by Kevin Jones, Director of Music
As many activities ramp up for the fall, so too do the musical activities at St. Paul’s. The new season of Concerts at St. Paul’s is announced on the church website as well as in print. The brochure may be found in literature racks around the church. I write not to announce the season or give details about the specifics of the many, many musical offerings this year, but rather to dip our collective toe in the water of the nature of these opportunities.
For many years, St. Paul’s has hosted and offered world-class music and musicians to the Parish and to the larger community. We have hosted countless American and International concert organists in recitals, playing the role of musical ambassadors to our friends around the world. We have provided space and opportunity to local ensembles like Apollo’s Fire–now regarded as one of the country’s finest early music ensembles.
We have showcased our own fine choirs over the decades through events such as “A St. Paul’s Chorister Christmas”, Lessons and Carols, Choral Evensongs, Jazz Vespers, and many others. And, we have invited and hosted international choral ensembles such as The Choir of Westminster Abbey, Polyphony, Pomerium, and so much more.
Because of this consistent emphasis on creativity and welcome, St. Paul’s is known (among many other things) as a place for music. As a musician myself, I think this is great! But it is more than that. It is hospitality. It is welcome. It is food for the soul. It is, in short, evangelism in a very broad sense. It brings people to our doors. It utilizes the resources that we have to invite our neighbors, far and near, to share in the joy, contemplation, and thanksgiving of our lives together. It is a precious gift that we openly share with anyone who wants to hear. While concerts are often appreciated for their artistic excellence, they also provide a welcoming environment where individuals who might not otherwise attend a worship service can experience the church as a place of beauty, hospitality, and spiritual reflection.
It is no mistake that we call our organizational and musical fundraising group The Friends of Music. Merriam-Webster defines a “friend” as “one attached to another through affection or esteem.” By that definition, we are Friends not only through our common bond with music, but also through our common bond with belonging and being in community.
Religion has much in common with friendship. Friends spend time with one another. They mentor; they teach; they model; they love—all done in community. Friends also can disagree without becoming enemies. They can reconcile. They can forgive. They can share pain and share joy. And they can welcome new friends into the community of belonging.
Which, dear friends, is what the ministry of music is all about–finding shared ground to build the body of the faithful. As a wise friend once said to me, “Invitation leads to experience. Experience leads to engagement. Engagement leads to faithful commitment.”
Ultimately, Concerts at St. Paul’s represents more than an artistic endeavor. It becomes a ministry that proclaims the Gospel through beauty, invites meaningful relationships, and demonstrates the church’s mission of welcoming all people. In this way, music serves as both an expression of faith and a powerful instrument for outreach, hospitality, and faithful evangelism.
What a glorious gift, and what an awesome responsibility!