Continuing our bass Chorister of the month, Trump Bradley, who we left at Princeton University where he sang with the college group, the Nassoons in 1955.  When he left college after his first marriage proposal to Carol, Trump made his way to California in the late 50s and “bounced around” the state.  He came back and married the love of his life Carol Bradley ,also an NYC native, in 1959.  Her mother had sat behind Trump’s mother in church.   There was a choral lull until Carol and Trump walked through the doors of FPC and met the chancel choir; it was love at first sight.   Trump was a faithful chorister 50 years, taking his spot in the back row and singing everything from spirituals to new works to old chestnuts.  His deep bass voice rounded out the choir’s sound until a nagging cough ended his career in 2015 after singing the Dubois, Seven Last Words.  As a choir widow, Carol, on Thursday night would spend Thursday evenings cleaning up after dinner and getting kids into bed by the time Trump came back from rehearsal.  Thank you, Trump for all your years of song!  We continue to miss having you with us!

Philip

Angel Choir Rehearsals begin this Sunday!

The Angel Choir will resume its regular rehearsal schedule in the Youth Choir Room this Sunday, September 1, with girls meeting 4:30-5:15 p.m. and boys 5:15-6 p.m. We had a great turnout for last week’s first practice and pool party; it’s going to be another great year!

Joy Hire, Fearless Leader

Kids Music STARTS Wednesday, Sept. 4

Jenni and Kristin will pick kids up at the elementary school. (permission slips required). We will proceed to walk to church – snack, games and chill.

4:15-4:45 pm: Faith Formation with Jenni
4:45-5:25 pm: Music with Mr. Aaron
5:30-6:30 pm: Dinner and Wonderful Wednesday

ANGEL CHOIR BEGINS THIS SUNDAY!

The Angel Choir, for singers in grades 7 through 12, will begin its program year from 2 to 4 p.m. this Sunday, August 25, at Director Joy Hire’s home for an inaugural rehearsal and pool party.

Come for the music, come for the sun — and come for the fun! Contact Joy with any questions.

Another summer has passed…

and I’m looking forward to starting up another year filled with music! This year will include Rutter and Faure Requiems, the High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass in June of 2025, and so much more! Come sing and ring with us!

• JuBellee Handbells will begin on Wednesday, August 28 at 4 pm.
  Spots are still available

• Festivo Bells will resume on Wednesday, August 28 at 7 pm.

• Chancel Choir will begin rehearsing on Thursday, August 29 at 7 pm.

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, September 4th,

After School

The Children's Music program at Granville First Presbyterian is set to resume on Wednesdays after school, and I couldn't be more thrilled! Students in grades K-6 will have the opportunity to walk over to the church from school, accompanied by the wonderful Ms. Jenni and Ms. Kristin.

We have so many wonderful musical activities and learning experiences planned. The children won't just be singing - they'll become well-rounded musicians through fun, engaging lessons, and activities. We can't wait to see the students develop their musical skills and talents in this vibrant, nurturing environment.

I hope the students will be buzzing with excitement for the return of our children's music program. It's going to be an amazing semester filled with the joyful sounds of young musicians discovering their love of music. We encourage all eligible students to join us on Wednesdays - it's an opportunity they won't want to miss!

Thank you!…

to everyone who came out to ring the big church bell on August 3 as the Peletonia riders made their way through Granville (or in some cases arrived in Granville as their final destination!).

Our ringers were:  Kathy Tatham and Fred Abrams, Danny Hussey, the Crum twins, Eric Henry, Jenni Whitford, Tasha Boyer, Tim Gilbert, Linda and Steve Scott, and the Yang family! Many thanks to everyone!  I forgot to get pictures until we were finishing up our time, so the only pictures I have are of Baschi giving it his all- as he too rang the bell giving his Dad a break.  Enjoy your moment of Poodle Zen.

To say that Trump Bradley is a lifelong chorister is a big understatement.

A native of New York City, he began singing with a choir in first grade.

Someone asked: “How come your voice is so low?” Trump embraced his dark rich bass quality early in life.  He kept singing bass with threats from his conductors to make him sing in the soprano range which almost all children sing before puberty. Trump persisted in the bass range and boy did he sing. While at boarding school in Connecticut, Trump joined the Secondary School chorus under the direction of Moshe Paranov and with the Hartt Symphony sang and recorded dozens of choral works during his time as a student in middle and high school.  Works he sang include Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater,  The Last Words of David by Randall Thompson, Bach’s stirring cantata, Christ Lay in Death’s Bonds, and there is a wonderful recording of Trump singing with the chorus in Haydn’s Creation Mass all before he turned 18. He made his way to Princeton where he met the young lady who would become his wife; Carol. 

Stay tuned next month as we talk about where Trump Bradley landed next:  marriage, kids, and the First Presbyterian Chancel Choir.

