Church Music

A Theological Statement on Music in The United Church of Canada

Preamble

We are a singing people. Music is not simply inserted into liturgy but liturgy is inherently musical. Music permeates all God’s creation and enfolds and embraces all God’s people. Our musical life is rooted in and evolves from God’s relationship with us, and our relationship and response to God. That relationship, especially through biblical and theological witness, and the experience of being the church, shapes who we are and who we are becoming as persons baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and nourished at his table. How we sing together as a people of God shapes and reflects how we live as human beings and how we live with creation and with one another.

We long for a deeper relationship with God.

Why do we sing? Where does music live in us? Music empowers us to listen for God’s voice. It enables us to offer praise to God who has created and is creating. Music reminds us that we are loved by God and made for God. The fullest expression of this in the church is congregational song.

We long for deeper connections with one another.

When we sing together, barriers and categories are transcended. Differences go away. Song enables us to bridge gaps. It unites us as the body of Christ. It helps us learn to listen deeply. When we sing each other’s heart song, we take on a new sense of compassion and understanding.

We acknowledge the brokenness, pain, and fear we carry.

Song enables us to confess our brokenness. In it, we call each other to account. We have been silent about music in the church. We confess that at times relationships with music-makers have not been what they could be. Songs have been broken. There has been discord and dissonance. Congregations have been part of this. We have not acknowledged this in our governance, especially in terms of shepherding care.

We believe that our spirituality and our prophetic voice spring from one source and are lived in one Body.

We are grounded in God’s Spirit as we sing to, for, and with the world. Through song, voices are found and nurtured. Song shows us how the world is and how it can be. Stewardship of the church’s song therefore requires faithful discipleship of us all.

This statement was written in March 2008 at a United Church of Canada consultation on music called Are We Off-Key?

Philip Crozier

Philip Crozier, Director of Music

Philip Crozier was appointed Organist and Director of Music at St. James United Church in 1986. Born in England, he began learning the piano at six, the organ at sixteen and was a treble chorister in Blackburn and Carlisle Cathedral choirs. In 1979 he graduated from Cardiff University where he was awarded the Glynne Jones Prize for Organ in 1978 and 1979 and pursued further studies in Paris with André Marchal. Philip Crozier has given recitals extensively in Europe and North America. In 1984 he moved to Canada and married Sylvie Poirier, an organist and painter, with whom he formed an organ duo team in 1990, becoming known internationally through their concert career and commissioning of organ duets by composers from Canada and abroad and the release of recordings which include most recently CDs of solo organ works by Petr Eben. A recording of Philip playing the organs of St. James was released in December 2009.

The Organ

The main church organ is a four-manual, 64-stop instrument with almost 4000 pipes, originally constructed in 1891 by Wadsworth and Sons. It still has the original pipes. Further work was done on it in the early 20th century by Warren Brothers, the great early Canadian organ builders. But it was completely rebuilt in 1938 by Casavant Frères who continued to maintain the instrument until spring 2011. Great musicians like E. Power Biggs, Simon Preston, Fernando Germani and André Marchal have performed at St. James and Lynnwood Farnham, Raymond Daveluy and Bernard Lagacé had their Montreal debuts here.

More information about the organ is also available. For more general information on how a pipe organ works, click here.

Our heritage organ was heard for the last time in its unrepaired state on Sunday May 8th, 2011, after which Orgues Létourneau dismantled it for its first major restoration since 1938. Here is a sample of what our heritage organ sounded like before being dismantled, taken from the May 8 2011 podcast.
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Click here to see how it looked when the crew from Létourneau was dismantling it. To enlarge a picture, simply click on it. It is planned to have the restored original instrument ready for Christmas 2011. Until then a modern, electronic instrument by Rodgers Instruments — a Rodgers Trillium Masterpiece Opus 2017 digital organ — is in the sanctuary temporarily.

In September 2004, the church acquired from Erskine and American church a fine modern chamber organ made by Karl Wilhelm of suburban St-Hilaire. This small instrument is used frequently in worship and in concert. See the technical Specifications of the chamber organ.

Philip Crozier, our organist and director of music, plays both church organs throughout the year. In addition, the St. James Music Program’s Summer Recital Series draws a variety of organists and other musicians from Montreal and abroad for our free Tuesday lunchtime concerts in June, July and August. A schedule of the 2011 summer recital series is available on our news page. And for years, the St. James organs have been featured in the Nuit Blanche and Orgues et couleurs festivities. For news reports (in French) about our organ concerts at St. James click here.

