Music at Westminster Presbyterian Church

We have many opportunities to praise God, serve God, and worship God
through music at Westminster. The organist and the various choirs serve as
worship leaders each Sunday. Westminster is a singing congregation and
hymns are sung joyfully and with gusto! Here are descriptions of our staff, the
various choirs and music programs.

Music Staff
Adult Choir
Youth Choir
Children's Choirs
Hand bell Choir
Special Events
Pipe Organ History
Photo Gallery
Contact Information

Music Staff

	Deborah Dalton, DMA	Director of Music Adult and Youth Choir Director
	James Pitts & Ping Ting Lan	Organists
	Myra McNellie, MA	Hand bells Choir Director
	Elise Gavin, BM	Children's Choirs

Adult Choir

Deborah Dalton, DMA, Director
James Pitts and Ping Ting Lan, Organists

The Adult Choir sings anthems, responses, and special music for Sunday
Worship. This 32 member choir is open to anyone who wants to "Make a
joyful noise!" There are no auditions and everyone is welcome. Rehearsals
are Wednesday nights in the Sanctuary from 7:30 - 8:30 pm and Sunday
mornings in the Choir Room at 10:20 am. Wednesday night rehearsals are
suspended during the summer months and our rehearsals on Sunday are moved
to 10:15 am. This community of believers is quick to welcome newcomers
into the fold, and many college students from SFA have sung with us during
their years in Nacogdoches.

The Adult Choir presents two major works during Worship each year: one
during Advent and one on Maundy Thursday. Examples are Faure Requiem,
Rutter Requiem, Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio, and Vivaldi Gloria.

Youth Choir

Deborah Dalton, DMA, Director
Rene Freeman, accompanist

The Youth Choir meets on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 P.M. on Sunday afternoons, both prior to the Youth Supper and Fellowship. We meet in the sanctuary. We use this time to
learn the word of God through song and to form a cohesive group who prays
for each other and encourages one another. The Youth Choir sings during Worship on one or two Sundays per semester (depending on their busy schedules) and also leads the
music for the Youth Sunday Worship Service each year.

Children's/Cherub Choirs

Elise Gavin, BM, Director

Children's choir for grades pre-K -5th meets at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The choirs eat supper with the youth fellowship and enjoy playing together until 6:15. They sing during Sunday Worship a few times a year including Fall, Christmas,Winter, Palm Sunday, and May. We have old favorites we love to sing and enjoy learning new songs. We also practice and learn about the parts of worship we should take part in each Sunday. Parents often join us for the fellowship supper and playtime. It's a great time to form friendships with those we worship with.

We also have a Liturgical Dance Team that meets on Sundays from 7 to 8pm.

Westminster Hand Bell Choir

Enjoying music, preparing for worship, and having fun are the goals of the Westminster Hand bell Choir. Several of the group's members have been playing together since Westminster purchased hand bells in 1999. The ringers play three octaves of Schulmerich bells and are enjoying the new three octave set of hand chimes recently purchased by the church.

Hand bell members rehearse each Monday at 5:30 P.M. from mid-August through mid-May. An Introduction to Hand Bells class meets at 5:00 P.M. on Mondays. This class will include some music reading and technique methods for those who are interested in moving into the hand bell group at a later time.

The Westminster Hand bell Choir are grateful to members of our church who have provided funds and support for the opportunity to worship through music.

For further information, please contact the church office at 936-564-0203 or contact us.

Special Events

Mid-Day Noels
Each December, on the first three Thursdays of Advent, Westminster presents
the Mid-Day Noel Concert Series during the noon hour. 2006 will be the
thirteenth year of these concerts. Various artists and groups present a
short concert of seasonal selections presented in the Sanctuary and
everyone is invited to a luncheon following the concert in Westminster
Hall. The concerts are free but a small fee is charged for the luncheon. These concerts are a "Christmas Present" from Westminster to Nacogdoches and folks look forward to the concerts each year.

2007 Mid Day Noels--our 14th year!

More information coming soon!

Pipe Organ History

In 1979, the congregation purchased a 17-rank Schantz organ to replace the worn out four-rank Kilgen organ that had served the church for 30 years. The organ has a good deal of handwork even though it also has the benefit of modern tooling. The Schantz family who founded the organ company in 1873 are descendants of the original German family that came to America and began making organs 135 years ago in Orrville, Ohio. The instrument has greater tonal resources than smaller organs and there is a wider range of sounds and moods that can be created with the instrument.

Photo Gallery

Coming Soon!

Contact Information

If you are interested in any of our music programs, please contact the church office at 936-564-0203 or contact us.

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