Music programs
Choral
The Chancel Choir is directed by Sara Gleason and rehearses every Sunday morning at 9am. This group consists of adults and young adults starting at the 9th grade. The choir participates each week (except during July) in the Sunday morning worship service which is at 10am. There are solo opportunities for vocalists and instrumentalists during the prelude and offertory portions of the service.
The cherub choir is for children in grades K-4. They rehearse at 11:15 on Sunday mornings. The youth choir is for students in grades 5 and above. Their rehearsals are at 11:45 on Sunday mornings.
Instrumental
There are 4 handbell choirs in existence directed by Jennifer Whitenack. The ages run from third grade on up. The church owns 5 octaves of Schulmerich handbells, 3 octaves of Malmark handbells and 3 octaves of handchimes.
The Dynamics handbell choir consists of students in grades 3-4 who are at a beginning to intermediate skill level. They rehearse on Sunday mornings at 9:30am before worship upstairs in the music room in the Christian Education wing.
The Articulations handbell choir is for more experienced students. This group works very hard and participates in area festivals as time permits. They rehearse at 11:15 on Sundays in the Christian Education wing.
The Rainbow Ringers handbell choir is for adults who have played bells for the fun of it for years and newcomers alike. The group works hard to prepare pieces for church and at times for activities outside of the church. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings at 6pm in the sanctuary.
The Grace Notes consists of a group of adults that are more serious about making music. Entrance into this group is at the director’s discretion. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings at 6:45pm in the sanctuary.
For information about the church vocal or handbell choirs please use our contact page to reach either Sara Gleason or Jennifer Whitenack.
Organ and Piano
Organbuilder: Austin Organ Co, 1960, Opus 2337
Our sanctuary organ has 2,820 pipes in 52 ranks in 4 divisions
The Great: 11 ranks, 9 stops, 683 pipes
The Choir: 17 ranks, 16 stops, 903 pipes and the Chimes (20 tubular bells)
The Swell: 15 ranks, 13 stops, 966 pipes
The Pedal Organ: 9 ranks, 14 stops, 268 pipes.
This is a fabulous instrument and is lovingly maintained. In 2000 the Fourniture IV was removed from the Great and replaced by 4 ranks (244 pipes) moved from the Swell. These in turn were replaced by an equal number of new ranks from the Netherlands. The original Fourniture IV was refurbished in 2001 and 61 of its pipes were installed in the Choir. A 32′ digital rank in the Pedal was installed in the Fall of 2002, dedicated to the long years of service of Joan M. Jones as music director, and in time for the church bicentennial in 2003.
Our sanctuary piano is an 8′ Steinway concert grand. There is a Rodgers organ in the chapel.
Music Staff
Director of Music Mrs. Sara D. Gleason attended the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. While at Crane, Mrs. Gleason was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity for women, A Sharp Arrangement, the women’s a cappella group on campus, and the American Choral Director’s Association. One of her great accomplishments at Crane was being selected to rehearse and conduct the Crane Chorus, a 150 voice choir, at the annual Candlelight Concert. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education in May of 2005. During the 2006-2007 school year Mrs. Gleason directed the children’s choirs at Asbury Methodist Church in Watertown. In December of 2007 she received a Masters of Science in Education with Distinction from SUNY Potsdam. She is currently the vocal music teacher at Copenhagen Central School.
Organist Mr. Carl Bingle is a native of Carthage, NY whose musical abilities and interests were nurtured from an early age by Jane Rich and George Fullerton. He studied organ with Dr. Charles H. Finney at Houghton College before graduating from SUNY Potsdam in 1974 with a BA in French and German. In 1975, he began his teaching career at Belleville Academy (now Belleville-Henderson Central School) and continued there until 2009. He is currently an adjunct instructor of German at Jefferson Community College in Watertown. Carl has been the organist at Carthage United Community Church and Adams Village Baptist Church before joining the music staff at First Presbyterian in January of 1990. He has also been the organist for the Northern Choral Society since 1977, a group that rehearses each fall in our Fellowship Hall.
Handbell Choir Director Mrs. Jennifer Whitenack grew up at First Presbyterian. She graduated from the College of Wooster in 1988 with a degree in music education. Jenny is also director of the River Ringers Community hand bell choir. She currently has her own internet marketing business.
Musical Guests
We are privileged to have several musicians enhance our worship services often throughout the year. Some of our regular guests include:
Trillium String Trio led by Agnes McCarthy whose music school is housed in our education building.
Evgeniya Krachmarova-Sotirov, mezzo soprano, was a professional opera singer before deciding to move to Watertown recently to get married. She was born in Bulgaria and studied there at the Varna College of Music and in Sofia at the State Music Academy. She attended master classes with Renata Scotto in Savona, Italy, and has performed throughout Europe, the Middle East and the United States.
Brass Ensemble led by Paul Buell.