Music
Good music is integral to inspirational worship. This is one area where our parish is decidedly traditional. We have one of the finest organs in Orange County. The annual Corona del Mar Baroque Festival began here and at Sherman Gardens, and we are still the site of the yearly organ recital. Additionally, we have a grand piano, a harpsichord, and hand bells: instruments long associated with spiritual music.
Music is one of the strengths of our parish. We have always had on staff a music director who is an accomplished organist and choirmaster. Our current director, Dr. Ray Urwin, is also a composer, who has contributed to our modern Episcopal hymnal.
Music is a part of worship every Sunday. Our Holy Eucharist usually features many wonderful hymns, but the pandemic has silenced our singing voices. Not so our organ. Dr. Urwin has contributed wonderful organ music throughout the pandemic; at first on video, and now that we are back in-person, live. We have many recordings of our music on our Vimeo channel.
Here's a medley of "Silent Night" and "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" that Dr. Urwin recorded for our Christmas Eve Zoom worship in 2020. Everyone was encouraged to sing at home!
Saint Michael and All Angels has a choir comprised of parishioners and some semi-professional section leaders. In a normal year the choir performs regularly from September to June.
This is a recording of the choir performing "Servants of Peace" on the Feast of Saint Francis in 2019. How we long to hear them sing again! (The Feast of Saint Francis is a big day for us: we always do a blessing of the animals on that day.)
The Friends of Music is an in-house organization that supports special music programs at the church. We have been host to some fantastic performances over the years.
This is a performance by Umi Garrett, a supremely talented young pianist, hosted by Friends of Music in 2018. Ms. Garrett is currently studying at Julliard.
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Director of Music
