Our Director of Music Ministry
Heike Burghart Rice directs our Chancel and Handbell Choirs, leads our LOGOS Worship Skills program, and plays piano and organ for services. She previously served as Music Director of University Baptist & Brethren Church of State College, Summerside United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, Woodbrook Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hinsdale, Illinois. She earned her Masters and Doctoral degrees in organ performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. Dr. Burghart Rice, her wife, Sarah Gen, and their three children enjoy all sorts of creative pursuits including music and visual arts.
We want you to know a few things about our Music Ministry and invite you to participate. We subscribe to the “Y’all come!” school of auditioning, no auditions are used with any of our music groups. If you have the interest and can make the time and the commitment – you’re welcome! We’ll do our best to help you along and make sure you blend in with the group.
We also try to program an eclectic mix of music. Eclectic means “Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles” and we would take that one step further and say that we try to select the best music from a variety of sources and styles.
The Chancel Choir is an enthusiastic and welcoming group, open to all high schoolers and adults who like to sing! You do not need prior choral experience to join us. We practice and sing a wide range of styles and difficulty levels of music for worship each week and special events in the church year. Our schedule is rehearsals on Thursday evenings from 7–8:30 pm and most Sunday mornings at 9:00 am. Is it okay if you can’t come every Sunday or Thursday? Of course! With advance notice, we can plan for whoever will be there. Please contact Heike if you have any questions about the Chancel Choir.
The Handbell Choir meets on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm during the school year. Prior ringing experience is not required, but it is helpful if you have some experience with reading music. For more information, contact Heike Burghart Rice.
Traditionally, each December, we hold a Candlelight Choir Service. Rehearsals typically begin in October on Sunday afternoons. Singers are welcome to join just for this service. Details are announced early in the fall.
The installation of our hybrid organ was completed in 2012 as part of the Building Restoration Campaign. In addition to the 1800+ pipes that we have had since 1967, many new digital sounds have been added to the organ. This qualifies it to be a “hybrid.” The console may be moved to the center of the room to better hear the sounds as they “voiced” the entire organ. Voicing gives each organ sound its unique qualities, balances each organ sound with the other organ sounds, makes the sounds fit the room, and gives the organ character.
