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HAND BELLS
Anglicans have traditionally sung the Great Litany on the first Sundays of Advent and Lent, and we follow that practice here at Our Saviour.
The most ancient instruments used in the Christian church are bells, and we have regularly used them to accompany the Great Litany. These bells are used on anthems and hymns occasionally as we have used out other bells.
Hand bells are often given as a special memorial or thanksgiving gift to the church. If you are interested in making a such a gift, think about a hand bell. Bells will be dedicated to the service of God and used as a perpetual thanksgiving or memorial.
Call Ginny Moe, the Music Director, at 327-1131, ext. 4, for more information.
Music Donations
Donations to the music program are placed in one of the five music funds explained below. If desired, all donations are credited to your contribution statements and are tax deductible.
Here are the five funds for music at Our Saviour:
Choir Fund-used to hire special musicians and for other special (often capital) purchases-nonspecific music donations are placed here.
Vestments Fund-used to purchase vestments for choir when needed
Choral Scholar Fund-used to provide scholarships for High School and Winthrop Choral Scholars
RSCM-provides partial scholarships to children's choir members attending summer church music camps
Choir Trip-defrays expenses incurred for choir trips and travel activities
Thanks for your generosity in supporting the work of the church through these funds.
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MINISTRIES AT THE CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOUR:
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Why do we have these children's choirs, anyhow? After all, they don't sing in church very often.
True, and it's a good question. Choir is supposed to be about singing, and in our children's music program we do emphasize music understanding and competence. Most of the liturgical information in the Bible is from the Old Testament, where there are descriptions of singers, priests and instrumentalists praising God. These Bible passages give clear directives to use music in church, and we know that since Bible times worship services have included music.
But music is not all we do in choir. Children learn to follow and understand the liturgy of the church. The word "liturgy" means "the work of the people." As Episcopalians, we offer that "work" in service: specifically, in our "Services" from the Book of Common Prayer. The liturgy we use on Sunday mornings in our service leaflets is taken from that book, compiled by Episcopal scholars from the best liturgies used throughout the ages. These services, devised for our corporate or "Common" prayer, are another choir emphasis.
Our youngest choir, comprised of kindergarten, first and second grade children, is concerned primarily with our service. These children do not sing in church, but work on preparing themselves to be liturgical leaders. Choirs wear robes, called vestments, because they are ministers of the altar when they sing services. The Training Choir members wear a black cassock during services, but upon graduation to the regular children's choirs they add a white cotta. During their two-year training period, they work to learn the names and functions of the parts of the church building, the order of our service, and the meanings of the words in our service. It takes a lot more than music to be a good choir singer, and it takes the same skills to be a good church service participant. Congratulate these young people when you see them working to learn about our services.
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