At this service, we will celebrate the Day of Pentecost with the youth choir of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. Eighteen members of the choir are spending that weekend in Warrenton on their annual retreat, and they will serve as the primary choir and offer an introit, the offertory, and Communion anthem for this Sunday dedicated to the work of the Holy Spirit.

The St. Mark’s Youth Choir is directed by Judith Rautenberg, who has prepared choirs for the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Deutsche Symphonie Orchester and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at George Mason University.

Our worship at the 10:15 service on May 17 will feature service music from “Belfast Centenary Eucharist,” composed in 2004 to mark the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Nave at St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Kristina Sheppard, the artistic director of the Valley Chorale and the director of choirs at Gainesville High School, will be the guest conductor.

We’ll also recognize our church community’s high school graduates and Saint James’ Episcopal School fifth graders, with a special Coffee Hour to follow.

Also on May 17

Café and the Campaign for Ministries — Café, our weekly buffet breakfast in the Parish Hall from 8:45 to 10 a.m. , is free for everyone on May 17. This is the last Café before it resumes in September. Please thank a Café volunteer for providing such amazing breakfasts each week this program year! Additionally, Patrick Heijmen will give a presentation during Café on the “Campaign for Ministries,” what it is, and how you can be a part of it.

Youth groups go to Carousel — As is our tradition, each youth group will walk to Carousel on May 17 for the final gathering before summer break — the ice cream is on us! All middle schoolers and current fifth graders are invited to meet at the church at 5 p.m. before walking to Carousel together. (Pickup at the church at 6:30 p.m.) All high schoolers and current eighth graders are invited to meet at the church at 6:30 p.m. before walking to Carousel together. (Pickup at the church at 8 p.m.) If you have any questions about youth groups at Saint James’, email Jen Taylor at jennifer.taylor@saintjameswarrenton.org.

The Saint James’ Adult Choir will sing the Compline liturgy as part of our Lenten observance. “Compline” is derived from the Latin “completorium,” meaning the completion of the working day. The Episcopal Dictionary of the Church explains that this liturgy includes a confession of sins, one or more psalms, a short reading from scripture, versicles and responses, the Lord's Prayer, prayers asking for God’s protection during the night to come, and the canticle Nunc Dimittis. The music for this service draws from our heritage of plainsong, and will be offered in the intimacy of the Saint James’ Chapel. As we journey through Lent, we hope this service provides you a moment of calm before you begin the new week.

The church will open at 6:30 p.m. for those who wish to practice centering prayer before the service begins. Guidelines for centering prayer will be provided.

On this weekend set aside to reflect on the life and work of a formidable Civil Rights leader, the Saint James' choir will offer their gifts at this service dedicated to the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. and to celebrating the sacred compositions of Black composers. Through the prayerful tradition of Evensong, which is rooted in the monastic practices of the Middle Ages, the anthems, hymns, readings and prayers will reflect on God's call to love all people as his own creation and to work toward reconciliation when we have failed.

More about the service

The choir of Saint James’ Episcopal Church will offer the service of Evensong at 5 p.m. Jan. 18 to honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as celebrate the sacred compositions of noted Black composers.

We recall Martin Luther King Jr. as the formidable leader of the Civil Rights movement, but it is often overlooked that music bound the fabric of his being. In Marshall Frady’s book “Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life,” he describes that as a child, King was captivated by music of his home church, which was led by his mother. As he grew, King joined the junior choir, learned to play the piano and frequently listened to opera. While studying at Boston University, he was introduced to Coretta Scott, as she was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in voice at the New England Conservatory of Music.

The service of Evensong dates to the Middle Ages and features psalms, scripture lessons, sung prayers, choral anthems and hymns. For this service, the bulk of the music selected was penned by Black composers. The liturgy begins with the Phos Hilaron, which praises Christ as the light of God. In this place, “This Little Light of Mine” will be sung. The origins of this children’s hymn are ambiguous, but it was often used as a song of resistance by Civil Rights movements. This arrangement was composed by William Farley Smith (1941-1997), a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, a researcher and restorer of African-American sacred music, and an editor of the 1989 UMC Hymnal.

