The 2024 Angel Touring Choir

Row1: Meredith Needham, Nyah Painter, Ri Jones, Joy Hire, Caroline Schehl, Sophia Shinka

Row 2: Anna Belt, Evie Rhodes, Ruby Goodwin, Bella Jhordan, Izzy Busack, Chloe Thatcher, Sydney Eggert, Lydia Sturgeon

Row 3: Max Holtsberry, Connor Hare, Evan Schehl, Jack Fallon, Jackson Lough, Andrew Busack, Danny Hussey, Josh Vickers, Ian Hageman

Also traveling will be: Michael Crum and chaperones Katie and Todd Belt, Eva and Andy Shinka, and Jack Hire.

First Presbyterian’s Angel Choir is looking forward to the first program on our 2024 Summer Singing Tour — our 7 p.m. “Angel’s Away” concert this Monday, June 3, in our church sanctuary!

After two years of anticipating our return to New York State, New Hampshire, Maine, and Maryland, the departure date for the Angel Choir’s Summer Singing Tour is now less than a week away! Anthems and other pieces are crystallizing, excitement is building for both the members of the choir and those hosts and audiences on the receiving end of our trip, and all plans have been made. We have beds and restaurants awaiting us along this 1,726-mile adventure.

For those of you who are reading about this tradition for the first time — and others who have followed our traveling minstrels' journeys since the first tour in 1998 — early Tuesday morning, we will pile into three 12-passenger vans loaded with luggage, boxes of music, a keyboard and various other percussion instruments, robe bags, first aid kits, activity boxes, colorful umbrellas, Dramamine, and snacks. LOTS OF SNACKS! Our first stop will be near Rochester, N.Y., at Summerville Presbyterian Church, where we will pile OUT of the vans, rehearse, be served a delicious supper, perform, and then be whisked away to host family homes for sleep and breakfast until we meet at the church the next morning. Then we'll gas up. drive to Hollis Congregational Church in Hollis, N.H. — where my father belonged and our family worshiped during the summers — and do it all over again. 

Thursday morning, we’ll stop at a welcoming retirement community in Kittery, Maine, sing for the residents, and then be on our way to Ogunquit. Located on the southern coast of Maine, this early fishing village in Perkins Cove became a popular artist colony because of its charm; the name “Ogunquit” from the Abenaki language means “beautiful place by the sea.” We’ll stay at a cool resort, walk The Marginal Way with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, and eat seafood at Fox’s Lobster House where I worked one summer long ago (and where we must sing for the owner every time we visit), go to the beach, splash in the hot tub and relax for two days. Saturday morning, we’ll depart for Annapolis. That evening we’ll walk around the historic capital of Maryland and get to bed early (?) to be prepared to sing for worship the next morning at the United States Naval Academy Chapel. This beautiful and impressive sanctuary has incredible acoustics and is always a high point for me and the choir. To be able to sing in such a sacred space is an honor. This will be the fourth time the Angel Choir has helped lead worship there. After the service, we will head home, after six days of singing, fun and unforgettable experiences.

Thanks to everyone who has supported our Angel Choir through the years. We invite you to come to our concert to once again send us out on our musical adventure. See you Monday at 7 p.m.!

Joy Hire, Fearless Leader

Hello!  

I wanted to give everyone a quick follow-up to the first “ semester “ of the Handbell program at NBGC. I had a great time with about 8-11 kids during the first half of 2024. We learned bell techniques like marting, mart lifting, along with tower swings, and so much more.

Our season culminated in a performance on May 22 at 5:30 pm for the parents and friends of NBGC. It was a short and sweet program and the kids gave it their all. 

Stay tuned for more information as I hope to pick up where we left off, this fall. I wish I could send pictures but as you know, pictures online of kids can get tricky. Please know the kids are having fun and learning a lot about music.  

All the best,
Philip Everingham

Last Sunday, May 19, our worship service included the traditional blessing of our high school seniors, and it was the final time that the 2023-24 Angel Choir high school members would sing together for worship. The anthem, “Be Thou My Vision,” and choral benediction, “May the Road Rise to Meet You,” were chosen for their meaningful lyrics that were appropriate for this special day. These dedicated, talented teenagers have indeed blessed us with their music and energy, and we thank them for enriching our worship through song. We will miss the choir’s 2024 graduates, Izzi Fuller, Ri Jones, Maggie Miller and Caroline Schehl, and wish them well as they begin the next chapter in their lives.

