Music Ministry Update: August 2026
The first half of 2026 must have been exceptionally busy because as I scrolled through the website to see the last time I wrote a music article, it was before Christmas! I suppose moving through a transition of pianists here at the church, working on 3 musicals between North Hills Middle and High Schools and Woodland Hills, flying to Providence, RI, for a choral directors’ conference, going on a trip to Disney with 7 buses of students and chaperones then losing my voice for 2 weeks, and now returning from a 12-day British Isles cruise with my dad and brother meant forgetting to write up what has been happening in our piece of FPCE ministry!
So, let’s recap 2026 to this point: I covered piano during the month of January before we welcomed Jin to our staff. We’ve spent a couple months getting to know each other and how we “do worship” at FPCE. I hope you’ve enjoyed the gifts Jin brings to us through her playing in worship each week. We’ve had worship with the full choir, just a song leader or 2, Taizé, and emerging ensembles. There was musical accompaniment to our first pet remembrance service. We did a service focusing on Genesis using Carolyn Winfrey Gillette’s liturgy and “old tune with new text” hymn arrangements. We’ve tried a few new responses, and for the summer have brought back singing the psalm for the day instead of reading it responsively.
Special thanks to those who stepped in when I was away for some of those things mentioned above (and when I physically couldn’t produce sounds to lead singing – what a weird Easter that was to not move my mouth during hymns!): David, Mandy, and Tyler. I appreciate your leadership in worship.
In May, we tossed out a half dozen dates to do a choir picnic to wrap up our season but couldn’t agree on a day that worked for everyone, so thank you to Jim and Lisa for offering your home on August 23 for our “welcome back” picnic instead. Choir members check your email in the coming weeks for more details.
Outside of our own music ministry activities, the church continues to play host to a myriad of musicians. Vocal Confluence had their spring show in mid-June. Sarah Steranka and friends held the second annual Big Gay Benefit Recital at the end of June (thanks to Judy, Susie, Sue, Tyler, and Richard for your help!). Milepost6 played at the Strawberry Festival and will be featured at Edgewood Community Day as will the Edgewood Symphony brass. Flute and piano lessons take place at the church, however this year it wasn’t possible for us to host Summer Singers due to the parkway closure.
A little commercial: come to Woodland Hills High School on Saturday, August 1 at 8pm to see the 4th semi-annual Alumni Musical. We put on a full musical in 36 hours! Tyler and I are both participating - I’m vocal directing and playing one of the keyboard books, and Tyler will be on stage for our production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” All proceeds from the event go to the WH Performing Arts Guild, which supports the music and performing arts program for the current students at WHSD.
I promise not to wait another 6 months before I write my next music article! See you in church.
Peace,
Shaun Cloonan, minister of music
The first half of 2026 must have been exceptionally busy because as I scrolled through the website to see the last time I wrote a music article, it was before Christmas! I suppose moving through a transition of pianists here at the church, working on 3 musicals between North Hills Middle and High Schools and Woodland Hills, flying to Providence, RI, for a choral directors’ conference, going on a trip to Disney with 7 buses of students and chaperones then losing my voice for 2 weeks, and now returning from a 12-day British Isles cruise with my dad and brother meant forgetting to write up what has been happening in our piece of FPCE ministry!
So, let’s recap 2026 to this point: I covered piano during the month of January before we welcomed Jin to our staff. We’ve spent a couple months getting to know each other and how we “do worship” at FPCE. I hope you’ve enjoyed the gifts Jin brings to us through her playing in worship each week. We’ve had worship with the full choir, just a song leader or 2, Taizé, and emerging ensembles. There was musical accompaniment to our first pet remembrance service. We did a service focusing on Genesis using Carolyn Winfrey Gillette’s liturgy and “old tune with new text” hymn arrangements. We’ve tried a few new responses, and for the summer have brought back singing the psalm for the day instead of reading it responsively.
Special thanks to those who stepped in when I was away for some of those things mentioned above (and when I physically couldn’t produce sounds to lead singing – what a weird Easter that was to not move my mouth during hymns!): David, Mandy, and Tyler. I appreciate your leadership in worship.
In May, we tossed out a half dozen dates to do a choir picnic to wrap up our season but couldn’t agree on a day that worked for everyone, so thank you to Jim and Lisa for offering your home on August 23 for our “welcome back” picnic instead. Choir members check your email in the coming weeks for more details.
Outside of our own music ministry activities, the church continues to play host to a myriad of musicians. Vocal Confluence had their spring show in mid-June. Sarah Steranka and friends held the second annual Big Gay Benefit Recital at the end of June (thanks to Judy, Susie, Sue, Tyler, and Richard for your help!). Milepost6 played at the Strawberry Festival and will be featured at Edgewood Community Day as will the Edgewood Symphony brass. Flute and piano lessons take place at the church, however this year it wasn’t possible for us to host Summer Singers due to the parkway closure.
A little commercial: come to Woodland Hills High School on Saturday, August 1 at 8pm to see the 4th semi-annual Alumni Musical. We put on a full musical in 36 hours! Tyler and I are both participating - I’m vocal directing and playing one of the keyboard books, and Tyler will be on stage for our production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” All proceeds from the event go to the WH Performing Arts Guild, which supports the music and performing arts program for the current students at WHSD.
