St Stephen's Episcopal Church

OUR MUSIC PROGRAM supports two adult choirs representing different levels of experience and music styles; a wonderful Children's Choir, and our Westminster Chimes Handbell Choir. The repertoire includes traditional well-loved hymns and anthems as well as contemporary pieces and less familiar works. Music and liturgy are integrated for a rich worship experience in an aesthetically beautiful environment. Contact: Bob Adams, Minister of Music

OUR VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM, in partnership with the national Episcopal Church & Visual Arts organization (ECVA) seeks to encourage the visual arts in the life of our church. Through its website, www.ecva.org, ECVA curates visual arts exhibitions, sponsors diocesan chapters; and networks artists, seminaries and congregations around the country. Led by Mel Ahlborn, President of ECVA and member of St. Stephen's, our Visual Arts group creates beautiful, inspiring works that celebrate the church seasons (see below). Contact: Mel Ahlborn, ECVA President

JOIN THE CHOIR FOR "FIVE MYSTICAL SONGS"
Those who enjoy singing are invited to join St Stephen's Choir on Thursdays from 7:30 to 8:15 to prepare Vaughan Williams' delightful, brilliant, exhilarating, and just plain beautiful Five Mystical Songs , which we will sing during worship on Sunday, May 18. We are especially looking for sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. Come to rehearsals beginning April 10 or contact Bob Adams at church.

ST. April 20: Cherub Choir sang for the Children's Service!

STEPHEN'S CHOIRS
St. Stephen's Choir concentrates on the more classical repertoire in church music, building on a strong tradition of faith. The choir leads the 10 am service 2-3 times a month, and provides music for evensongs and special programs at Christmas and Easter. Rehearsals are held Thursdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The Handbell Choir provides a delightful sound that has long been enjoyed in the Episcopal tradition. They meet at 10:00 am Friday mornings. The choir performs generally every six weeks.

The Children's Choir rehearses Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30. Throughout rehearsals, children receive vocal training, learn sight-singing, 2-part harmony, and enjoy the fun of blending their voices with other children as they learn uplifting, spiritual music. Membership is open to all reading children, friends welcome! The choir generally sings for services about once a month.

OUR MINISTER OF MUSIC
Robert Train Adams is the Minister of Music at St. Stephen's. He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bob started piano lessons at age 4 1/2 but retired after several weeks. At the more mature age of 5, he resumed lessons, later also studying violin, oboe and organ.

Eventually Bob received A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in music from the University of California Berkeley, also studying composition at the conservatories in Paris and Amsterdam with Tony Aubin and Ton de Leeuw.

In 2003 Bob retired from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth after a 25-year career as a music professor and department head, having also served universities in California, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

In addition to teaching, Bob has been active in the church music ministry as organist and choir director (At the age of 13, he started his first organist position on the condition that he take organ lessons!). Bob continues to be active as a composer, with many instrumental, choral and solo pieces.

Prior to returning to St. Stephen's (Dr. Adams had previously served as Organist 1972-1973), he was Director of Music and Organist at John Knox Presbyterian Church in Dublin, CA, and Organist at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church. He is Assistant Director and rehearsal and concert accompanist for the San Francisco Lyric Chorus, and has also provided concert accompaniment for WomenSing, the University of California's University Chorus and Chamber Singers, and Rossmoor Community Chorus.

Bob and his wife Marianne have three adult children, Sean, Delara and Jeremy, and two grandchildren, Kirsten and Darren. When not making music, Bob is often found at the golf course trying to figure out how not to hit the ball into the woods, the weeds, the sand, the lake -- not to mention the cars driving by on the road....

Thoughts on Music Ministry
Music is an essential part of worship. We find many references to music throughout scripture. The psalms, in particular, have long functioned as a hymn book for people of faith. I particularly appreciate the image of making a joyful noise to God (the organist part of me likes the idea of just putting on all the stops and letting go!). Whether our voices are professional or untrained, whether we read music or not, whether we are trained or self-taught on an instrument, we should make our joyful noises, offering our best to God.

Those who serve in the music ministry must function as cantors, strengthening and enabling the people's song. This concept, set forth and explored by Paul Westermeyer in The Church Musician, is important for both professional and volunteer musicians, for singers as well as instrumentalists. We must ultimately all be amateurs: enthusiastic lovers of music, and musical lovers of God.

Even though instruments, vocal solos and choral anthems are presented to the listening congregation, that presentation and the congregation's active listening and response in worship are a sacramental offering to God, expressing both the transcendence and the presence of God among us.

In addition to Sunday worship, music is an important part of special services and events include sung evensongs, special music for The Great Vigil and Christmas, an annual Messiah Sing, and annual concerts by the music program.

We love new members! If you are interested in trying any of St. Stephen's music groups, please contact Minister of Music Bob Adams, or just come try a rehearsal.

VISUAL ARTS CELEBRATE THE SEASONS
Each liturgical season in the Episcopal calendar is distinguished by a symbolic color that is seen in the St Stephen's vestments, altar frontals, flowers and other visual appointments. As we move through the seasons of the church, the liturgical colors change. For example, the color for the Feast of Pentecost is red to remind of us of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in a rush of wind and flame. The Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated as Trinity Sunday in the Episcopal Church and its color is white. We are now in the 'Season after Pentecost' with the liturgical color green. The Season after Pentecost continues through summer and into fall.

This past year a new set of green vestments and altar linens with Celtic inspiration were designed and created by parishioner Bobbie Miller and made possible by a generous donor who wishes to remain anonymous. To complement this beautiful vestment set, members of the St Stephen's the Arts and Spirituality Committee have created a Celtic knot for the St Stephen's altar cross. The Celtic knot has a gold tone similar to the cross, and is filled with a paper mosaic in the colors of the St Stephen's stained glass windows. The Celtic knot adorned the cross through the summer.

We are blessed to have many gifted artists at St. Stephen's, working in paint, paper, textiles, and flower arrangement, and welcome all to participate.

Art provides a place for reflection and prayer. Activities of the Arts and Spirituality program include field trips; the labyrinth above was one of several visited on a tour of labyrinths in our diocese.