Music is an integral part of our common spiritual life and our model for music in the liturgy is Jesus himself, who sang psalms with the apostles at the Last Supper. It is among the most joyful and sublime offerings we make to God, and even through the pandemic St Alban’s is blessed to have musicians continuing to offer praises every week. We believe, as St. Augustine held, that to sing is to pray twice and music is an integral part of our participation in the work of God. Through music, prayer is given more graceful expression, the mystery of the liturgy more openly revealed and minds can be raised to heavenly things by its beauty.
Matthew Steynor is our Director of Music. Contact Matthew if you have questions about being involved in our music program.
St. Alban's Choirs
The Adult Choir at St. Alban’s is comprised principally of volunteers with a variety of choral experience, augmented by eight staff singers. The choir meets weekly on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm, currently online, to help with preparing the music for the worship services (also currently online). Around half the choir members submit weekly tracks to contribute to the anthems for the online worship services.
Music lists from prior to the lockdown can be found here. The 11:15 services were sung by the Schola Cantorum (pictured below), comprised of auditioned members from the choir.
Choristers
Children from age 7 through 12 sing in our choristers program, which utilizes the Royal School of Church Music's highly respected VOICE for LIFE program for training and spiritual development. Learn more.
Children's Chapel Musicians
Can you clap your hands and march in the light of God, or play any kind of instrument? If so, you make a fine music leader in Children's Chapel. Contact Noell Sottile to learn more or just show up.
St. Alban's Organ
The organ at St. Alban’s was built by the Di Gennaro-Hart Organ Company and dedicated on September 20th 1998. Its builder, Michael Hart, provided this background and shared some "secrets of St. Alban's organ" at an OWLs luncheon. OWLs committee member Lacey Gude provided the introduction.
Choir Pilgrimages
Singing in unfamiliar places, whether grand cathedral spaces, ancient catacombs, or sites of human tragedy or triumph, is a sacred experience in its own right. Choirs from St. Alban’s have made pilgrimages to England (2004), Italy (2008), Austria and the Czech Republic (2010), England (2012) and France (2015).
Praise God for the gift of music which can exceed our capabilities of expression through spoken word and can allow us to access the depths of our emotional experience, drawing us closer to God.