Music Ministry
We believe in doing music well
Music & Fine Arts
“Play skillfully on the strings.”
Psalm 33:3
In 1 Chronicles 5:22, we learn that a man named Chenaniah was in charge of the musicians. What attracts me to this verse is that it doesn't stop at naming the choir director. It explains why he was put in that position – because "he understood music." Or some translations read, "He was skillful at it."
FMC values music performed well for God's glory.
Our choir and our praise band enjoy working hard to perform well for our services and events. As our praise band harmonica players frequently says, "You couldn't keep us away if you wanted to." FMC has three sets of hand bells. FMC's appreciation for handbell choirs is not at all overstated.
While our Music Department remains strong at FMC, we can't do it without the church's continued support. Commitments to pray for and fund this program go a long way. But we need even more than that. We want you to come make music with us! It is yet another way to grow as a Christian disciple, learning to make beautiful music for God, and committing to one of these outstanding ministries in our amazingly blessed church.
I hope you will consider joining one of our ensembles. It is a decision nearly impossible to regret. The only decision you might come to regret is putting the decision off.
-Ethan Ainsworth, Director of Music
Chancel Choir
One of our church’s defining characteristics is its wonderful Chancel Choir, which is not only bigger but also higher in quality than most church choirs, especially those in towns and churches of our size. I say this from experience, as I’ve served in large churches in the cities of Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Our choir is easily in the conversation with some of the best churches around.
The Chancel Choir takes a well-deserved break in July, after putting on 3 wonderful concerts during the year, as well as singing for nearly 45 Sundays in a row. While we regroup and get ready for another season of making beautiful music to God’s glory, would you consider joining us for the 2014-2015 season?
If you have any experience singing in choirs or reading music, there’s a great chance you’d be a perfect fit for this ensemble. In my experience, church choirs are comprised of two primary types: the leaders and the followers. The leaders are generally very strong music readers, while the followers are not quite as strong and make sure they are around one of the leaders. When you combine the two, the result is a beautiful choral sound, as you have probably witnessed if you have ever attended a Sunday morning service or one of our concerts.
If you’re not sure if you’d be a fit, take advantage of our August choir class at 6 pm on Wednesdays, starting on the 6th. We’ll review the basics of music theory, some brief music history, and the essentials of singing in an ensemble. There is something for both the novice and the more experienced musician.
Choirs have been leading music since the days of King David! They’re practically an essential part of doing life together in the Christian church! Serving the church as a musician is both a great honor and a great responsibility, and the only way for our choir to maintain its level of quality is to continuously replenish with new, devoted members. Please consider joining us in the upcoming season. We need you!
Handbell Choir
Ding-a-Lings
This is a fun-loving group of primarily female bell-ringers. We love the bells and have a great time playing together. We rehearse from 11-12 on Wednesdays and occasionally play on Sunday mornings. Contact the Music Director at music@livingstonfmc.org if you'd be interested in joining!
Jacobs Ringers
This is our most advanced handbell choir. We rehearse on Wednesdays from 5:15-6:30, and perform beautiful music for concerts and Sunday morning services throughout the year. If you have any music-reading skills, you'd probably fit in nicely in this group! We'd love to have you! Contact the Music Director at music@livingstonfmc.org
Holy Ground Praise Band
The FMC praise band has grown from a few folks who like contemporary music to a well-established band with a reputation for excellence. We rehearse on Thursday evenings from 5:30-7:15. We're a fun group and are always eager to add new members. We're continually on the lookout for singers, guitarists, drummers, keyboardists, or any instrumentalists we can make fit. Contact the Worship Leader at worshipleader@livingstonfmc.org if you're interested in joining!
Children’s Music
Treble Makers (K-2nd)
Chain Breakers (3rd-5th)
Children’s Choir is a place for kids to grow. We seek to help your children grow in Christ, grow their love of music, and grow their skills and abilities as young musicians.
The Treble Makers and Chain Breakers both meet on Wednesday evenings in correlation with Spark, the Children’s Ministry Wednesday program.)