High school members of The Angel Choir, from left to right:

Front row: Ri Jones, Maggie Miller, Lydia Sturgeon, Caroline Schehl, Sophia Shinka, Nora Carrington, Sydney Eggert, Meredith Vilvens. Middle row: Nyah Painter, Ruby Goodwin, Evie Rhodes, Grace Emery, Izzy Busack, Chloe Thatcher, Danny Hussey, Ian Hageman, Andrew Busack. Back row: Evan Schehl, Jack Fallon, Max Holtsberry, Jackson Lough, Josh Vickers, Connor Hare, Zack Binckley.

This Sunday, May 19, the high school members of The Angel Choir will help lead worship one last time this spring. They will sing a beautiful arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision” for their anthem, as well as a traditional Irish choral benediction at the end of the service. Also, each of our senior singers will receive a special scriptural blessing as they prepare to enter the next phase of their lives. Please join us this Sunday morning in church or online as we, “make a joyful noise unto the Lord.”

It's May

The Angel Choir has been rehearsing religiously to prepare for its 14th biennial Summer Singing tour to New England and Annapolis.

Save the date! Touring members of The Angel Choir will present their traditional send-off concert, “Angels Away,” at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 3, in the church sanctuary. They will perform the music they have prepared for the program they are presenting in various venues on this year’s Summer Singing Tour. There will be several new anthems our congregation has not heard, as well as some familiar favorites and a few secular pieces we are having such fun learning. 

We invite everyone to come to these musical opportunities — this Sunday’s worship and our “Angels Away” concert — that our committed, talented, and energetic teens have worked hard to prepare for the enhancement of your worship experience and your listening enjoyment!

 Their Fearless Leader, Joy

Do you find yourself singing in the shower?

Humming along as your car radio plays?  If you do, you might be a candidate to come and try out those vocal cords in a fun relaxed atmosphere. 

For three Sundays this summer, a choir will be formed at 9:30 on June 23, July 21, and August 11. This choir is a no-stress kind of choir. All you have to do is bring yourself and your singing voice and we will sing together in praise of an awesome God. 

Please join us for a 9:30 am rehearsal on those dates. At the rehearsal, we will learn the music for that particular Sunday. All ages high school and up are welcome!  

Philip

Join us for worship this Sunday, May 12, as we celebrate Mother’s Day.

On May 12, The children’s choir, along with some of our wonderful mothers, will sing “My Mother’s Love” by Tom Shelton.

They have worked diligently to prepare this special musical offering. It has been a joy for me as the children’s music director to watch them learn and grow through this experience. Their anthem will be a heartwarming tribute to the important role mothers play in our lives and our church community. You won’t want to miss this touching moment!

Sunday April 28!

This Sunday is going to be an exciting musical Sunday.  The Festivo Bells will play before they take their summer break, (as JuBellee did last week) and with a lot of excitement, we will premiere a new composition by Thomas Keesecker.  It will be a new arrangement of the beloved hymn, Love Divine All Loves Excelling.  

The Chancel Choir commissioned Thomas to write this work and we are thrilled to be able to present it to you. This composition began with the question:  How do you thank a group of folks that come week after week, month after month, year after year to sing at rehearsal every Thursday and during most Sundays of the calendar year?  Their selfless giving of their time and talents means so much to all of us as we worship God together.  

It's a big ask to have folks give up so much of their time, and the Chancel choir continues to meet their commitment! Asincere love of music and the joy of singing together, they continue to bring beloved anthems as well as newer works.  Not only does this marvelous group of choristers sing together, we continue to pray together, lifting each other up in times of need and celebrating the joyful moments in our lives. We are truly a tight-knit group of singers, but, we’re always ready to welcome new singers to join us!  

What better way to show the appreciation we have for our Chancel Choir than to present a work written especially for them!

Please join me this Sunday to thank the choir for all they have done and continue to do to make worship so meaningful for all of us year after year.

Philip

April 28

Thomas Keesecker 3pm concert cancelled

An Afternoon of the Music of Thomas Keesecker has been canceled due to illness.  The composer has CAD, and last week had a stent put in.  He was feeling great for a few days post-procedure but is unfortunately not doing well enough to travel to the Buckeye State.   Keep him in your prayers as he continues to regain his strength.

The premiere of his work for the Chancel Choir will take place at Sunday morning worship this Sunday!  Please join the choir this Sunday morning to celebrate them and all they bring to worship every week.

