Lukas Hasler in Concert at Trinity
Choral Evensong
Venezuelan Music Concert ft Violin and Piano
Piano Recital with Szymon Czerniak
Songs of Love and Night
Into Eternity Concert ft Blue Ridge Singers
Candlelight Concert
Master Singers of Virginia Christmas Features
Winchester Musica Viva
Blue Ridge Singers Christmas Concerts
Special Music Event: Lukas Hasler
Music Feature: French and Latin American Connection
Friday June 24, 2022
Special Music Event at Trinity Episcopal Church
Free Admission - Donations Suggested
Memorial Recital ft. Lukas Hasler
We're delighted to announce The Hurst K. Groves Memorial Organ Recital & launch of the Trinity Organ Refurbishment Appeal.
Friday, February 25, 7:30pm
Trinity Episcopal Church
9108 John S Mosby Hwy, Upperville, VA 20184
Austrian organist Lukas Hasler.
This will be another sparkling evening to remember at Trinity! No advance tickets required. Add the date to your calendar now and treat your ears to something very special!
New Music Director - Dan Miller
Dan Miller, our wonderful organist, who was hired just as I came to Trinity, has asked if he could be considered for the position of Director of Music. We have had several conversations over the past four months and we agreed to talk more in detail after Easter. Last week I met with Dan and shared with him all the wonderful emails, notes, and phone calls I have received regarding his service to us the past four months as our interim… Easter being the icing on the cake! I couldn’t believe what he was able to accomplish in our outside and virtual service. I knew Dan was a musical genius with 40+ years of experience and many degrees to prove it. Dan holds a Bachelor of Music Education, a Masters in Church music (Organ Emphasis), and a Masters in Collaborative Piano. To say that he is qualified is an understatement and we are very blessed to have him. Dan, welcome to your new role as Director of Music and Organist!
I would encourage you all to reach out to him, welcome him to the staff and to our church family, and to support his ministry at Trinity. If you’d like to get to know him better, please enjoy this wonderful interview about his history and his experience with us.
+ Rev. Jonathan Adams
Music Notes from Christian
For the first time ever, in the ninth month of a year that starts with 20, I will not publish on these pages a list of Trinity's choirs complete with dates and times that rehearsals will begin for the Fall. As the safety of singing in groups is still in serious question, our choirs for all ages will continue to be on hold indefinitely. As difficult as that is to put in print and as much as we all miss the connection of meeting in person, I will instead take this opportunity to recognize some of the ways that worshiping via recorded video services has provided new forms of connection that may not be immediately apparent, beginning with the notion that each week, with the click of a button (and the patience of Job while uploading) our clergy, musicians, lay readers, and video editors, all in different places, come together in a shared Google Drive folder labeled Trinity to create these video services.
In much the same way that I was initially resistant to cell phones, email, and self checkout at the grocery store (actually still not sold on that one), I have slowly found that the medium of video services does offer some inspiring possibilities not easily accomplished in live worship. For example, just this past Sunday, we were able to incorporate an image of the Apostle Peter from one of the stained glass windows into the video of an anthem about Peter. Similarly, being able to record children's sermons in different locations has opened up many options not possible in the basement of the church.
Yet another silver lining of video services has been the ability to see my colleagues at other churches in action. Both musicians and clergy rarely get the opportunity to attend worship at other churches but now, along with everyone else, we can watch any number of services in any number of places at any number of times. The connections are endless and also work both ways, increasing our own expo-sure. Several of our recorded musical selections have been viewed thousands of times, far more than we could ever hope for in person. I expect we have all had the experience and joy of being able to watch our extended family's and friend's churches, and have them see ours, to an extent never before possible.
Being witness to so many services has also given me a renewed appreciation for our beautiful Episcopal liturgy. Dating back to Thomas Cranmer's original Book of Common Prayer, the Roman Rite before that, and even the pre-Christian Jewish tradition, the interconnectedness of our common worship is much more apparent when we can so easily see it in action in so many different places. From the lips of a retired Bishop with a British accent to a new Rector with a southern one, the same reassuring words of our liturgy, with their ancient origins and order, are repeated in many more accents and languages around the world. Whether it be in the back yard or on the computer screen, our liturgy connects us to the countless generations of Christians who have come both before and after us and, in the present, helps bind us all together in the body of Christ.
There is no doubt that a video service cannot replace the sense of family we have when worshiping together in person. But perhaps the immediate connections we are sacrificing are allowing for more far reaching ones. Just maybe, as Christians around the world attempt to squeeze the depth of our liturgy and the breadth of Jesus' love through the lens of a camera, it might give all of us the opportunity to see more clearly that our common prayer is far greater than our differences and that we can rejoice in the knowledge that our God is alive on Google Drive.
Christian
Richard McPherson Retiring
Perhaps it is divine providence, or maybe just dumb luck, but sometimes you are just in the right place at the right time. And so it was in the Fall of 2013 when Trinity Church found itself in need of a new organist on somewhat short notice. There was no need for extended study or a lengthy search process because the best organist in the area just happened to be immediately available and was willing to come here. We hired Dr. Richard Mcpherson on the spot as the interim with the understanding that if all went well, of which there were no doubts, he would move into the permanent position. This was not a typical way of filling such a position but all involved were completely comfortable with it because of who it was. Richard was widely known in the community, was a friend of Trinity church having played here for special events, and we all knew that of all the organists in the area, available or not, he was quite simply and undeniably, the best.
