View the 2010-11 Senior Choir schedule.
Senior Choir
This all-volunteer mixed-voice ensemble sings at either the 8:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. worship service on most Sundays from September through May. The Senior Choir also sings for festival services and the monthly Bach Cantata Vespers. The choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. (8:15 p.m. during Advent and Lent).
The Senior Choir is directed by Grace’s cantor, Michael Costello. Even if you cannot sing every Sunday, you are welcome to join and participate as you are able. Previous choral or musical experience is helpful. For more information, contact Grace.
Women's Choir
This treble-voice choir sings once or twice a month on Sunday mornings and participates in festival services and concerts. The choir rehearses on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., under the direction of Claudia Beguin. For more information, contact Grace.
Youth Choir
Youth Choir includes singers in grades 7-12. The choir meets after the 11:00 a.m. worship service on Sundays,
beginning at approximately 12:15 p.m. Lunch is followed by a 45-minute
rehearsal, ending at 1:30 p.m. The group sings in worship services
approximately twice a month during the school year. Youth Choir is
directed by Lori Bormet, who is also the choral director at Walther
Lutheran High School in Melrose Park.
Joyful Voices
Joyful Voices includes singers in grades 1-4. The choir rehearses on
Wednesdays during the school year, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and
sings in worship services on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings
approximately once a month. Gwen Gotsch directs Joyful Voices. The Joyful Voices blog has a schedule and more information.
School Choirs
Each two-grade unit at Grace Lutheran School forms a choir which
participates in congregational worship services several times during
the school year. School choirs also sing for school chapel services and
other musical events. The grade 1-2 choir is part of general music
classes taught by first-grade teacher Paulette Reddel. The grade 3-4
choir is directed by Janel Dennen. The grade 5-6 choir is directed by Cantor
Michael Costello, and the 7-8 choir is directed by Gwen Gotsch.
Students in grades 7-8 may choose to be part of the handbell ensemble,
directed by eighth-grade teacher Lisa Wolfanger. All of these groups
rehearse during the school day.
Cantor Michael Costello also directs Children of Grace, a group of
students in grades 5-8 who rehearse separately from the grade-level
choirs and who sing for special worship services throughout the year.
The Children’s Christmas Eve Services, at 4:15 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on December 24, are one of the highlights of children’s music-making at Grace. For these services, Grace Lutheran School students are joined by children from the Sunday School and confirmation classes at Grace. More than 150 children participate in the choirs for these services.
Handbells
The Adult Handbell Ensemble rehearses on Thursday evenings, from 6:30 to 7:30. Experienced teen-age ringers make up the Youth Handbell Ensemble. For more information about these groups, contact the director, Lisa Wolfanger (lwolfanger@graceriverforest.org).
