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Music at Grace Church

Our Parish Music Director

Gerald R. Wolfe debuted as our parish musician on the Feast of the Epiphany, 1995. A native of Nazareth, PA, he is an organist of over 35 years experience (he started young), and has studied choral conducting with such luminaries as Gregg Smith, Paul Christiansen, Robert Shaw, and Helmuth Rilling. He is a graduate of Princeton University and pursued graduate studies in philosophy at Cornell University. Since 1990, he has directed the Ithaca (NY) Community Chorus, with whom he toured Russia in 1994. In 1975 he founded, and for a number of years directed, the precursor of today’s Cayuga Vocal Ensemble. He also served as organist (1971-94) and music director (1982-1994) of St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Ithaca.

Gerald is known and loved for his gentle spirit, sense of humor, ambitious postludes, and for playing in his stocking feet.

Our Choirs

The Grace Church Choir rehearses weekly on Thursday evenings and sings at the 10:15 service from September through (approximately) Corpus Christi. our Choir consists of a dozen regular members and participation is open to all members of the parish.

The St. Nicholas Choir is composed of about 8 children ages 6 and up. They rehearse weekly on Sunday after Mass and perform approximately one Sunday per month. This is an evolving program in which we hope to see continuing growth.

Every Sunday

On Sundays the Choir sings an offertory anthem and a communion motet; minor propers are sung on the first Sunday of each month. Frequently the anthems and motets are based on texts of the readings for the day. Many selections are performed a cappella. Together with the congregation, the Choir sings five hymns as well as the Kyrie (during Advent and Lent), Gloria, Psalm, Alleluia, the Nicene Creed, Sanctus and Benedictus, the Lord’s Prayer, and Agnus Dei (during Lent).

The Choir's ever-growing repertory includes chant and music from the Renaissance to the present. The primary Mass settings are Jeffrey Smith’s Mass in E, and Healey Willan’s Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena (during Lent).

Music on Feasts and Other Occasions

At major feasts Solemn High Mass is completely sung, and on Christmas and Easter a musical setting of the Ordinary is performed by the Choir, with organ, strings, and (on Easter) brass. Mass settings in recent years have included works by Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert.

During Holy Week the Choir participates in a service of Tenebrae on Wednesday evening, as well as Eucharists for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Day.

The "Music at Grace" Concert Series

These special musical concerts are open to the public and are separately funded by supporters of the Music at Grace series, as well as a grant from the NYS Council on the Arts Decentralization Program which is administered locally by the ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes.

Other Performances

From time to time Grace Church hosts performances by other musicians and ensembles. The Cantata Singers of Elmira traditionally present an annual Bach Festival at Grace, consisting of a lecture, an organ recital, and a choral concert (usually in May). They joined with Grace Church to present a Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent II 1998, and have performed at Grace on many other occasions as well.

One summer Sunday, three sopranos (Kathleen Parkhurst, Marion Hanson, and Loralyn Light) performed works of Hildegard von Bingen in a half-hour program following the morning mass.

The Grace Church Organ

Our Grace Church organ still contains a few pipes from the original 1904 instrument. A new organ was built in 1962 in honor of organist and choirmaster William Morvan, who served Grace Church for 50 years. Further improvements began in 1966. The flood of 1972 seriously damaged some of the vital components, and the repair and rebuilding of various parts continued for many years. In 1988 a capital fund drive was launched to renovate the organ. The work was accomplished by Father Richard Strauss of Ithaca during the years 1989-1992. Our organ is now unquestionably one of the finest instruments in the Upstate New York region, and we are fortunate to have it played and maintained by talented artists who both understand and love it.

You are invited to request a copy of The Organ and the Musical Tradition at Grace Episcopal Church 1908-1992.