Music Ministries

Music is an integral part of the worship life of First Presbyterian Church. It raises our spirits to God in worship, assists us in prayer, and moves us to a realm beyond the spoken word. We celebrate not only our rich musical heritage, but look to the future with excitement as we continue to grow our ministry of music. We offer several areas of involvement for all ages, both choral and instrumental. You are warmly encouraged and welcome to be a part of our dynamic Music Ministry. If you have questions or are interested in joining our Music Ministry, please contact Director of Music Ministries Bill Stein at 314-965-0326 or bstein@kirkwoodpres.org.
 

The Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir is the principal choir of the church, and provides music at the 11:00 a.m. service each Sunday, as well as special services and holidays throughout the year. Most recently, the Choir has performed major choral works with orchestra such as Rutter's Requiem, Shaw's "Many Moods of Christmas", Handel's Messiah,  Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, and Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen. The Choir also performed at major Cathedrals during their Fall 2010 tour of Scotland and England, including St. Paul's in London, Yorkminster, and St. Giles in Edinburgh.

Rehearsals are Thursday evenings 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the Choir Room on the A-level, and the choir year is from Rally Day Sunday in early September through Pentecost in June.

Chancel Ringers - Handbell Choir
We are blessed to have 5 octaves of handbells. Our hand bell choir, the Chancel Ringers, rehearse Wednesday evenings during the school year from 6:15 – 7:00 p.m. We ring on various Sundays during the year and at special occasions as needed. Each ringer is assigned a certain position and rings the same bells each week. Rehearsal time is spent learning notes, rhythms, and bell techniques. Ringing is a fun way to be involved in our Music Ministry! 

Arise! Praise Team
Electric guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion and vocalists perform contemporary Christian music for our weekly Arise! service at 9:05 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. 

The Church Orchestra is open to members who play any instrument at any level. Performances are scheduled 3 times this year at the Sunday morning worship services, with three weeks of rehearsal prior to each performance.

Opportunities for Children and Youth

The Musikgarten program is for parents and children ages 3 months to 5 years. The adults learn to play musically with their children and to engage the child's natural curiosity through music. Classes meet during the day September through May and are taught by licensed Musikgarten instructor Lura Koch.

Cherubs is the youngest children's choir, open to all in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Cherubs rehearse on Wednesday afternoon during the school year and sing on select Sunday mornings as well as participate in the Christmas and Spring musicals.

Choristers is our children's choir for those in grades 3 to 5. This group rehearses on Wednesday afternoon during the school year and sings several Sundays throughout the year. The Choristers play leading roles in the Christmas Eve and Spring musicals.

Middle School Ringers is the hand bell choir for all in grades 6 through 8. Members are taught basic ringing skills and repertoire, and ring on occasional Sunday mornings as well as in the Christmas and Spring musicals.

The Con Spirito Concert Series
This Fall marks the 12th season of Con Spirito. Our concert series brings together guest musicians, local artists, and our own music ministers in concert throughout the year. Highlights of the upcoming season will be the return of the Mississippi Sawyers Bluegrass Group, Erin Bode, Mark Holland, the St. Louis Ragtimers, and our annual Choir and Orchestra Christmas Concert and Dinner. We will once again host the Imaginary Theatre Company,  Lenten Music for Meditation series in the Tree of Life Chapel, and Notes at Nine, a 9:00 a.m.Sunday morning series in July 2012.

Artists-In-Residence

We are excited to welcome the Clarion Brass and the Rosewood Ensemble as artists-in-residence of our church. These talented musicians will share music with us both in worship and in concert throughout the year.

Kirkwood Children's Chorale makes First Presbyterian its home. For more information, visit KCC website.