November 2024 Music News

Here's a quick update from our music ministry this past month!
  • We shared music from many countries during our World Communion Sunday worship
  • Aria412 Opera group used our sanctuary to present a new work “Thomas the Rhymer,” and they apparently had full houses for both performances (I couldn’t attend because I was performing in my own concerts with Voces Solis!).
  • We discovered some strange hums in the sanctuary sound system, and I feared we were going to have to replace some wiring or microphone jacks.  After bringing my colleague Bill in (tech director for our shows at NH who is also an electrician!), we determined the culprit was a bad channel on the amp up in the organ loft.  Swapped out the connection to another channel and we’re all good again!
  • We hosted 175 singers from 7 different choral ensembles at the Belle Voci Treble Choral Festival.  At one point during the afternoon, we had groups in 4 different locations singing while they prepared for the concert!  We estimated between performers and audience that over 300 were in attendance.  The full concert is posted on our YouTube channel and I shared a photo album on Facebook from the pics I took sitting in the balcony.
 
This month: we’ll join with the choirs of the Unitarian Church and Temple Sinai to create an interfaith choir at the Thanksgiving service.  Each director will take turns leading music throughout the service.

And looking ahead, I’m told folks should be watching for information regarding Christmas caroling in December at both Light Up Night and later in the month.  Unfortunately, I can’t attend either due to my school commitments, but I’m sure you will all make a joyful holiday noise!

​Peace,
Shaun

Music Ministry

Always 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
Sunny Sakai, associate music director & pianist