As we look forward to the beginning of a new program year

at First Presbyterian this fall, we take a glimpse back to earlier this summer when high school members of The Angel Choir traveled more than 2,000 miles in three vans over six days for its Summer Singing Tour.

This uplifting video follows the choir performing Craig Courtney's stunning setting of "O Word of God" in Granville, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and crescendoing during Sunday worship at the magnificent and historic U.S. Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. Enjoy!

Summer Choir
August 11, 2024

9:15 am

Join the choir for a Sunday morning of glorious songs praising God.  We will meet at 9:15 to warm up and learn a song to sing for our 10 am worship service.  
All voices are welcome!  Whether you sing in the shower or on the stage, you are welcome to come sing with us.  
Philip

Pelotonia Bell Ringers Needed

9-11am.   August 3, 2024
Please support the Pelotonia ride by ringing the big bell in our steeple any time from 9-11 am.   You can sign up for 15-minute slots of time.  Please call the office at 740-587-0178 to reserve your 15 minutes.

The bike riders have said how much it has meant to hear the bells pealing as they pull into Granville.  
Baschi and I will see you Saturday morning, August 3! 
Philip Everingham

Join us at 9:15 AM

I hope to see you in the Music Room for rehearsal!

We will be rehearsing the morning anthem.  Please, come and sing with us as we put together Moses Hogan’s lovely “ Lord, I Want to be a Christian.”  We will not wear robes, we will lead the singing for worship at 10 AM.

Hope to see you at 9:15 AM in the music room!
Philip.

July 21, 2024:

Summer Choir Rehearsal at

9:15 AM!

Please come and join the Chancel Choir for a 9:15am rehearsal as we rehearse together an old favorite anthem.   You will find it easy to sing along with your section and we will have a great time singing together!

If you ever had an inkling that you'd like to sing in a choir, now's your chance!  All singers are welcome.  Whether those who sing in the shower or on the Metropolitan Opera stage.  All Are Welcome!

Dear Congregation,

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the many prayers, cards, meals and all the love and support you've sent my way since this pacemaker happened on June 6.   It wasn't something I ever thought would be a part of my life, but indeed it is!   I can tell you I have much more energy and am feeling "fit as a fiddle."  I have an unknown journey ahead of me as I come back from this but overall, I am feeling amazing and am back to work.moving forward!

Again, my sincerest most heartfelt thanks to all of you!

Philip

Lumber Leftovers

Got a project? Help yourself!

If you're a fan of carpentry or just got a new saw you're dying to try out, FPC has lumber for you to build and experiment with.    In the music room where the Chancel Choir rehearses, there are extra pieces of lumber (2 x 4,  plywood boards and more).  Please come and help yourself!

The Angel Choir is back from our 2,000-mile Summer Singing Tour! We had a fabulous time: the singing was glorious, the mood was ebullient, and the camaraderie between the people for whom we sang — as well as within the group — was incredible. Perhaps the weather at the beach could have been better (people in Maine joke that if it’s 64 degrees and the lighthouse can barely be seen because of the fog, it’s a perfect beach day!), but we enjoyed every minute of it. Many wished we could have had one more day together, but we are now happy to be home with our memories of this special time. Included are a brief video of them singing on the seaside rocks of Cape Neddick in York Beach, Maine, and some photos that capture the fun and friendship that can result from singing in a group such as ours. I am delighted and honored to be their Fearless Leader.

Joy

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The 2024 Angel Touring Choir

Row1: Meredith Needham, Nyah Painter, Ri Jones, Joy Hire, Caroline Schehl, Sophia Shinka

Row 2: Anna Belt, Evie Rhodes, Ruby Goodwin, Bella Jhordan, Izzy Busack, Chloe Thatcher, Sydney Eggert, Lydia Sturgeon

Row 3: Max Holtsberry, Connor Hare, Evan Schehl, Jack Fallon, Jackson Lough, Andrew Busack, Danny Hussey, Josh Vickers, Ian Hageman

Also traveling will be: Michael Crum and chaperones Katie and Todd Belt, Eva and Andy Shinka, and Jack Hire.

First Presbyterian’s Angel Choir is looking forward to the first program on our 2024 Summer Singing Tour — our 7 p.m. “Angel’s Away” concert this Monday, June 3, in our church sanctuary!

After two years of anticipating our return to New York State, New Hampshire, Maine, and Maryland, the departure date for the Angel Choir’s Summer Singing Tour is now less than a week away! Anthems and other pieces are crystallizing, excitement is building for both the members of the choir and those hosts and audiences on the receiving end of our trip, and all plans have been made. We have beds and restaurants awaiting us along this 1,726-mile adventure.

