Worship & Music at Holy Trinity

Worship and Music at Holy Trinity

From the moment the choir begins to chant the Introit and all turn to face the processional cross, the people of Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church are at their most important work of the week: the worship of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For the next hour, they will sing the liturgy and hymns together, listen to Scriptures, hear a faithful sermon, confess their faith, pray, and receive Christ’s body and blood.

Just as Martin Luther did not reject the Mass and throw it over for new forms, so we retain this ancient form of worship in its Lutheran expression. It is the gift we have received from countless generations of saints and martyrs, and it is cherished and upheld at Holy Trinity.

Several musical settings of the Lutheran service rotate through the year, keeping our worship fresh. We sing a large number of hymns, spanning from early chant hymns and the robust Lutheran chorales, which are our particular heritage, through the treasury of Protestant hymnody from the last three centuries, and strong modern hymns from our own day.

Our excellent all-volunteer Chancel Choir, along with cantors and organist, leads the congregation musically. Holy Trinity also has a handbell choir of high quality that enriches worship a couple of times every month. Instrumentalists from inside and outside the congregation frequently add to our music. Our Family Choir of children and adults also sings several times a year.

In addition to 9:00 a.m. worship on Sunday, and a simpler spoken liturgy on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. there are many festival services and prayer offices throughout the year.

As Luther wrote, we worship in order that God might be praised and glorified. We sing, so that we might be bettered and strengthened in faith through His holy Word, driven into our hearts with sweet song.

Music For Youth and Adults

Chancel Choir: SATB choir for adults and youth.

New members are always welcome. This choir sings at 9:00 am services September through Trinity Sunday and at all festival services. We rehearse on Thursdays at 8:00 pm with generous time off from Thursday rehearsals in January and after Easter.

Musica Concordia

Musica Concordia is our ecumenical choir. We perform four sacred concerts a year and rehearse for these on a TBA schedule. All are welcome.

Concordia Men’s Choir

The Concordia Men’s Choiris a new ensemble of male singers. We sang a concert in Northeast Philadelphia this past summer, will perform at a mission banquet in Franconia this November, and are excited to see what else will develop for this group. All men are welcome. Rehearsals are scheduled as needed.

Handbell Choir

New members are always welcome when we have openings. lf you are interested, speak to the Director of Music. Basic music-reading skills are needed to ring in the bell choir, or a spirit willing to learn how to count!  It is important for the entire choir to be present for every rehearsal and service when the bells are scheduled to play. This choir plays a couple of times a month in the 9:00 am service and for special services. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 6:30 – 7:45 PM.

Cantors

Those who have the gift of helping to lead the congregation in song will find many opportunities at Holy Trinity. If you are interested in being a cantor, please speak to the Director of Music.

Instrumental Ensemble

Our Holy Trinity Instrumental Ensemble is an intergenerational group of brass, woodwinds, and strings which plays for special services. We also form duets or trios to play for Sunday services. Other opportunities for instrumentalists are Holy Trinity Brass, which plays for Christmas, Easter, and occasionally other festival services, and Recorder Consort, which is formed on an ad hoc basis, playing for summer services or occasional prayer services. We always are eager to have new instrumentalists.

These groups rehearse as needed.

Director of Music

Mrs. Jacqueline Smith B. Mus, M.Mus

Education/Degrees:

  • B.S. in Bible – Philadelphia Biblical University
  • B. Mus. – Philadelphia Biblical University
  • M. Mus. in Vocal Performance – Temple University
  • Private Study- Martin Rich, Florence Berggren

Personal Information/Biography:

  • Has taught at Philadelphia Biblical University, Eastern College, LaSalle University
  • Graduate Assistant at Temple University
  • Adjunct Instructor in Voice, Csehy Summer School of Music (1995, 2001)
  • Private voice studio since 1985
  • Member, Early Music America and Chamber Music America
  • Performances with Princeton Chamber Symphony, Ebingen Staatsorchester, Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, Princeton Opera, Northeast Chamber Orchestra, Old York Road Symphony Orchestra
  • Fellow with the Bach Aria Group, Stony Brook, NY
  • Participant in Boris Goldovsky Opera Workshops
  • Attended Bach Sommerakademie with Helmuth Rilling in Stuttgart, Germany

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