Thank You!

On behalf of the music staff, I want to thank everyone who participated in Saturday night’s Granville Candlelight Christmas Walking Tour.

It was a beautiful night! The Chancel Choir’s glorious voices filled the sanctuary. The bells played a haunting arrangement of Away in a Manger and a lighthearted Sugar Plum Fairy arrangement. We also heard the wonderful string players from the Newark Granville Youth Symphony under Sue Larson’s marvelous leadership.

The following hour was equally incredible, with the Angel Choir’s youthful voices raised in Christmas song. They even joined forces with the Denison Ladies Night Out and Hilltoppers. Joy Hire led us through a varied and beautiful program accompanied by the always-wonderful Meredith Needham at the piano and our dear flutist friend, Linda Habig.

It truly takes a village, and Granville is certainly a musical one. Thank you all for everything you did to make the night so special for all those gathered.

Philip Everingham

First Presbyterian Choirs in Concert Tomorrow Evening

Join us in the sanctuary for the Christmas Candlelight Walking Tour!

The choirs of First Presbyterian invite you to their programs this Saturday, December 7, for Granville’s annual Christmas Candlelight Walking Tour. The Chancel Choir and Festivo Bells will present their concert at 6 p.m., immediately followed by The Angel Choir’s program at 7 p.m. 

Included will be beautiful Advent anthems, Christmas carols, popular holiday songs, and guest artists lending their skills on strings and woodwinds. In addition, members of the Newark-Granville Youth Ladies' Night Out and The Hilltoppers, Denison University's a cappella groups, and Orchestra will once again collaborate with our choirs. As a bonus this year, the combined Chancel and Angel choirs will present a glorious setting of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” you won't want to miss!

Newark Boys and Girls Club Ringers

Enjoy the pictures and video below!

I'm so excited about how quickly the 3rd and 4th graders have picked up playing handbells this fall. We began (after many scheduling snafus) the first week of November. During that first week, they put together the following Etude, practicing playing half and whole notes with right and left hands. The children took to it easily and have already started working on Jingle Bells to play later in December for the parents!

This is truly a rewarding and fun time with the kids on Friday evening! We're having a great time! Special thanks to Jacob Palmer, who works as one of the main employees at the NBGC. He not only assists with this rehearsal, but you have most likely already seen him ringing our low bells with Tom McLeish and Eric Miller while performing with the First Pres. Bell Quartet earlier this fall! Thank you, Jacob!

Philip

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Join Us!

6 p.m. on Saturday, December 7.

At 6 PM on December 7, the Chancel Choir, Festivo Bells, and members of the Newark Granville Youth Symphony will provide wonderful music of the Christmas season in the sanctuary. The choirs have been hard at work preparing songs from the Middle Ages to Christmas songs made popular by Mel Tormé, and everything in between. Celebrate the season with us. The finale will be particularly joyous, with the Angel Choir joining for a spectacular arrangement of Hark the Herald Angels Sing! that you won’t want to miss!

The Angel Choir program begins at 7 PM, with fabulous accompanist Meredith Needham, charming flutist Linda Habig, and Denison's wonderful acappella groups Ladies' Night Out and The Hilltoppers adding to the joy of the evening. Familiar Christmas carol arrangements will be featured, as well as lovely, original pieces by some of the choir's favorite composers. We hope you'll join us for an uplifting musical prelude to this beautiful season of Advent.

Additionally, as you enjoy the trees on this year’s Walking Tour, be sure to find the 10 live trees sponsored and decorated by groups in our congregation (Session, Deacons, Chancel Choir, Angel Choir, Bells, Senior High Youth, Club 56, Team 78, Presbyterian Women and Mission), in conjunction with 1500 Trees. These trees will be planted in Watkins Grove following the walking tour.

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

November 24, 2024, at 7 pm.

Celebrate Thanksgiving with the Granville Community. An all-denomination choir will sing together under the direction of Philip Everingham, celebrating all we have to be grateful for! Rev. Wendy McCormick will preach the sermon; a reception will follow, and we hope you’ll join in on the fun! An offering will be taken to benefit the Licking County Coalition for Housing.

Friday Evenings

After a couple of months of busy Fridays, the kids have started back up ringing together on Friday nights at 6 p.m.  We are a smaller group this year, but dedicated and having a great time making music and talking about music.  Jacob Palmer, who serves as one of the directors there and also rings with Festivo Bells, has been great to work with as we get the kids to ring together.

Stay tuned for pictures and more info as the year progresses!

Philip

Our students have been really exploring music!

Recently, they've been working on melody, harmony, chords, and rhythms, and it's been a joy to see their progress. We've introduced boomwhackers into our lessons, and they had a fantastic time using them to play the chords for a song during Wonderful Wednesday.

Mark your calendars! The students will be singing "Lord, I Thank You" during our service on November 10th. This upbeat song beautifully expresses our gratitude for all the Lord has done. We can’t wait to share their hard work with the congregation!

Chorister Spotlight

Barb Martin began singing with First Presbyterian Choir in 1982.

Her FPC choir journey began with her 12-year-old son, Ralph, sitting with his parents, three to four rows from the back. In typical tween style, Ralph was embarrassed and explained to his mother, Barb, that she sang so loud that everyone was looking at them. She, of course, wasn’t singing that loud but as with all teenagers, everything is a BIG DEAL. Barb decided to go where people wanted you to sing: the FPC Chancel Choir.

Her choral training began in her church’s Children’s Choir, her 3rd grade year. It was a small church and all the children were friends. She sang at Girl Scout camp, and then at Denison, where she qualified for the Concert Choir.

Joanne Woodyard was her longtime neighbor in the choir and she then sang next to DeeEllen Gorrell who was formidable in her musicianship and lovely voice. She has a discerning ear and Barb has a great sense of rhythm, together they were a force in the soprano section. Their skill set blended to create a deep friendship. Barb also tells of Janie Drake (yes, our beloved Janie Drake) and Priscilla laughing and enjoying each other’s company for years while singing together.

Barb’s membership in the Chancel choir has cultivated wonderful friendships that have lasted for many years and remain to this day. Singing together always creates a bond; one we treasure all our lives.

Thank you, Barb!
Philip

2024 Season Debut

The Angel Choir will sing for the first time in worship this Sunday, September 15.

The familiar spiritual “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” has been arranged for four (and more!) parts by Patti Drennan. From its bluesy piano introduction to a fun boogie-woogie beat and continued driving syncopation, the piece is dynamic and exciting. It is a delight to sing and a treat to hear this catchy anthem!

The Angels invite you to worship with us this Sunday and see some new faces as we share one of our favorite anthems.

Toe-tappingly yours,

Joy

Many thanks go out to all the choristers and bell ringers who made our opening to the year so wonderful.  From the chancel choir's glorious anthem in worship to the stunning benediction at the end of our morning brunch, it was all beautifully prepared.  Thank you!

Also a big shout out to the bell ringers who gave so much of their time above and beyond to make the tricky and fun Blessed Assurance bell quartet so much fun to see and hear!

Then on top of all that, all these wonderful folks prepared an amazing brunch filled with every delicious brunch food one can imagine.

Thank you so much!

Philip

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 at joyhire@gmail.com or 740-328-9696.

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