Music at All Souls reflects the diversity of our community, our city, and our world. It is an important and enriching part of the service at All Souls. Our interim music director, Thomas Colohan,and the rest of the music staff collaborate with our ministers to tailor the music to the topic of the sermon and the service as a whole. Our musicians and two choirs draw from a rich and diverse range of music, including African-American spirituals, traditional Jewish music, music from various cultures, and hymns from the Unitarian Universalist hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition.
Music at our Sunday services
Please join us on Sunday mornings at one of our two joyful, uplifting, and thought provoking worship services (9:30 and 11:15; 10:15 between Memorial and Labor Days). Here's a little of what you can expect.
Prelude
Our gathering begins with a time for meditation, accompanied by an organ prelude of music that reflects the diversity of our congregation and of our inspiration. Occasionally a trumpeter, drummer, or a jazz combo provide the prelude. During this time, all are welcome to light a candle of joy, sorrow, or memory at the front of the church.
Processional
The tingsha, a Buddhist prayer bell, calls us to rise as the choir enters the center aisle to form a circle, signaling that the service is about to start. The service begins in earnest with a rousing processional hymn led by the choir and then the minister's call to worship.
Spirit of Life
After congregational concerns, morning prayer, and a time of silent meditation, a solo voice calls us to sing Spirit of Life. The singing of this song is one of our most intimate moments together as a congregation.
Spirit of Life, come unto me
Sing in my heart, all the stirrings of compassion
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea
Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice
Roots hold me close, wings set me free
Spirit of Life come to me, come to me
Anthem, offering of gifts and music, and benediction
At All Souls we celebrate gifts both material and expressive. Our church is unique in that we have a percussionist-in-residence and a dancer-in-residence. The music during the offering of gifts and music varies from week to week: sometimes the choir or a soloist performs; at other times the musical offering is a non-vocal piece played on the organ or other instruments. Occasionally, our percussionist plays improvisations on various rhythms while the dancer-in-residence moves among congregants in the pews.
All Souls Choir
All Souls Choir was founded as one of the first multiracial choirs in Washington, DC. Today, the choir celebrates a half century of musical excellence, singing a repertoire as diverse as our membership. The artistic versatility of our singers allows us to perform everything from ancient church chant to Fauré to spirituals to South African, jazz, and gospel songs. You can enjoy the unique choral sound of the All Souls Choir nearly every Sunday at our 9:30 and 11:15 am worship services.
Join the All Souls Choir! We rehearse each Thursday evening from 7:30 to 9:30 pm, and sing every Sunday except the third Sunday of the month. Our season runs from late August through June. No audition is required. For more information, contact Choir Director Scot Hanna-Weir (scothw [@] gmail.com or 202-332-5266).
The choir continues its tradition of recording with the release of its CD, Music From All Souls.
The Jubilee Singers
Jubilee Singers was founded in 1977 by Dr. Ysaye Barnwell, a member of the group Sweet Honey in the Rock. Since that time, we have provided music for the worship service at All Souls Church on the third Sunday of each month. We strive to be a diverse family of individuals that uses music as a vehicle to heal, encourage, and stimulate change while working toward a community and world that is more loving and just.
Our repertoire, which includes African-American spirituals, blues, jazz, gospel, and world music, provides a particular source of inspiration to a congregation that is ethnically and theologically diverse. The Jubilee Singers' outreach ministry includes performances at senior citizen's facilities, as well as at community centers and churches of various denominations in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area.
Join Jubilee Singers! The group is open to all who enjoy singing and want to participate in music that has power to heal and bring about change. We rehearse on Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:30 pm, September through June. To join, simply notify the director and show up a little early to a rehearsal for a brief orientation and vocal placement. No audition is required. For more information, contact Jubilee Singers' Director Lenard Starks (lstarks [@] allsouls.ws or 301-633-6559).
The Rieger Organ
You can read much more about our famous organ here.