Music

May 29, "Piccolo Spoleto Youth Music Festival, 10:45-5:30, in the Sanctuary

10:45 - Charlotte Youth Chorale
12:15 - University Children's Chorus (Charleston)
1:45 - Charleston Children's Chorus
3:00 - Charleston Academy of Music (instrumentalists)
4:30 - Tar River Children's Concert Chorus (Rocky Mount, NC)

We are beginning another exciting year of music at Second. New singers and ringers are always welcome in the Adult Choir or Bell Choir. Both meet on Wednesday evenings at the church: Bell Choir from 6-7 pm and Adult Choir from 7-8:30 pm. Prior singing/ringing experience is not necessary, nor does one have to be a member of Second already. If you'd like to participate for a short period of time, or just check us out, that is fine too.

Jessi Chapman will continue to lead our childrens choir, which practices during Childrens Church in the Education Building during worship.

If you play an instrument and would like to use your gifts in the service, please let us know. Playing melody instruments, such as flute, violin, trumpet or piano or guitar are just some of the ways that members of the congregation might participate in worship.

For any questions about musical happenings at Second, please contact Dr. Julia Harlow, director of music, at jharlow@secondpresbyterianchurch.org"

A New Hymn by Mary Edna Fraser and Julia Harlow

This special composition was commissioned for the Bicentennial Finale service on Sunday, April 26, 2009. It was premiered during that service: the congregation sang the melody, accompanied by organ and brass choir. The words for the first three verses were written by Mary Edna Fraser. The melody, harmonization and words for the fourth verse were composed by Dr. Julia Harlow. The name of the hymn is "Wragg Square", which is the name of the park in front of the church. Several other famous hymns are named for their locations, e.g. Regent Square, Duke Street, Bunessan. If you did not hear it, you might want to acquire a copy from Dr. Harlow. It was a lovely piece and hopefully will be performed again and again over the next 200 years.."

Adult Choir

The Adult Choir meets Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 pm in the Choir Room upstairs behind the sanctuary, and Sunday mornings one-half hour before worship (i.e. 10:00 a.m. June-August, 10:45 a.m. September-May). There is no audition for the choir, but a pleasant singing voice and some ability to read music is helpful. At present we have four vocal section leaders; three are students at the College of Charleston, and help tremendously with choir's music learning.

In addition to singing in the weekly Sunday service, the Choir presents two smaller classical works per year with professional soloists and instruments: one during Advent and one on Easter Sunday. Some works done in the past include: Britten, "A Ceremony of Carols"; Buxtehude, "The Infant Jesus"; movements from the Christmas and Easter sections of Handel's "Messiah"; Vivaldi, "Gloria", "Magnificat" by Pergolesi; Coronation Anthem #4 by Handel; "Magnificat" by Isabella Leonarda, "Requiem" by Faure, and Masses by Schubert, Haydn (Sancti Joannes de Deo), Mozart (K. 140 and 259), and Bach, Cantata 140 . Singers are welcome to join at any time, for the short or long term, or even just to sing in the rehearsals and presentations of the major works.

For the 2008-2009 season, the Advent presentation will be Cantata #140 (Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, or "Sleepers, Wake") by Johann Sebastian Bach, which will be presented during the Sunday morning worship service on December 7, 2008. It will feature soloists as well as instrumentalists from the College of Charleston. In keeping with the theme of Second Presbyterian's bicentennial in 2009, our Easter presentation will be movements from "Elijah" by Felix Mendelssohn, who was born in 1809, the year of the founding of the church.

For more information on the Adult Choir, or to join or observe a rehearsal, please contact Dr. Julia Harlow as indicated below.

Handbell Choir

The Bell Choir is open to high school age and adults, and rehearses Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00 in the sanctuary. Prior musical experience is not necessary. Ringers learn the rudiments of music, ringing technique, and something of church music and hymn history. The Bell Choir plays once or twice a month in the Sunday service. The church owns a three octave set of Schulmerich handbells.

Childrens Choir

Jessi Chapman, director, is a senior voice major at the College of Charleston and soprano section leader in the Adult Choir. The children's choir practices during children's church on Sundays (beginning after the Word for Children in the service), and sings in the church service approximately once a month.

Church Organ

The first organ built for Second Presbyterian was by Henry Erben of New York City. The splendid divided carved case (pictured above) and façade pipes are all that remain of that instrument. The present organ, of three manuals and 30 ranks, was built in the 1950's by the Moeller Organ Company of Hagerstown, Maryland. The organ sustained considerable damage during Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and was rebuilt by the A.E. Schlueter Organ Company of Atlanta.

Special Musical Programs

For the past several years, Second Presbyterian has held a joint Thanksgiving Service with several other churches in the area. There are usually a few pieces for massed choirs, as well as anthems by individual choirs. Please consult the church calendar for the date, time and location of this year's service. Other special services with music include Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.

Instrumentalists

We welcome the inclusion of instrumentalists (including piano) in the service, both for solo offerings, and as part of the choral anthems. Please contact Julia Harlow for further information.

Music Leaders

Dr. Julia Harlow, Director of Music and Organist, began at Second in February, 1997. Her undergraduate degree in Organ Performance is from the University of Iowa (Iowa City), and Masters in Early Keyboard Performance and Doctor of Musical Arts in Organ Performance and Pedagogy are from the University of Oregon (Eugene). She teaches eartraining, world music, organ, harpsichord and music appreciation at the College of Charleston, and is active in the Charleston music scene. She has been a coordinator of the Festival of Churches/Choral Artists and L'Organo Organ series for Piccolo Spoleto, and has performed many times in Piccolo over the past several years.

For more information: Dr. Julia Harlow, Director of Music and Organist, jharlow@secondpresbyterianchurch.org or 723-9237.

It is not necessary to be a member of Second Presbyterian Church to participate in the music programs.

ELIJAH

The choir persented movements of the oratorio “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn (born in 1809), on Sunday, April 5th, 2009(Palm Sunday) at 4 PM in the sanctuary. Guest singers joined the chorus, as well as students from the College singing in the choir and playing instruments. More about this performance.

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