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“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.”  Psalm 66:1-2

As our church gathers in weekly worship, we unite our voices in song and lift our praises to God on high.  The medium of music carries those praises aloft. Through the gift of music, we can experience the majesty and love of God as either a participant or listener. At First Presbyterian Church, the Ministry of Music plays a role in each facet of our global strategy to worship, grow and serve. If you have a desire to serve God and develop your musical gifts, we want to help you find a place of service. Our diverse offerings include opportunities for children, youth and adults.  If you have questions about which ensemble might be right for you or a member of your family, please do not hesitate to contact any member of our music staff. Join us as we lift our voices in praise to God!

“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praise to our God.” Psalm 147:1

 

Choir

Music Staff

Tom Dooling, minister of music ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Dr. Jae Ha, associate minister of music / organist ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Josh Fenoglio, associate minister of music / contemporary worship leader ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Anthony Garant, music assistant ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Kathy Jamison, elementary choir director ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Charlotte Hains, Friday Singers ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
FPCSA Music website (http://www.fpcsatmusic.com/)




Sanctuary Choir

Rehearsal:  7-8:45 PM Wednesday
Choir Room (Room 318)
Contact: Tom Dooling (210.271.2717 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
If you like to sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord, come each week to be a part of the Sanctuary Choir. This choir sings in three Traditional worship services each Sunday. Additionally, they prepare musical offerings for major liturgical observances and present periodic concerts as a musical offering to the San Antonio community. Its membership consists of singers with many occupations and varying levels of musical ability, each of whom enjoys singing and leading others in doing the same. The quality of the Sanctuary Choir is enhanced with professional section leaders and soloists. By drawing from a diverse offering of musical styles and genres, the experience of the choir and congregation is continually enriched. The choir is always open to new members with no auditions necessary.



The Mary Jean Rogers Choral Endowment

The Mary Jean Rogers Choral Endowment was established at First Presbyterian Church in 2002 by Jean Rogers Winchell in honor of her mother and as a perpetual memorial to her and her love for the great sacred choral music of the church. The Endowment provides financial support for the presentation of a major choral work with orchestral accompaniment. Previous concert presentations have featured Haydn's Mass in Time of War, Schubert's Mass in G, Brahm's German Requiem and Mozart's Requiem.

Contemporary Service Music Team

Rehearsal: times vary according to season
Room 300 and Westminster Hall
Contact: Josh Fenoglio (210.226.0215, ext. 275)
This team of dedicated rotating volunteers from all walks of life provides passionate musical leadership for the contemporary worship service, held at 11:00 a.m. in Westminster Hall. In addition to singers, the team is made up of musicians who play guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums, percussion and occasionally violin and saxophone. Songs of praise are an important part of the Contemporary worship service, and the worship team offers a mix of hymns, new music and even original songs as a way of entering into corporate worship.

Friday Singers

9-10:30 AM: Practice Fridays
9:30 and 10:30 AM: Performance on designated Fridays
Rehearsals in Choir Room (Room 318)
Contact: Charlotte Hains (210.828.2048)

This singing group performs at retirement communities in the greater San Antonio area throughout the year, seeking to bring joy through music into the lives of senior adults. The rewards in this service for Christ are numerous, coming with smiles and hugs from residents and a community of close fellowship within the group itself.


Sanctuary Handbells

5:45-6:45 PM
Room 309
Director/Contact: Dr. Jae Ha (210.271.2729 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Bell ringing is fun, therapeutic and develops musicianship and teamwork while at the same time adding an exhilarating dimension to worship services. Thirteen bell ringers are needed at all times to be able to utilize all five octaves of handbells. If you are interested in learning more about this activity, please contact Jae Ha for more information.



Youth Choir

LOGOS Youth Choir (Grades 6-12)
Wednesday: 5-5:30 PM during "Intersection" Aug. 24-Dec. 7, 2011)
Choir Room (Room 318)
Director/Contact: Tom Dooling (210.271.2717 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )
The LOGOS Youth Choir meet each week to experience the joy of singing praises to the Lord. No prior experience is needed — just a willingness to learn and a desire to worship God through music.


Children’s Choirs

The Children’s choir program at FPC is for kids three to 11 years and strives to enrich children’s lives in three core areas: spiritual formation and growth, musical skills and personal growth. The choirs are led by trained Christian musicians and sing for the Christmas pageant, Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, Wednesday evening fellowship dinner and other worship services during the year.

VIEW our Children's Choir objectives

The Angel Choir (3 years old by Sept. 1)
5-5:45 PM
Room 125
Director: TBD. Please contact Kathy Jamison ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for further information.

The Cherib Choir (Pre-K and Kinder)
5-5:45 PM 
Room 127
Director: Rebekah Bulen

The Music Makers Choir (Grades 1 and 2)
5-5:45 PM
Room 128
Director: Beth Ann Carrigan

The Jubilate Choir (Grades 3, 4 and 5)
5-5:45 PM
Room 126
Director: Kathy Jamison ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

The William C. Hall Pipe Organ Competition

The William C. Hall Pipe Organ Competition was founded as the "San Antonio Pipe Organ Competition" in 1970 at University Presbyterian Church, largely through the efforts of Mr. William C. (Bill) Hall who originally conceived it out of his great love of church music.  His purpose was to ensure the future of organ music by encouraging the study of organ by students who would later become professional organists in churches.  For the first 16 years he almost single-handedly brought it into being by organizing the many necessary volunteers, raising money for cash prizes and securing prominent organists from across the country to serve as judges.  Following his death, as a tribute to him, the title of the Competition was officially changed in 1986 to reflect his name.

The full-day competition is held in the Sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio and has gained a reputation as one of the most outstanding organ competitions in the country. Contestants consisit of both graduate and undergraduate status and are limited to only organ students from Texas universities.

The 41st Annual William C. (Bill) Hall Pipe Organ Competition

Saturday, March 3, 2012


2012 competiton brochure and rules

2012 application form


On Sunday, March 4, 2012, at 4 p.m. in the Sanctuary, a Festival of Hymns featuring the leadership of Dr. Albert Travis, the FPCSA Sanctuary Choir and Brass Quintet will be held.


The Robert L. Sipe Organ of First Presbyterian Church


First Presbyterian Church’s Robert L. Sipe organ, completed in March 1999, is an instrument of 55 ranks of pipes, many of which came from the preexisting 1968 Holtkamp instrument, but which have been rescaled and revoiced. The detached, three-manual console is built from mahogany and rosewood with sharps from ebony and natural key coverings carved from 100,000 year-old mammoth tusks. Each of the pipes is handmade to specific requirements, some of metal, some of wood. All the pipes have been carefully voiced for the acoustics of First Presbyterian Church.

All the pipes in the façade are speaking pipes. Visible from the chancel are Pedal Principal pipes and horizontal Festival Trumpet pipes. The upper center section behind the façade contains the Great organ. The enclosed Swell division is positioned behind the Great. The enclosed Choir division, decorated with Scottish thistles, is beneath the Great division. The Pedal division is divided on both sides of the organ. The Festival Trumpets may be played either from the Choir, the Great or the Pedal divisions.

The instrument contains a number of special features. It has two consoles, each with 24 Solid State Logic computerized memory banks, a programmable Crescendo pedal and Sforzando, MIDI capabilities and a transposer. 

Organ Stop List
Robert Sipe Website (sipeorgan.com)

The Robert L. Sipe Organ of First Presbyterian Church

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” Colossians 3:19


Music Groups