The psalm appointed for the evening is Psalm 150, and the musical setting is by Judge Jefferson Cleveland (1937-1986). It is composed in the gospel style and language. Cleveland was highly regarded as a scholar of 20th-century African American congregational song. The choral anthem is a soulful rendition of “Stand by Me,” which was originally composed by Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933). The Rev. Tindley was fondly referred to as “The Prince of Preachers.” Tindley was refused a formal education but taught himself to read by sounding out letters found on scraps of paper. He was able to develop his literacy skills with the help of a Philadelphia synagogue and later learned Greek via a correspondence course through Boston Theological School. In addition to being regarded as a clergyman, Tindley was a gifted composer of gospel hymns and is recognized as one of the founding fathers of American gospel music.

The service concludes with Doris Akers’ “Lead Me Guide Me.” Akers (1923-1995) was affectionately known as “Miss Gospel Music” due to her mastery in all the aspects of gospel music artistry: vocal performance, composing and arranging, choral directing and accompanying. In 1992, Akers was honored by the Smithsonian Institution as “the foremost black gospel songwriter in the United States.”

As the nation pauses to reflect on a man that helped initiate the change in how we embrace all people, may you find the memorable Hans Christian Andersen quote — “When words fail, music speaks” — a gentle reminder that music can break barriers of age, race, creed and language.

— Jesse Ratcliffe

This service is the liturgical high point of our Christmas Eve celebrations, featuring a festive liturgy and the full choir singing cherished carols with soaring descants and intimate choral anthems as we bask in the candlelit beauty of the space. An extended prelude performed by a guest harpist will begin at 9:45 p.m.

Children are welcome and an important part of our life at Saint James’. There are bags of crayons and children’s bulletins in the back of the church and outside the Side Chapel. And while there will be no Children’s Church or nursery offered during this service, the Reception Room will be open for children who need a little break or need to stretch their legs.

Photos from 2024

This service features a liturgy for Christmas Eve, with readings from the Bible that tell the Christian story along with familiar Christmas carols.

Children are welcome and an important part of our life at Saint James’. There are bags of crayons and children’s bulletins in the back of the church and outside the Side Chapel. And while there will be no Children’s Church or nursery offered during this service, the Reception Room will be open for children who need a little break or need to stretch their legs.

Photos from 2024

The Saint James' Adult Choir, the Saint James' Church Band and the Saint James’ Ringers will offer their gifts as we tell the Christmas story through scripture and carols.

A festive reception in the Parish Hall will follow. It will feature bubbly beverages (both adult and kid friendly), chocolate-covered strawberries, and other treats.

The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols was popularized by King’s College, Cambridge, in 1918, and its origins are found in Victorian-era Anglican traditions. The service begins with the hymn, “Once in Royal David’s City,” and continues with nine scripture readings paired with nine pieces of music that together tell the story of God’s redemption of the world and the birth of Jesus.

Contact Jesse Ratcliffe at music@saintjameswarrenton.org for additional information. 

The service will be livestreamed here.

We will be joined by members of the Warrenton Latter-day Saints congregation and other churches in town as we sing familiar yuletide carols during the Warrenton Holiday Farmers Market in the municipal parking lot between Franklin and Lee streets, uphill from the county jail.

Anyone who wants to sing Christmas carols is welcome, including kids and adults of all ages. We'll have song books and hot chocolate.

Please arrive at Saint James' by 11:15 a.m., and we will gather in the Parish Hall before walking to the farmers market together at 11:30 a.m.

On this day when we “remember those we love but see no longer,” the Saint James’ choir will present a choral Eucharist at the 10:15 service that utilizes music spanning styles and eras. An organ transcription of Samuel Barber's transcendental “Adagio for Strings” will begin the service. The Mass setting and Communion anthem were composed by English composers Charles Stanford and John Goss — both known for composing “Cathedral Music.” The offertory is a shape-note hymn harmonized by William Averitt, a retired Shenandoah Conservatory professor. As the melodies soar over you, we hope that you are inspired and can reflect on those that formed you.

There will also be special music at the 8:00 service, including an choral anthem from Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem.”