“Those who sing pray twice.”
—St. Augustine
The music ministries of St. Thomas’ are known for excellence, and our congregation loves to sing. We have choirs for every age and ability level, and are always ready to welcome new singers. Every week we sing music from the best of the Anglican choral tradition as well as adding music from the 21st century and music from traditions all around the world. Our organ and carillon music reverberates throughout the campus and community, drawing folks in and closer to God.
Choir | Choristers | Organs | Carillon | Concerts | Photo Gallery
Choir
St. Thomas’ Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7:30 p.m.–9:15 p.m. in Haas Hall and sings weekly (September-May) during the 10:00 a.m. service. Supported by a core of eight professional singers, we perform music from Gregorian chant to compositions written by living composers, with an emphasis on Renaissance polyphony and the best of the English church music tradition. St. Thomas’ Choir also occasionally sings Choral Evensong (sung Evening Prayer) and concerts with orchestra. There is always room for you if you can meet the only two requirements: matching pitch and a smile!
“Bless, O Lord, us thy servants, who minister in thy temple; Grant that what we sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts; and what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
—The Choristers’ Prayer, Royal School of Church Music
Choristers & Joyful Noise
St. Thomas’ offers two different choirs for students, depending on their age level.
Choristers (age 8+)
The Chorister Program at St. Thomas’ Church provides a free, professional music education to students. We are affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music America. Through our rehearsals and performing, students also gain valuable spiritual development and connect with God through our Anglican tradition and liturgy. Students also learn important life skills like teamwork, character, resilience, and executive functioning.
They sing frequently at the 10:00 a.m. service in the Church with the professional adults. Rehearsals are offered on Thursday afternoons. Regular attendance at rehearsals and performances is required, and parental support is crucial. You will be amazed at what your child is capable of!
Joyful Noise (ages 4–7)
Joyful Noise is an interactive musical experience for children ages 4–7. They spend time once a week for a half-hour learning the basics of music, finding their voice, having fun, playing games, and learning about God. They sing once a quarter in the Sunday service. Joyful Noise is the training choir for our Chorister program.
Fill in form below to sign up or click here to email Michael for more information.
Organs
St. Thomas’ Church has two organs built by Casavant Frères of Québec, Canada. The primary organ is a 3-manual, 55-rank instrument built in 1964, with renovations and additions in 2003. It supports hymn-singing brilliantly and can be used to perform the standard organ repertoire. The second is a 4-rank mechanical action positive organ built by Casavant in 1978.
Carillon
High in the tower of St. Thomas’ is the carillon, consisting of four octaves (48) cast and tuned bronze bells. The bells are tuned harmoniously, which permits them to be sounded together in chords. They vary in size and weight from the smallest of 24 pounds (7 1/2 inch diameter) to the largest bell, the “Bourdon,” weighing nearly 3,300 pounds, with a diameter of 53 inches. The carillon bells were cast by the Dutch foundry, Petit and Fritsen.
St. Thomas’ Carillon is a lasting memorial to Catherine Colt Dickey given by her husband and children. It was dedicated in 1974 and has been ringing its message for the parish and community continuously for more than 25 years.
Concerts
The Choir of Keble College, Oxford University “Hope and Lament: A Choral Journey to the Cross”
The choir of Keble College, Oxford, recently sang at St. Thomas’ as part of their US tour. We were thrilled to hear their artistry, and were grateful to parishioner Gus Carey, an alum, for helping us arrange this. Listen to one of their concerts here.
Missa Gaia Concert
Missa Gaia (Earth Mass) is a spiritual movement in response to the separation between the modern and natural world. It combines liturgical text with sounds of nature, worldly rhythms and melodic themes. Originally created by Paul Halley, Jim Scott and Paul Winter in 1981, Missa Gaia features The Parish Choir of St Thomas’, Whitemarsh under the direction of Michael Smith, Minister of Music at St. Thomas’, and numerous musicians including St. Thomas’ member Maxfield Gast on soprano saxophone. It was recorded live in the sanctuary and is available for listening here.
St. James School, MD
Our choir and choristers sang a joint Evensong with the choir of St. James School in Maryland. St. James is an Episcopal boarding school.
“The selection of music each week is quite profound. I love the depth of commitment to music in worship. It’s an expression of the Creator that God puts in each one of us.”
—Jane H., member of St. Thomas’
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