Philip

On April 14, The Angel Choir sings “I Am Bound for the Kingdom”

The Angel Choir is excited to sing “I Am Bound for the Kingdom” this Sunday, April 14. This anthem is energetic and exciting, a departure from the choir’s two most recent pieces, both of which were appropriate for the poignant and thoughtful weeks of Lent. The piano accompaniment drives this rhythmic, buoyant anthem forward as the choir asks the question, “I am bound for the kingdom; will you go to glory with me?” The Angels will be wearing their colorful collars once again to celebrate the season of Easter, and we invite you to come to church to join us for worship!

April 28, 2024 

The premiere by composer Thomas Keesecker will begin at the 10 am service, and then we will offer an additional special concert featuring his music and readings at 3 pm. 

Our Chancel Choir is made up of folks who come together week after week sharing their love of singing and their faith. Their commitment to the music at First Presbyterian is wonderful to see and hear. On April 28, at the morning worship service, we will present an exciting world premiere of a new arrangement of the much-loved hymn, Love Divine All Loves Excelling. The choir commissioned Mr. Keesecker to write this stunning work and we are looking forward to sharing it with you Sunday morning at worship.   

In the afternoon,  at 3 pm, there will be a wonderful concert by Mr. Keesecker as he shares many of his compositions for instruments, piano solos, and the choir will sing several of his much-loved anthems.  

Thomas Keesecker retired in 2019 after serving as a church musician for over 40 years in Lutheran and Roman Catholic parishes in Virginia, Montana, and Maryland. His church music is well-published. His studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Catholic University School of Music in Washington, D.C. prepared him for a career in which he has mixed classical technique and jazz improvisation. In his retirement, he travels the country sharing his piano collections in informal recitals which incorporate hymn singing, readings, and poetry.

Hope to see you there,
Philip Everingham 

On March 17, The Angel Choir Sings “I Will Wait for You”

On March 17, The Angel Choir will sing "I Will Wait for You," a sensitive, melodic anthem of trust and devotion based on Psalm 130. The arranger of the piece is Victor C. Johnson, a clinician of an interesting class on youth music that I enjoyed at a recent Worship and Music Conference in Montreat, N.C. The choir and I look forward to sharing this musical offering that speaks to us of God's never-ending love and mercy.

Yours in music,
Joy

Angel Choir Summer Tour Informational Meeting

High school Angel Choir members and their parents are invited to a brief Summer Singing Tour meeting after worship this Sunday! This will be a concise information session with updates about this year’s Summer Singing Tour for our high school singers. We will meet immediately following worship at 11 a.m. this Sunday, March 17, in the church sanctuary. We will feature a short, entertaining video of a recent tour, distribute relevant handouts, and answer any questions you might have about our 2024 tour to New England and Annapolis on June 4-9. If you or your child will be going on this year’s amazing trip, or if you have an interest, your attendance is encouraged!

I look forward to seeing you Sunday,
Joy

Bell Ringing at Boys and Girls Club, Newark

I wanted to give everyone an update on how things are going as we are now over a month into the start-up of this program. The kids and I continue to have a great time learning about music, and how it's put together as they learn the fun techniques that are involved in ringing handbells. We continue to get to know each other as we learn this new skill together. Working with the kids has become a highlight of my week. They are filled with energy, curiosity, and a willingness to learn new things.

- Philip

On March 10, the Children’s Choir Sings!

Our Children’s Choir is excited to help lead worship this Sunday, singing “God Is So Good” by Douglas Wagner. This uplifting piece celebrates God’s goodness and love, and the children have been working hard to prepare an inspiring musical offering. All singers’ families should plan to meet in the music room at 9 a.m. on Sunday. PLEASE REMEMBER THE TIME CHANGE! The children will then be able to warm up and go over last-minute details before the service. We look forward to the joyful praise provided by these young musicians as they sing out about how good God is!

The children’s music program has been filled with joyful sounds lately! Students have been practicing foundational musical skills by playing engaging rhythm games like “Earthquake,” where they match rhythms and scramble back to home base when the “quake” sounds. They also are working hard on breath control, pitch matching, and singing in harmony. We are excited to share the fruits of our efforts soon by performing a beautiful arrangement of “God Is So Good.” The students have risen to the challenge with enthusiasm, and it has been a delight to see them expand their musical knowledge, rhythm, and vocal skills week by week. We hope the congregation will enjoy hearing them share what they have learned when we present our piece in an upcoming service! Please come and support our young musicians.