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The mission of this ministry group is to enrich the music ministry of the church by offering support to the music staff and various choirs, while looking for ways to encourage and creatively enhance music in the life of the congregation. The group also works with staff on the music budget, and supports special musical events, such as recitals and concerts.
The Music Ministry Group fulfills the mission of the church in many ways, as music is at the heart of worship. Led by the Holy Spirit, music accentuates our values of the church as a whole–valuing life-long learning, and creating joy, generosity, service and exploration. As a welcoming and diverse community of faith we have opened our worship experience to include a variety of musical styles and have shared our facilities with various community groups for concerts and recitals, and are always envisioning ways to do that even more. All ages of musicians have been welcomed to share their time and talents with the congregation and it is a priority of this group to expand those offerings even more.
Music touches the hearts of all ~ and the Music Ministry Group is aware of the impact music makes on our community. As part of its Appreciative Inquiry process in 2014 the group created a Dream Statement that expands its horizons and opens their vision to include a more diverse offering of music on a more regular basis. The group welcomes other groups to share in worship. In 2014 a visiting group of contemporary worship musicians and a beautiful folk guitar trio, as well as various small music ensembles and instrumentalists shared their gifts throughout the year at regular worship services, as well as at special celebrations on Christmas and Easter. Young people have had the opportunity to lead worship, sharing their beautiful talents while gaining great experience in confidence and responsibility. The Music Ministry Group believes it is its goal to expand those opportunities and to open the musical experience even more. They continue to explore ways to bring in outside musical groups for concerts that would share our beautiful church with the community on a more regular basis, as to use the space and our historic musical instruments to their fullest.
One choir member sums up the Choir and music experience in this way: “Choir is just plain fun and a great way for me to connect with FCC members. It feels like a family in the choir room with lots of laughter and support. I love seeing the smiles on people's faces as musical pieces comes together and they look forward to being there.”
We are fortunate to have a fine music staff leading us!
Music Ministry Minutes
Joanne Peterson is our Organist and Chancel Choir Director, serving this church since 1968. Well-known in the music community, having taught at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, for many years, as well as maintaining her own studio. Joanne is an accomplished organist and pianist.
The Chancel Choir sings in the services from September through May, and includes young people in high school as well as older adults. They rehearse on Wednesdays at 6:30, and Sunday mornings at 9:00, between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
Our Instruments
The fine Casavant Pipe Organ has inspired the congregation since its installation in 1911. With forty-one ranks and over 3,000 pipes ranging in size from a sixteen-foot, square wooden pipe to the smallest metal pipe just three inches long, our "Opus 469" remains one of the finest instruments of its type in the upper midwest.
In March of 2004 Wolfgang Rubsam, world-famous organist, performed here the same program that Marcel Dupre had performed on this organ eighty years ago. A capacity crowd witnessed a marvelous historic event. A CD of that performance is available from the church office, for $20 including postage.
The Steinway Concert Grand piano was built in 1906, and was purchased for the church in 1917. Before that it had been Arthur Shattuck’s rehearsal piano.
The Chalice Hymnal
Come join us as we worship God in our music!
Congregational singing is a growing part of our worship each week. We use The Chalice Hymnal, published in 1995 by the Disciples of Christ denomination. It offers the congregation a wide range of wonderful hymns and songs, from ancient chants to the great hymns of the Reformation, to hymns of the Wesley revivals, as well as many challenging and uplifting new hymns written within the last decade. The congregation enjoys a variety of musical styles, and this is reflected in our use of The Chalice Hymnal.
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