This week the entire congregation will be together at 9:00 AM followed by our annual parish meeting.  It is always a wonderful time when we are all together as a family. Russ & I attempt to choose service music that is both beautiful and noteworthy for each and every worship service.

In place of a formal prelude this week we are playing the incredible Fanfare by Healey Willan who wrote several of the responses we have used in the Episcopal liturgy from the 1980 hymnal for many years.  And...one of our favorite compositions is the lovely Meditation by Massanet from the opera Thais - will be performed during the offertory.

We have a very basic theory about church music - it must be absolutely beautiful.  I spent years attempting to carefully match my liturgical music selections to the particular day in the liturgical calendar.  No more!

I want to be moved as I play. Also, there is one more facet involved in this process...folks everywhere rarely hear fine music unless they can afford to go the major cities and take advantage of great symphonies, operas and concerts.

There is a universal dearth of great music in the church these days. We are also recording our service music and placing it on our websites.. We want to take our worship outside the four walls of St. Matthews in Pampa for everyone to hear.

Our congregation appreciates all kinds of music and one of the beautiful things about  Anglican liturgy - there is a place for everything and everyone.