Union Presbyterian Church

 Schenectady, New York

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Program

UPC offers a variety  of music opportunities.  The congregation can participate in Chancel Choir, Children’s Choir, or Orff Consort.  Opportunities are available for solo or small group vocal or instrumental music of many varied styles.   

Adult Choir

The Adult Choir is made up of adults and high school aged singers of varying ability who love to share their gift of song. Rehearsals are Sunday mornings, 9:15am - 10:15am and 11:45am-12:30pm September through May. Singing in choir offers members many opportunities to explore different styles of music for worship... contemporary, classical, multi-cultural, and spiritual.

Our choir director, Corine Salon, is a graduate from Carnegie-Melon University with a BFA and an MFA. She has also done graduate work towards a second MFA in Opera at CMU. She has taught locally at Union College, Siena College and The College of St. Rose. She is a very versatile musician and music educator trained in vocal music with background studies of violin, choral conducting, dance and many other instruments. Corine has performed extensively in the US and abroad in recitals, operas and music theater. Locally, she is a founding member and special events director for the Opera Excelsior.

 

Children's Choir

Children's choir is available to all children K-6th grade. Under Jean Foster's leadership, children gather on Sunday mornings at 9:15am to sing. Monthly children's choir prepares and sings their special music for worship service, and there are opportunities during the year for some musical drama.

 

Organ

Our church organist is Avery Tunningley.  He has been playing church organ since 1979 and has been organist at UPC since 1990.  Avery accompanies all the choirs as well as the congregation on both organ and piano.  He also offers outstanding solo work as a part of worship.

Our organ is a 3 manual 34 rank Wick pipe organ installed in 1969 and rebuilt in the early 1990s. Recently, Avery has added a Roland XP-40 Workstation to supplement the organ. Most often the keyboard is played in tandem with the organ to supplement options not available with an acoustic organ.

 

 

Orff Consort

Orff Consort, under the direction of Lillian Roe, is a musical ensemble of instruments played by an intergenerational group. UPC has the largest instrumentation in the capital district. Generous donors gave these instruments to the church. Instruments which make up the consort include soprano, alto, and bass xylophones, bass metalophones, soprano and alto glockenspiels, two large tympani, 8 large bass bars, and many other hand-held percussion instruments.  The Orff Consort  adds  rich wonderful sounds to music in our worship services.  Introits, benedictions, responses, anthems, scripture and psalm stories are just some of the many ways the Orff instruments are used to enhance worship at UPC.