Music
RPC’s Music Ministry welcomes you, whether or not you are an RPC member and no matter where you are in your musical and spiritual journey! Contact Dr. Sally Sloane for more information on any of our programs or check the Music Ministry bulletin board outside the church office. Or just pay us a visit during a rehearsal! (Times listed below.)
Chancel Choir
AcaBELLA Ringers Handbell Choir
Ringers & Singers Kids’ Program
Handel’s Messiah
Calling All Musicians!
About Our Organ
RPC’s chancel choir makes a joyful noise during worship every Sunday from September to May. We sing in a variety of musical styles. All voice parts are welcome, and all ages from middle school on up! Choral experience and/or ability to read music are useful but not required; we support all levels of experience and musical skill, and we ask only for enthusiasm and commitment. We rehearse in the Manse (entry on Scottswood) on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 pm, and on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am before the 10 am worship service.
RPC’s four-octave handbell choir is always looking for regular ringers and substitutes, middle school through adults. Experience is helpful but not required: ringing handbells is a unique form of making music, and most of us have learned “on the job.” Basic music-reading ability (or the capacity to acquire it) will make things go more smoothly. The bell choir participates in worship several times between September and May and performs its Christmas repertoire at Riverside’s annual Holiday Stroll. We rehearse in the Manse on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
At RPC we believe that everyone can find lifelong joy in making music, and a central part of our music ministry is providing free music education to kids from preschool through eighth grade. Dr. Sally has extensive experience teaching children and for many years offered a Kindermusik program. She also teaches piano based on the Suzuki method. The Ringers & Singers learn the basics of singing in unison and in parts, reading music, and ringing handchimes (a simpler type of handbell). Many Ringers & Singers alumni have gone on to participate in their middle school, high school, and college music programs, and a few are pursuing professional music careers. Ringers & Singers rehearse in the Manse on Wednesdays from 4:15 to 5:15 pm during the school year.
Mid-December is extra special at RPC as we celebrate Advent with Handel’s Messiah, a tradition since 1986. The RPC choir is joined by volunteer singers from all around the western suburbs, as well as professional soloists and orchestra, and we present the “Christmas” section of the famous oratorio along with selected portions of the other sections. The chorus rehearses in the sanctuary on the first and second Saturdays in December from 10 am to noon, has a final dress rehearsal with soloists and orchestra on Sunday at 1:30, and performs at 4 pm before a large and enthusiastic audience. This annual event has no admission charge but is supported by free-will offerings at the door and by other donations often made in honor or memory of the donor’s loved ones. Contact Dr. Sally if you would like more information about participating.
Do you sing or play an instrument? Is your child taking music lessons? Let us know! The RPC Music Ministry welcomes musicians of all ages who’d like to share their talents in worship. During the summer when the regular choirs take time off, we are always looking for soloists (vocal or instrumental) or small ensembles to provide Sunday music, and if you’re interested in performing at other times of the year, we will find a place for you! The congregation is a deeply appreciative audience. Contact Dr. Sally any time, and watch for summer sign-up sheets on the Music Ministry bulletin board outside the church office.
The RPC pipe organ is a beloved element of our worship services. Parts of it date back to 1904 and the original maker was Kimball of Chicago. It has undergone multiple renovations—in the 1950s when the pipes were covered by a screen, in the 1980s when some pipes were added, and most recently in 2016 when it received a complete overhaul as part of a major capital campaign, including a new console. Dr. Sally is a virtuoso organist with an advanced degree in organ performance. If you are a fan of pipe organs and would like to know more, seek her out during Coffee Fellowship after worship!