Make music for Easter: Discover and celebrate new life
All are welcome…no experience necessary!
All are invited in the music making during Holy Week and Easter morning. No experience necessary! For more information, and to sign on, please email Ellen Oak at gsaliturgyandmusic@gmail.com.
Singers for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, The Great Vigil, and Easter Morning
Sing your way in community through the spiritual journey of living, dying, and rising in Christ. You will receive grace upon grace for the time and openness you offer. All vocal ranges and levels of experience welcome.
Rehearsals
Saturdays, March 29, April 5, April 12, 1:30-3:00pm.
Holy Thursday, April 17: Warm-Up 6:15pm. Worship 7:00pm.
Good Friday, April 18: Warm-Up 6:15pm. Worship 7:00pm.
The Great Vigil, April 19: Warm-Up 6:15pm. Worship 7:00pm.
Easter Morning, April 20: Warm-Up 9:00am. Worship 10:00am.
Handbells for Easter Morning
No prior experience needed. You will learn the fundamentals of reading music.
Rehearsals
Saturdays, March 29, April 5, April 12, 11:.00am-12:30pm.
Easter Sunday, April 20: Warm-Up 9:15am. Worship 10am.
Assorted Instruments for Easter Morning
All instruments and levels of experience welcome. Repertoire will be tailored to you.
Rehearsals
Sundays, March 30 and April 13 after 10am Eucharist for 30 minutes.
Easter Sunday, April 20: Warm-Up 9:15am. Worship 10am.
The handbell choir rings again
Listen to the handbell choir and learn about its history
Pastoral Associate of Music and Liturgy, Ellen Oak, led six members of the Good Shepherd community in a beautiful handbell performance this Christmas season. The merry crew of amateur musicians learned and played four festive pieces. You can watch their moving rendition of Carol of the Bells in the video below.
Members of Good Shepherd play Carol of the Bells.
The history of handbells at Good Shepherd
In October 2007 parishioners at Church of the Good Shepherd raised enough money to purchase a 3-octave set of high-quality English handbells. Jay Lane, our music director at the time, also purchased several other items helpful for handbell choirs: stand-up music folders; music stands with space underneath to lay bells down; additional sheet music arranged for handbells. The new handbells made their debut at the Lessons & Carols service in December 2007, adding their lovely sweet sound to an already special service.
Over the years, we have assembled both adult and youth handbell choirs to provide special music at select services. Early handbell enthusiast Ronnie Diesl created several protective foam pads and decorative cover slips to use with our folding tables. Bells are an easy and fun way to participate in our music ministry. All the skills you need are the ability to count to 4, and to tell your left hand from your right.
If you’d like to get involved in making music at Good Shepherd, please contact us.
Good Shepherd Music
The organ is getting a tune-up!
On Friday, August 28th, two builders from Andover Organ Company visited Church of the Good Shepherd to take back with them several ranks of wooden pipes from our beloved Hook & Hastings tracker organ, 1892. These pipes, made of pine and original to the organ, will be repaired and voiced for some weeks to come at their shop in Methuen.*
What this means is that, although the organ is still playable, there are three stops I will not be able to use; two on the Swell - upper keyboard manual, and one on the Great - lower manual. Additionally there are some notes or keys which will not sound within certain stops. Those of you that participate in live Zoom services on Sundays may notice this difference in certain music I present; in other repertoire, not so much. I will no doubt also play more music on the piano in light of the absence of my usual range of various colors or instrumental sounds at this time. Please bear with me.
On another note (ha!), in the coming months I plan to add additional musicians to our gatherings, including the possibility of soloists and/or vocal duets! It’s been great to have Ray Lyons playing live with me in the sanctuary from the start, and we are separately practicing another piece slated for September.
September 8th marks one year since I began my work here at CGS, so I’d like to say how gracious, generous and congenial all of you have been as I navigate my way in this most wonderful advent in Episcopal music ministry! I have enjoyed working with you, having some laughs here and there, and otherwise doing our best to provide the congregation with music as befits our particular parish. I look forward to the future, learning and growing in my role as church musician.
Deborah Colageo
Our choir rehearses Wednesday evenings at 7:15 pm.
Our choir rehearses Wednesday evenings at 7:15 pm.
I look forward with great anticipation to enriching congregational worship with music from our choir, as well as other voices and instrumentalists within our ranks! A present opportunity is upon us. The first Sunday of the month (until further notice) is Mission Service. The choir will be prepared to present a choral anthem, but I would like to encourage those soloists, guitarists, clarinetists, trios and more to also share their talents! Before we know it, the holidays will be upon us. Have you ever had the desire to sing with the choir but can’t commit to the whole church year? Well, you’re in luck! Join the Christmas Choir! Only four Wednesday rehearsals: November 27, December 4, 11 and 18, ages 14 and above. Please contact me with your particular talent and abilities for future services.
Christ’s love,
Deborah Colageo
classicaldeb@gmail.com
Welcoming our new Music Minister and Choir Director
Deborah Colageo joins Good Shepherd as Music Minister and Choir Director
It is with great joy that we announce Deborah Colageo as our new Music Minister and Choir Director!
Deborah comes to us with an extensive musical career that spans a lifetime. She began playing piano as a child and at the age of 9 was chosen to accompany her school chorus. She is a gifted organist and additionally has led sectionals with singers. Her talents also include playing keyboard for musical theatre rehearsals and shows. She currently works part-time at Cushing Academy as a collaborative pianist with the Music Director.
She greatly enjoys leading singers and is looking forward to working with the Anthem Choir. Deborah is interested in fostering the musical talents of individual musicians in the parish as well. As a teacher of piano and voice lessons, she loves teaching the technique of music. Deborah loves to learn and develop her craft and to this end has studied with many teachers over the years. Her love of the Lord Jesus, as well as her passion and commitment to sacred and classical music is evidenced by her joyful spirit and desire to encourage and uplift others through her musical gifts.
Deborah's first Sunday at Church of the Good Shepherd will be September 8. Please join me in welcoming Deborah to our faith community!
Calling all musicians!
All instruments and experience levels welcome.
Music Ministry
Do you play a musical instrument? Have you ever thought about playing during our church services? Our Music Committee welcomes you! All instruments (including voice) and experience levels welcome. Contact us to learn more. We look forward to hearing you!
2019 Altar Flower Calendar now available
Sign up to support the altar flower ministry.
Altar flowers
The 2019 Altar Flower Calendar is now available if you'd like to sign up to donate altar flowers. The cost is $62.50 and any check or cash should be designated for Altar Flowers. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your flower order or dedication, contact Diane Cooke. There are no altar flowers during Lent.