In addition to the summer organ recital series and the other occasional St. James choir or organ concerts, the Open Door Program also hosts a number of weekend musical performances throughout the year.

Jean-Sébastien Allaire

Jean-Sébastien Allaire, Choral Director

Originally from Trois-Rivières, Québec, Jean-Sébastien Allaire studied violin for nearly ten years. He was a chorister and soloist with Les Petits Chanteurs de Trois-Rivières before turning his attention to vocal training. As a singer, he has been heard many times on CBC Radio and La Société Radio-Canada. With a widely varied vocal repertoire, ranging from early and baroque to contemporary music, Jean-Sébastien Allaire has performed with renowned ensembles such as Musica Intima, the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal (SMAM), Les idées Heureuses, Viva Voce, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Les Violons du Roy. He has toured in Canada, the United-States, France and Mexico.

Upon the completion of his Master’s Degree in Conducting from McGill University (2000), scholarships from the Fondation Marie-Claude Desloges and the Austrian Society allowed him to continue his artistic education in Graz, Austria. Upon his return he accepted positions in Concordia University’s music department (2001) and as Choral Conductor and Professor of Conducting at Carleton University (2005). He has also held positions as Artistic Director of Ensemble Vocal Musica Viva (1999-2006), as Assistant Artistic Director for SMAM (2001-2006) and acted as Music Director at Erskine & American United Church (2001-2004). He was appointed Choral Director at St. James in September 2004. In 2007, he conducted SMAM at the Montreal High Lights Festival and in 2008, he conducted the innovative and accomplished Thirteen Strings Orchestra of Ottawa.

Most recently, JSA has emerged as a studio conductor with the Cirque du Soleil on soundtracks for two productions — namely KÀ and ZED. His efficiency, imagination and exuberance have found him in several recording studios in Montreal and in Slovakia where he directed on many occasions the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra.

Jean-Sébastien's personal site

The Choir of St. James United Church, Montreal, comprising from about 20 to about 30 mixed voices, enjoys a long musical tradition. The choir includes music students, professional singers and members of the church and wider community who meet together twice a week in the winter and once a week from May to September, in addition to leading congregational singing at the 11:00 a.m. Sunday worship services and others at the request of the church Session throughout the year. The choir presents a wide repertory of anthems and introits from the Renaissance to the Contemporary. It also performs in occasional concerts including the church’s annual Christmas Benefit Concert with the Peoples Gospel Choir and the Every Kid Choir. Our program provides occasional music courses at all levels for those who wish to advance their skills. Choir rehearsals are on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 9:45 a.m. between September and May and at 9:45 am on Sundays from May to September. For further information, please contact the Music Department (514) 288-9245 james@qc.aibn.com.

Every Kid Choir: St-James United Church and Montreal City Mission are joining together to develop a multi-faith multi-ethic choir for children between the ages of 8 and 13 years old. Rehearsals are Sundays from 12:30 until 2:00 p.m. Snacks and refreshments are provided at each practice. A similar program has been developed for older people called the Every Senior`s Choir which meets on Sunday afternoon in the church after the children. Call the church office at 288-9245 or the Mission at 844-9128 for more information on either program.

Our Every Kid/Every Senior Choir has a Facebook page! Please join!

On Sunday, May 29th, 2011, the Every Kid`s Choir sang in worship at the church with the St. James choir. Click here to listen to them singing John Rutter's For the beauty of the earth.

The People's Gospel Choir of Montreal, under the direction of Mr. Kim Sherwood was born in 1992 out of love for gospel music and a desire to transcend differences through the power of the good news in song. Under the musical direction of Kim Sherwood, the choir embraces and embodies the cultural, racial and religious diversity our city offers. The choir rehearses at St. James on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons, performs frequently in worship and in concerts at the church has raised funds for the Montreal City Mission and the St. James Drop-In Centre.

The choir released its first CD (recorded live at St. James United) and received a Vibe Award for best Urban/Soul Album of the year. Most of the music was written and arranged by the Musical director and Founder of the People's Gospel Choir, Mr. Kim Sherwood. Most recently the choir has sung with Patti Labelle and the Montreal International Jazz Festival and sang at the installation ceremony of Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada between 2005 and 2010. Click here to see film of the choir at the inauguration of Canada's 27th Governor-General in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa on September 27th, 2005.

See their Facebook page.