725 Pine St.    Winnetka, Illinois 60093    847-441-3400

 
Music

When we gather each week for worship, we gather to sing and to be moved by music that stirs our soul, that speaks to the concerns we bring with us to worship, and that expresses and shapes our faith.

 

Contents Cherub Choir
Alleluia Choir
Chancel Choir
Youth Bell Choir
About Music Ministry
About Our Organ
 
Calendar Sunday Hymns
  Sunday Anthems
 
Archive



Age: Junior Kindergarten/K-2
Rehearsal: Wednesdays, 4:15-4:45 p.m.
Location: Music Room


Age: Grades 3-8
Rehearsal: Wednesdays, 4:45-5:30 p.m.
Location: Music Room

 


Age: Adults/High School
Rehearsal: Thursdays, 7:00-9 p.m.
Location: Music Room

 


Age: Middle School/High School
Rehearsal: Wednesdays, 5:30-6:15 p.m.
Location: LL2 (Confirmation Room)

 

 

Upcoming Concerts and Events


...



An important and integral part of our worship experience is the music that is heard during our church services. These presentations are meaningful in that music, whether it be the means to further amplify scripture or other religious texts, or through the beauty of the organ and other instruments, has the power to move and stir us deeply and thus help us to open our hearts and souls to more aptly express and shape our faith.

Our Chancel Choir, along with solo vocal and instrumental presentations, plays a significant role in our worship experience. The music sung comprises many genres and styles and is carefully selected and rehearsed in order to be an asset to the worship experience. Sacred choral works of master composers, music from the spiritual and gospel tradition, as well as that of living composers can be heard in our worship services. Music is always an offering to God during worship and should not be considered a performance by either the choir or the congregation.

An active, graded children’s choir program is paramount in assisting our youth to learn about the importance of the worship experience and in preparing them to be future worship participants and leaders. Thus we provide three choirs for the various age groups. During the church year, they will sing several times in our worship services and also participate in pageants and other musical dramatizations. In past years, these groups have had the opportunity to collaborate with well established ensembles such as the Chicago Children’s Choir and the American Boy Choir as well as other local music groups. Our Chancel Choir presently has several members who began their singing in children’s choirs.

Those who are interested in participating in our choir program should contact Robert Harris, Chancel Choir Director, or Elaine Clemens, Director of Children’s Choirs.



Winnetka Congregational Church’s Pipe Organ

Opus 18, Martin Pasi Organ Builders, Inc., Roy, Washington


Link here to PasiOrgan website to view Opus 18

On April 27, 2008 the Martin Pasi Opus 28 was dedicated with a morning worship service and an afternoon dedication recital played by internationally acclaimed organist Douglas Cleveland.  It was the culmination of a multi-year period of studying and listening to many organs, and discussions with organ builders and consultants.  The initial contract commissioning the building of the organ was signed in October 2002.

Working with the church’s organ committee and its consultant, Dr. Mark Brombaugh, Martin Pasi developed a three-manual organ of 3,500 pipes and 47 stops (12 Great, 10 Positiv, 15 Swell, and 10 Pedal) to be placed on the central axis of a reconfigured chancel.  The stop action is electric with 60 levels of memory for recall of numerous stop combinations.  The key action is entirely mechanical, and this “tracker” system gives the organist intimate control over the speech and release characteristics of the pipes, enabling sensitive musical phrasing and articulation.  The organ is entirely encased in painted solid poplar casework.  Its basic shape was inspired by the 1774 David Tannenberg organ at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, an historic colonial building.  The decorative pipe shades of butternut were designed by Kathryn Sparks and carved by Martin Pasi and his daughter, Maurine, with particular design emphasis appropriate to the Winnetka area. 

The façade clearly represents the tonal structure of the organ.  The pipes of the Great are at the center of the case, while those of the Pedal division are placed on windchests divided on either side at impost level.  The Swell is at the top center of the case, with its pipes enclosed behind expression shutters.  The Positive is cantilevered above the console in front of the Great in its own smaller case.  This allows its sounds to project more intensely into the room, giving it a heightened presence to the listener.  The twelve largest 32’ wood pipes of the Subbass stand on separate chests in the side balconies of the chancel. 

This wonderful instrument is used every Sunday for the 10:00 a.m. service of WCC.  It is also heard in various concerts. 

Opus 18

    GREAT     POSITIVE
16’   Bourdon 8’   Gedeckt
8’   Praestant 8’   Salicional
8’   Spitzflöte 4’   Principal
8’   Harmonic Flute 4’   Rohrflöte
4’   Octave 2’   Gemshorn
4’   Nachthorn 1 1/3’   Sifflöte
2 2/3’   Quinte 2 2/3’   Sesquialtera II
2’   Octave 1’   Scharff IV
8’   Cornet V (c’) 16’   Dulcian
1 1/3’   Mixture V 8’   Krummhorn
8’   Trumpet      
8’   Vox Humana      
           
    SWELL     PEDAL
16’   Quintaton 32’   Subbass (ext 16’)
8’   Principal 16’   Praestant
8’   Rohrflöte 16’   Subbass
8’   Viola 8’   Octave
8’   Celeste 8’   Bourdon
4’   Octave 4’   Octave
4’   Spitzflöte 2 2/3’   Mixture
2 2/3’   Nazard 16’   Posaune
2’   Octave 8’   Trumpet
2’   Waldflöte 4’   Trumpet
1 3/5’   Tierce      
2’   Mixture V      
16’   Bassoon      
8’   Trumpet      
8’   Oboe      

Positive to Great
Swell to Great
Swell to Positive
Great to Pedal
Positive to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Tremulant
Bird Song
Zymbelstern
Kellner 1/5-comma well temperament
Wind system with two wedge shaped bellows fed by a silent blower
Suspended key-action, self-compensating for seasonal changes
Electric stop action with solid-state combination action
Compass: Manuals, C-a'''; Pedal, C-f'

To the top