Music ProgramSetting the tone for inspirational worship.

Music is an integral and valued part of the First Congregational Church of Bellevue and contributes both in the worship service and in the larger world of the church. Shaping the overall tone of the service musically is organist David Lines, an intuitive and gifted musician who ties the service together, reading the congregation and adjusting the music as needed on any given Sunday.

The music of the Chancel Choir is woven into the service each week, led by nationally recognized choral director Dennis Coleman who, like David, understands the ministry of music. There are about 60 singers, with about 45 singing each week. Repertoire ranges from the classics of Bach, Mozart and Haydn to contemporary composers of quality anthem literature. The choir also regularly sings culturally diverse music from around the world. Under Dennis’s direction, the choir functions as a family and support group within the larger church.

A thriving children’s choir practices weekly on Sunday morning during the adult Discovery Hour and sings during the worship service once a month.

A fifteen member bell choir, distinctive for its age diversity, practices weekly and participates in the service once a month. They work with five octaves of bells and five octaves of chimes.

Because of the quality of the choir and organist, the church attracts musicians; a considerable number of professional and amateur musicians have been drawn to the church and participate regularly in worship as ensembles, soloists, or choir members.

It is common to draw a string quartet or wind quintet from church members to accompany the choir. A large portion of the well-loved yearly “Youth Sunday” service is music, where every youth participates.

With so many talented musicians, there are no prima donnas in the music of Bellevue First Congregational Church. No one sees the congregation as an audience for a performance. Rather, the music is the emotional side of worship, and as the organist says, the “music helps paint the words.” The musical leadership in the church intuits the needs of the congregation and responds in a planned or spontaneous way to the particular situation in the service.

The clergy chooses the hymns for the service. The organist and choir director submit to the clergy their plans for music, with an eye to matching worship themes. A volunteer coordinates special solo and ensemble music for the offertory. The choir performs a major work each winter and spring, replacing the sermon.

Some theologians talk about “thin places” where the physical and spiritual worlds are less separate. Many members of our church might say that the music creates thin places.