Richard McPherson, Organist mcpherre@comcast.net
For the past seven years Trinity Church has not only been blessed with Richard's immense skill but also his thorough humility. Week in and week out Richard has quietly prepared and presented concert quality music for Sunday services, weddings and funerals, and major church festivals. His voluntaries are thoughtfully chosen to fit with the themes of the day, his leadership of congregational singing is inspiring, and his accompaniments of often difficult choral anthems are always perfection. Along the way he is completely reliable and conscientious, a team player, supportive of the total ministry of the church, modest beyond measure, and just an all around wonderfully nice guy with a great spirit.
Back in January Richard told me it was time for him to retire. He and Michael had bought a house in Rehobeth Beach and were planning to split their time between there and Winchester which would not allow for his continued commitment to the church. Just as we were beginning to make plans for both his departure and replacement, the lock-down started bringing things to a standstill. As things started to open up in May we were far behind being prepared for his intended last Sunday of June 7. With his usual grace and dedication, Richard has agreed to continue through as much of the summer as we need. Plans are again underway for his replacement but, most unfortunately, current circumstances will not allow for the kind of send off Richard deserves. Of course, Richard, with his usual modesty is happy to go without fanfare, but since most of us will likely not see him in person, I hope we might all take a few minutes to send him a note of appreciation.
For the last seven years it has been the greatest honor and privilege to work with Richard and share in his tremendous artistry. He has been an inspiring collaborator, trusted colleague, and dear friend. Richard, we will miss you greatly and wish you the very best in your well deserved retirement.
Thank you ,with all our hearts, for your years of dedicated service to Trinity Church.
Music Notes from Christian
Almost exactly thirteen years ago was their last, last Sunday at Trinity. What are the odds that the same Interim Rector would save us twice? Words alone cannot express the depth of our gratitude. Deep Peace to you, Martin and Barbara. Deep Peace to you.
Notes from Christian
In responding to the query about positive experiences during the pandemic, it occurs to me that I can't possibly do so without being mindful of the many people who are struggling mightily with the very things that I am not. I have no immediate connection to anyone who is sick or on the "front lines". I have an understanding boss, am able to at least partially work from home, and, so far, my income is secure. Thanks to some Trinity Church angels, I have plenty of delicious food and am fortunate to live in a beautiful place with enough space that I can be outside and enjoy the Spring without a mask or fear of infection. I am very blessed in these ways as I imagine most of our Trinity Church community is as well.
However, I also have the possibly less common advantage of rather enjoying the isolation of quarantine. I have taken the Myers-Briggs test several times in my life and always come out the same. I am straight down the middle on three of the four dichotomies but all the way to the introvert side on that one, so not having to interact with so many people all the time suits me just fine. Actually though, it is even more than that. I have never fit in well with the conventions of normal society. Eight hours a night, early mornings, nine to five, three meals a day just does not work well for me. Relieved of the social interaction and schedule of everyone else's normal, I have found that I am thriving. I sleep when I am sleepy, eat when I am hungry, exercise much more, and am not constantly concerned about meeting everyone else's expectations. As a result, I am better rested, less stressed, have managed to lose a few pounds and generally feel more at peace than I have in a long time.
Of course, even my idyllic version of pandemic life is not without frustrations. I struggle greatly with the technology required to work from home and, of course, there is the toilet paper situation. I have tried not to question my spiritual calling but must admit that this period of solitude has made me wonder if God didn't get a little confused and some where there is some poor guy working in a remote fire tower or distant lighthouse with a crazy feeling he should be a church musician.
As we begin to see tiny glimpses of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, and I feel the mild anxiety about returning to normal, I am reminded that there are many people for whom the world is just not a good fit and for reasons far more significant than my comparatively trivial ones. If something good is to come of all this perhaps it might be that we carry the experience of being out of our comfort zone forward into our new life and be more sympathetic to those who struggle in regular times. Perhaps we might have new eyes to see those who are in need and new minds open to those who are different than us. Perhaps we might welcome God's love into our hearts more fully and practice it in the world more completely. That would be a normal I could look forward to returning to.
Music Notes March
Notes from Christian We begin this season of Lent with a focus on the Wesleys, of Methodist fame. John and Charles were among the 18 children of an Anglican cleric and became Anglican priests as well. While both brothers were actively involved in the Anglican movement know as Methodism that ultimately led to the United Methodist Church, it is John who is credited as its founder. Charles’ legacy became the over 650 hymn texts he penned, many of which have become among the most beloved and well-known hymns ever written. Charles’ son Samuel Wesley was something of a musical child prodigy studying the violin and organ and was often called the English Mozart. He went on to be an extremely gifted organist and composer. Samuel’s son, Samuel Sebastien Wesley, was given Bach’s middle name by his father and became a cathedral organist and perhaps the most successful composer of the family. It is his anthem “Wash Me Throughly” that the choir will sing on the first Sunday of Lent, March 1.
The Feast Day of John and Charles Wesley is the first Tuesday of Lent, March 3, and we will be discussing their hymn texts at the Lenten Series that same evening. In preparation for that event I give you John Wesley’s directions for singing which have appeared at the beginning of every Methodist hymnal yet published and despite their somewhat dated language, are as relevant now as they were when written in 1761.
I. Learn these Tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.
II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can.
III. Sing All. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.
IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.
V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
VI. Sing in Time: whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend closely to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can. And take care you sing not too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from among us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.
VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your Heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve of here, and reward when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.