Music at First Lutheran

In the sixteenth century Martin Luther extended an already rich musical tradition by including the congregation in the singing of the liturgy. At First Lutheran, we continue that tradition with enthusiastic congregational singing of a variety of hymns and liturgies during worship each week. We use the newly published Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), which provides a broad range of settings that blend familiar traditions with new texts and music.

FLC choir members at a workshop in San Francisco

Our accomplished adult choir, under the direction of Katherine McKee, leads the congregation in the liturgy and enriches worship with a diverse offering of sacred choral music. The choir sings masterworks from all eras, from Hildegard von Bingen to Heinrich Schütz to John Tavener.

The choir regularly offers special services and an annual concert, accompanied by a variety of instruments. Past offerings have included an all-Purcell program, Handel's Utrecht Te Deum, Mendelssohn's Elijah, cantatas by Bach, and major works by Vaughan Williams, Bruckner, Charpentier, and Pinkham.

The highlights in the fall of 2011 included the celebration of Reformation Sunday with Bach' s joyous motet Lobet den Herrn and a tribute to Tomás Luis de Victoria on the 400th anniversary of the death in the singing his setting of O Quam Gloriosum est Regnum on All Saint's Sunday as well as a host of musical gems, including anthems by Guillaume Dufay, Herbert Howells, Samuel Scheidt, Richard Shepherd, Virgil Thomson, and Christopher Tye, choral arrangements of hymns by Max Sinzheimer & Martha Shaffer, and Warren Martin's stunning setting of the spiritual Great Day. Advent Lessons & Carols in November featured music written by Bach, Biebl, Hadley, Hall & Vann in honor of St. Mary. On Christmas Eve the First Lutheran Choir sang Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols, with by renowned Bay Area harpist Dan Levitan.

Music during Lent will include the Alice Parker’s arrangement of Take me to the Water, the Southern Harmony tune I Will Arise (another of Parker’s arrangements) Farrant’s Lord, for thy Tender Mercy’s Sake, Max Janowsk’s setting of Avinu Malkenu, the Silent Devotion and Yih’yu L’ratson (Psalm 19:14) from Ernst Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh (Sacred Service), Thomas Morley’s exquisite Nolo Mortem Peccatoris, and Samuel Barber’s setting of Robert Grave’s poem In the Wilderness, as well as anthems from the First Kids Choir and the FLC Band.

For Easter morning’s prelude music at 10:15 we’ll be joined by a chamber orchestra for 2 glorious excerpts from Hayn’s The Creation. Music during the service will include an offertory anthem sung by the First Kids Choir with flute obbligato, Samuel Scheidt’s Surrexit Christus Hodie for 8-part choir and orchestra at communion, and favorite Easter hymns accompanied by organ & orchestra. Other music during the Easter season will include works by Jester Hairston, Gustav Mahler, William Byrd and Thomas Tallis. The choir regularly offers special services and an annual concert, accompanied by a variety of instruments. Past offerings have included an all-Purcell program, Handel's Utrecht Te Deum, cantatas by Bach, and major works by Vaughan Williams, Bruckner, Charpentier, and Pinkham. Last year's highlights included Bach's Cantata 191 (Gloria in Excelsis Deo) and excerpts from Bach's Christmas Oratorio on Christmas Eve, and a spring performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah on the 4@1st Concert Series, all accompanied by organist Andrew Chislett and a chamber orchestra.

The music for 2011-12's liturgies will include a host of musical gems, including anthems by Guillaume Dufay, Herbert Howells, Samuel Scheidt, Richard Shepherd, Virgil Thomson, and Christopher Tye, choral arrangements of hymns by Max Sinzheimer & Martha Shaffer, and Warren Martin's stunning setting of the spiritual Great Day. We will celebrate Reformation Sunday with Bach' s joyous motet Lobet den Herrn and honor the 400th anniversary of the death of Tomás Luis de Victoria by singing his setting of O Quam Gloriosum est Regnum on All Saint's Sunday. The First Lutheran Choir will sing Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols on Christmas Eve, assisted by renowned Bay Area harpist Dan Levitan. Special events this will include Advent Lessons & Carols at 4pm on November 27, and Christmas Lessons & Carols at 10am on Christmas day.

For more information on the adult choir program at First Lutheran Church please contact Katherine McKee. The choir sings from the Sunday after Labor Day through the second Sunday in June, rehearsing on Thursdays from 7:30-9:30 p.m. in addition to a warmup on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m., occasional Saturday rehearsals, and a variety of social events. We welcome new members at any time of the year.

First Kids Choir is for kids with treble voices, ages five and older, who like to sing. They rehearse under the direction of Julia Simon, choir director extraordinaire.

Rehearsals are on Thursday nights from 6:30-7:30 in the Children's Center. Kids do not have to be members of First Lutheran, but will have the opportunity to sing for church services every month (usually the last Sunday of the month), as well as for Advent and Lenten services. For more information, write to Julia Simon or call (650) 424-1242.

Our organist, Andrew Chislett, inspires us with music from a 26-rank instrument built by Casavant Frères of Québec. The organ accompanies the choir and congregation and also provides music for preludes and postludes. We also have a 3-stop continuo organ built by Bond organ builders of Oregon. Learn more about our organs here.