissance polyphony and the best of the English church music tradition. The St. Thomas Choir also occasionally sings Choral Evensong and concerts with orchestra. There is always room for you if you can meet the only two requirements: matching pitch and a smile!
The Organs
St. Thomas’ Church has two organs built by Casavant Frères of Québec, Canada. The primary organ is a 3-manual, 55-rank instrument built in 1964, with renovations and additions in 2003. It supports hymn-singing brilliantly and can be used to perform the standard organ repertoire. The second is a 4-rank mechanical action positive organ built by Casavant in 1978.
The Carillon
High in the tower of St. Thomas’ is the carillon, consisting of four octaves (48) cast and tuned bronze bells. The bells are tuned harmoniously which permits them to be sounded together in chords. They vary in size and weight from the smallest of 24 pounds (7 1/2 inch diameter) to the largest bell, the “Bourdon”, weighing nearly 3,300 pounds with a diameter of 53 inches. The carillon bells were cast by the Dutch foundry, Petit and Fritsen.
The St. Thomas’ Carillon is a lasting memorial to Catherine Colt Dickey given by her husband and children. It was dedicated in 1974 and has been ringing its message for the parish and to the community continuously for over 25 years.
Our Choirs
Bless, O Lord, us thy servants, who minister in thy temple; Grant that what we sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts; and what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-The Choristers’ Prayer, Royal School of Church Music
St. Thomas’ is blessed to have a vibrant and growing music program, fueled by the donation of time, talent, and resources of its parishioners. We have music opportunities and choirs for all ages and all levels of experience. We invite you to find a place in one of our choirs.
Our Choristers
The Chorister Program at St. Thomas church provides a free, professional music education to students. We are affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music in England. Through our rehearsals and performing, students also gain valuable spiritual development and learn about their faith and our Anglican tradition and liturgy.
Students also learn important 21st century skills like teamwork, character, resilience and grit, and executive functioning.
We have some exciting plans for local and even international travel on the horizon, so sign up today!
We offer two different choirs for students, depending on their age level.
The Joyful Noise choir is for students ages 4-6. The meet once a week for a half hour and have lots of fun finding their voice and learning the basics of music. They sing once a quarter in the Sunday service.
The Choristers are for students age 7 and up, and they sing frequently at the 10:00 a.m. service in the Church with the professional adults. Rehearsals are offered on Thursday afternoons. Regular attendance at rehearsals and performances is required, and parental support is a crucial part of this. If you make it a priority, the children will do the same and we will have an outstanding program. You will be amazed at what your child is capable of!