TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND ARTS

"I wish to see all arts, principally music, in the service of Him who gave and created them. Music is a fair and glorious gift of God. I would not for the world forego my humble share of music......the devil flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God.”
[Martin Luther - foreword to the Wittenberg Gesangbuch, 1524]

Soli Deo Gloria! To God Alone Be the Glory!

The words of the resolute 16th century German reformer and the renowned 18th century church musician and composer Johann Sebastian Bach still ring deeply true at the dawn of the 21st century. Since Colonial’s founding in 1946, excellent Christ-centered music and arts have played a significant role in worship. The church's reputation for quality music and worship has been enhanced in its history by the presence for many years of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra series, and in hosting performances by members of the Minnesota Orchestra, Norman Luboff Choir, Dale Warland Singers, Minnesota Chorale, St. Olaf College Band, Minnesota Boychoir, Magnum Chorum, and in numerous smaller recitals and in concerts by contemporary Christian artists.

The Colonial Chorale

Central to traditional worship at Colonial is the ministry of the adult choir, The Colonial Chorale, made up of seventy-five members and friends of Colonial Church. Former directors of the Chorale include Robert Karlén, Cary John Franklin, Henry Charles Smith, David Hargrove, and Karl Zinsmeister. Since 1995, the Chorale has been conducted by Timothy Sawyer, who is also Director of Choral Activities at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Charles Forsberg, a noted composer and long-time music faculty member at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota has served as Colonial's principal organist since 1966. Individuals who commit to the music ministry of the Colonial Chorale understand that their service is a worship offering to God and is of key importance to the worshiping life of this congregation. The musical repertoire of the Chorale is broad and includes standard sacred classical repertoire, masterworks and selected contemporary anthems. The Chorale rehearses most Wednesday evenings from 6:45-8:30 pm (September through May), sings for the traditional 9:00 am service on Sundays during the church year and occasionally for The Bridge worship at 10:45 am, as well as for festival days and significant worship events throughout the year. In addition, the Chorale presents seasonal and special concerts, and sings in summer worship one Sunday a month (June, July and August).

Facilities for Music

All music rehearsals are held in the Samuel Sewall Music Center, a facility with choral seating for one hundred, immediately adjacent to the Colonial Meetinghouse. The Music Center houses a 7-foot Bechstein grand piano, a Yamaha Clavinova, and five octaves of Schumelrich handbells for the Colonial Handbell Choir, led by Chad Junker It also includes extensive storage areas for choir robes, a restroom, office space for three staff members, and an extensive choral music library of over 1,000 titles. The Music Center doubles as both a rehearsal space and recital hall for selected smaller musical events.

Within a beautiful campus designed by the architectural firm of Hamel, Green, Abrahamson & Associates, our traditional New England Colonial Meetinghouse was sonically conceived by the firm of Kierkegaard & Associates, and provides worshipers and listeners with an intimate, warm and resonant environment for musical expression in worship, acoustically “tunable” for all kinds of worship and music needs, both ancient and modern. The Meetinghouse also contains a choir loft with seating for 120, a 57-rank Moeller pipe organ, and two Steinway grand pianos – one in the loft, and the other on the main floor.

Ukraine Outreach

Members and friends of The Chorale have presented several ministry and concert tours abroad: in England (1988), mainland Europe (1990, 2000) and Ukraine (2005). The Chorale’s local ministry is primarily within Colonial Church, but its international ministry is in the heart of eastern Europe with the International Christian Music Academy [ICMA] headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine with 20 satellite academies throughout Ukraine, Russia, with a growing presence in other former Soviet countries. The academy operates under the auspices of the All-Ukrainian Association of Evangelical Christian Baptists and Irpin Seminary. Partnered with Music in World Cultures, based in St. Paul, MN, together we are actively engaged in supporting the training of young worship leaders, conductors and teachers of music and worship. Currently, the Chorale is engaged in fund-raising for a new ICMA building in the outskirts of Kyiv (Irpin). Another concert/ministry tour of Ukraine is tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2008.

Chamber Music Series

Colonial is regular host to all sorts of musical events each year. Foremost among them is the Colonial Chamber Music Series, featuring members of the Minnesota Orchestra and their friends. Additional concerts during the year feature local college choirs, guest artists and more. Check the listings for upcoming events. Click here for more information.>>

Art Exhibits

The visual arts are also a regular feature of worship at Colonial Church, and each year, several Twin Cities art associations present juried shows and exhibits of art works throughout the expansive corridors of our Colonial village. Past exhibits have included shows by the Minnesota Fiber Arts Association, Minnesota Watercolor Society, Minnesota Artists Association, Twin Cities Pastel Society, a wide variety of photographers and other individual local and nationally-known artists.