Welcome! Organist Susan LaFever

We welcome Susan LaFever who will be sharing her gifts as our Interim

Organist/Choir Director. Susan lives in West New York and has served as Organist

and Music Director in churches in Ridgewood, Eastchester, Armonk, and

Weehawken. Growing up in the Midwest, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in

Music from Union College and Master’s Degree in Music from the University of Nebraska.

She continued her studies at the Manhattan School of Music and Rutgers. Along with

playing for our Sunday services, Susan will also provide leadership and direction for our

Choir. We anticipate Susan providing musical leadership until we complete our search

process for our next Organist/Director of Music.

Our Choirs: Chancel & Christmas

The Chancel Choir

The Chancel Choir supports congregational singing and provides an anthem in the 10am Sunday worship services, and at special worship services and concerts during the year. It is an all-volunteer choir and welcomes singers of middle school age and older, who love to sing in a group, who can match a pitch, and who can make a reasonable commitment of rehearsal time. The Choir is active from September to June, and rehearses Thursday evenings, 7:30 – 9pm, and Sunday mornings, 9 – 9:40am. The Choir becomes a time of fellowship, a way of developing musical skills, a way to serve the church and community, and a means to be inspired by the beauty and wonder of great music and text. For extra learning help, some of the more challenging anthems are placed in the Virtual Choir room, with password protected access.

The Christmas Choir

The Christmas Choir begins in October to prepare for the annual Christmas Concert, generally on the second Sunday of December. Additional singers from nearby churches and surrounding communities are invited to join with the Chancel Choir to create a choir of twenty-five to thirty voices. Carols from many countries are arranged simply with harp and flute, organ, or other instrumental accompaniment. Other works could include composers such as Handel, Bach, Rutter, Lauridsen. And of course, the congregation joins to sing the most familiar carols. Children also play a role, and intergenerational families are warmly invited to attend. The Christmas Concert, followed by a festive reception, has become a gift to the community and a major event on the church calendar.