“Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise”

At St. Barnabas, music weaves into our liturgy from beginning to end. The melodies change from season to season, so that our music marks liturgical time as do the colors of the vestments and the change from poinsettias to lilies.  We sing chants and texts that are centuries old, evoking our connection with the early church, and we accompany these with instrumentation that is modern and global, joining our voices with the Church that encompasses all lands and all people.

Congregational singing helps tell the story of our faith, and gives us a chance to respond to what we hear in the reading of Scripture, in preaching, and in experiencing God’s grace in our life.  The singing is supported by our cantor, choir, and the St. Barnabas Consort, our instrumental ensemble.  The choir sings anthems from the rich Anglican choral heritage as well as pieces with uniquely American roots. The Consort consists of strings, woodwinds, guitar, piano, pipe organ, percussion, and drums, along with occasional brass, Macedonian tambura, glockenspiel, and Tibetan singing bowl.  Children, youth, and adults offer their gifts collaboratively. Each musician brings expertise, creativity, and a generous spirit.

With such rich resources, our hymns and songs are able to range in style from classical to current, from Gregorian chant to the blues.  Our congregation sings well, and the beautiful natural acoustics of our church help us to join our voices in “wonder, love, and praise.”

Our values as St. Barnabas musicians:

- Supporting the congregation’s worship is paramount.
- Being authentic and sensitively diverse, as we seek to see and serve Christ in each other
- Having frequent a cappella singing
- Encouraging as many people to participate as possible
- Drawing out and encouraging musicians’ creativity and abilities
- Drawing from many sources for music selection, including congregation requests and suggestions
- Using the Episcopal “The Hymnal 1982” with a fresh approach
- Balancing between traditional and current music
- Inviting feedback and ideas from the congregation

We are always welcoming new choir members and instrumentalists and would be delighted to have you bring your gifts. Rehearsal is Sunday morning before the 9:30 am service: Choir meets at 8:15 am, and consort musicians join rehearsal at 8:45 am. To learn more about music at St. Barnabas, contact Cathy Kuna, our music director.

Treasures from the virtual experience! During the time in-person worship was suspended, Cathy Kuna, in collaboration with the talented musicians and singers of St. Barnabas, produced a number of beautiful hymns for our online worship. Learn more and listen here.