I promise not to wait another 6 months before I write my next music article! See you in church.
Peace,
Shaun Cloonan, minister of music
Music MinistryAlways expect the unexpected. This is probably a good way to describe the varied ways in which music is incorporated into the ministry at First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood. Led by Minister of Music Shaun Cloonan, the volunteer and staff members of the music ministry present expressions of praise and enhancement to worship through a multitude of ways.
Sanctuary Choir The dedicated and talented members of the Sanctuary Choir meet each week for an hour before Sunday morning worship to learn hymns, anthems, and presentations to share in worship. Mostly a traditional SATB format, the styles the choir have tackled range from simple chants from the Taize and Iona traditions, to mass settings in Latin, to gospel pieces and traditional songs from Africa. More important than the high quality of music, though, is the incredible sense of family and community felt in this group. Consider joining to be a part of the "joyful noise!" Worship Ensemble What some might consider a "praise band," this ensemble varies in its instrumentation and members depending on scheduling and availability. The core group is piano, percussion, a vocal soloist, and guitar. Some months, additional guitars are included, as well as keyboard, additional singers, auxilliary percussion (such as djembe or conga), saxophone, euphonium, and even violin. This ensemble rehearses the week before the monthly Emerging Worship service, usually on a Wednesday evening as well as early Sunday morning. Guest Musicians Over the years, FPCE has been fortunate to have several guest musicians and ensembles join in worship. Several years in a row, the University of Pittsburgh Women's Choral Ensemble sang during worship, and then used the building for their fall retreat. The Nouveau Noir Vocal Ensemble twice collaborated in worship with the FPCE Sanctuary choir during 2012 and 2013. The North Hills Singers chamber choir that Minister of Music Shaun Cloonan directs at North Hills High School sang during worship and then offered a mini-concert after in 2012, 2014-2018, and 2022. We've held Jazz Vespers services, featuring pianist Sunny Sakai with various combinations of professional jazz musicians. Easter 2017 featured guest flute and cello player, and niece of retired Pastor Michael Rucker, Liana Westerman, along with resident worship ensemble guitarist Lisa Segedy. Christmas Eve 2022 featured guest flute soloist Sarah Steranka, and our 2022 Christmas Day "from Home" recorded service featured violinist Inori Sakai playing with mom Sunny on piano. Music Outreach FPCE has enjoyed a partnership with the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra for nearly 30 years by hosting their annual holiday concert on the first Saturday in December. In 2020, the ESO began holding their weekly rehearsals in the sanctuary. They performed several socially distanced recordings and concerts in the sanctuary during their 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. In the summer of 2022, the partnership was formalized further by the ESO taking residency in the office space on the second floor of the building. They hold their annual auditions, regular board meetings, weekly rehearsals, and at least one subscription concert at FPCE each year. From 2014-16, the FPCE music ministry hosted a fall regional Women's Choral Festival, featuring collegiate, community, and high school female singing ensembles for an afternoon of song. The community choir Belle Voci has re-established this festival and will host it in the FPCE sanctuary in October 2023. Throughout the years, Edgewood has welcomed visiting musical groups, ranging from organ recitalists to jazz combos to choral ensembles. Most recently, FPCE audience members have enjoyed performances by the Cantare Choir from the Young People's Chorus of Erie in June 2012, pianist Nathan Carterette in June 2013, the Heidelberg University Concert Choir in May 2017, Voces Solis Summer Singers in August 2019 and 2023, and Munhall Community Band for several of their season concerts in 2021-23. Vocal Confluence All-Voice Barbershop Chorus meets weekly on Monday evenings in the Sanctuary and holds their annual holiday and summer shows, as well as seasonal coaching sessions at FPCE. Steranka Flute Studios, LLC runs out of the Christian Education Office on the first floor for private flute students of Sarah Steranka. Their winter and spring studio recitals are also held at FPCE. The Edgewood Organ The first pipe organ of the Edgewood Presbyterian Church was installed in 1917 by Casavent Frères, Lte. company of Canada. This organ served the church until 1967 when, under budgetary constraints, the failing organ was replaced with a modest-sized Möller organ, built in Hagerstown, Maryland. The console from the original organ had been retained until funds became available for a new one. In quite serious condition, the console was finally replaced in 1978 with a generously sized 4-manual Möller console built to match the intricately carved oak of the sanctuary and organ case. In 1992, the console was rebuilt with a new solid-state combination action which replaced the old, air-driven, pneumatic combination action. Less than two years later, the entire Antiphonal organ had to be shut down completely and it was apparent that substantial repairs were imminent. In 1998, a fundraising campaign began to rebuild the organ and to purchase a keyboard. The Organ Fund Committee launched the campaign, "Music for the Millennium" on Easter Sunday, 1999. In 2001, the instrument renovation was completed, and the organ was used regularly for Sunday worship, weddings, funerals, and recitals, until 2019 when Session voted to reduce spending on regular tuning and maintenance in the annual budget. The instrument is now used mostly to toll the hour at the start of worship, for weddings or funerals at the family's expense, and for occasional concerts by music ensembles using the sanctuary. Music Ministry Staff Shaun Cloonan, minister of music Jin Lee, pianist |
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