For those of you who are reading about this tradition for the first time — and others who have followed our traveling minstrels' journeys since the first tour in 1998 — early Tuesday morning, we will pile into three 12-passenger vans loaded with luggage, boxes of music, a keyboard and various other percussion instruments, robe bags, first aid kits, activity boxes, colorful umbrellas, Dramamine, and snacks. LOTS OF SNACKS! Our first stop will be near Rochester, N.Y., at Summerville Presbyterian Church, where we will pile OUT of the vans, rehearse, be served a delicious supper, perform, and then be whisked away to host family homes for sleep and breakfast until we meet at the church the next morning. Then we'll gas up. drive to Hollis Congregational Church in Hollis, N.H. — where my father belonged and our family worshiped during the summers — and do it all over again. 

Thursday morning, we’ll stop at a welcoming retirement community in Kittery, Maine, sing for the residents, and then be on our way to Ogunquit. Located on the southern coast of Maine, this early fishing village in Perkins Cove became a popular artist colony because of its charm; the name “Ogunquit” from the Abenaki language means “beautiful place by the sea.” We’ll stay at a cool resort, walk The Marginal Way with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, and eat seafood at Fox’s Lobster House where I worked one summer long ago (and where we must sing for the owner every time we visit), go to the beach, splash in the hot tub and relax for two days. Saturday morning, we’ll depart for Annapolis. That evening we’ll walk around the historic capital of Maryland and get to bed early (?) to be prepared to sing for worship the next morning at the United States Naval Academy Chapel. This beautiful and impressive sanctuary has incredible acoustics and is always a high point for me and the choir. To be able to sing in such a sacred space is an honor. This will be the fourth time the Angel Choir has helped lead worship there. After the service, we will head home, after six days of singing, fun and unforgettable experiences.

Thanks to everyone who has supported our Angel Choir through the years. We invite you to come to our concert to once again send us out on our musical adventure. See you Monday at 7 p.m.!

Joy Hire, Fearless Leader

Hello!  

I wanted to give everyone a quick follow-up to the first “ semester “ of the Handbell program at NBGC. I had a great time with about 8-11 kids during the first half of 2024. We learned bell techniques like marting, mart lifting, along with tower swings, and so much more.

Our season culminated in a performance on May 22 at 5:30 pm for the parents and friends of NBGC. It was a short and sweet program and the kids gave it their all. 

Stay tuned for more information as I hope to pick up where we left off, this fall. I wish I could send pictures but as you know, pictures online of kids can get tricky. Please know the kids are having fun and learning a lot about music.  

All the best,
Philip Everingham

Last Sunday, May 19, our worship service included the traditional blessing of our high school seniors, and it was the final time that the 2023-24 Angel Choir high school members would sing together for worship. The anthem, “Be Thou My Vision,” and choral benediction, “May the Road Rise to Meet You,” were chosen for their meaningful lyrics that were appropriate for this special day. These dedicated, talented teenagers have indeed blessed us with their music and energy, and we thank them for enriching our worship through song. We will miss the choir’s 2024 graduates, Izzi Fuller, Ri Jones, Maggie Miller and Caroline Schehl, and wish them well as they begin the next chapter in their lives.

High school members of The Angel Choir, from left to right:

Front row: Ri Jones, Maggie Miller, Lydia Sturgeon, Caroline Schehl, Sophia Shinka, Nora Carrington, Sydney Eggert, Meredith Vilvens. Middle row: Nyah Painter, Ruby Goodwin, Evie Rhodes, Grace Emery, Izzy Busack, Chloe Thatcher, Danny Hussey, Ian Hageman, Andrew Busack. Back row: Evan Schehl, Jack Fallon, Max Holtsberry, Jackson Lough, Josh Vickers, Connor Hare, Zack Binckley.

This Sunday, May 19, the high school members of The Angel Choir will help lead worship one last time this spring. They will sing a beautiful arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision” for their anthem, as well as a traditional Irish choral benediction at the end of the service. Also, each of our senior singers will receive a special scriptural blessing as they prepare to enter the next phase of their lives. Please join us this Sunday morning in church or online as we, “make a joyful noise unto the Lord.”

It's May

The Angel Choir has been rehearsing religiously to prepare for its 14th biennial Summer Singing tour to New England and Annapolis.

Save the date! Touring members of The Angel Choir will present their traditional send-off concert, “Angels Away,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 3, in the church sanctuary. They will perform the music they have prepared for the program they are presenting in various venues on this year’s Summer Singing Tour. There will be several new anthems our congregation has not heard, as well as some familiar favorites and a few secular pieces we are having such fun learning. 

We invite everyone to come to these musical opportunities — this Sunday’s worship and our “Angels Away” concert — that our committed, talented, and energetic teens have worked hard to prepare for the enhancement of your worship experience and your listening enjoyment!

 Their Fearless Leader, Joy