The Official Board voted this week to hire a new Director of Music for Children and Youth at Vine Street.  The position has been open since we said goodbye to Andra Moran at the end of May. 

  The Personnel Committee, Ministerial Staff, and Music Staff have been considering candidates for the position and  unanimously agreed this week to offer the position to Marcina Clark!  Marcina is well known to VSCC for her piano skills and has filled in here as choir director and singer and directed a handbell choir a few years ago.   We also know her as Kevin's mother! 

Marcina has accepted the position of Director of Music for Children and Youth at Vine Street and will officially begin her ministry in music with us on September 1.   She is currently a Music Director and Vocalist at St. Ann Catholic Church and Office Manager at New Haven Records.  She will continue in those positions.   Marcina is a graduate of Belmont University and has taught music privately and in parochial schools for a number of years.  She also has accompanied choirs at Blair and W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School and for Choristers Guild Choir Festivals in Nashville.

 Unofficially, Marcina is already at work making exciting music plans for our children and youth at VSCC.  We look forward to September when Children's Choir rehearsals will resume on Wednesday afternoons.   Plans for music with the youth and young instrumentalists are being developed.  

Welcome Marcina!  We look forward to working with you in the ministry of music. 

On June 27 we will host the Greater Richmond Children's Choir, directed by Hope Armstrong Erb.  The choir will provide special music for the 10:45 worship service as a part of their tour to Tennessee.  We are delighted that Phoebe Binkley has arranged for them to sing at VSCC.   Phoebe and another Nashville vocal specialist will lead a Master Class for the choir on Monday, June 28.   We encourage you to be in worship at VSCC on June 27 to experience the joy of the music presented by our guest  choir.  For more information about the choir, visit www.grcchoir.org.  If you want to help with hospitality, contact T.J. or Katie McLaughlin   mkc12345@aol.com

Our Children's Choir and TEAM   concluded regular activities on the 12th with Pizza and Popsicles on the Playground .   A good time was had by all!  There was a congratulations cake and gift card for Andra Moran and Stephen Daniel King to use for something for their first new house!   Our official goodbye to Andra as she and Stephen move to a position at another church will be in worship on the 23rd and at a party at the Matthew's home on the 30th.

The Chancel Choir begins the summer rehearsal schedule in June.  Rehearsals will be on alternate Thursdays so please check the church calendar for the dates.  Summer singers are always welcome to join the choir as it continues to provide choral music leadership in worship nearly every Sunday. 

On June 27 we will welcome the Greater Richmond Children's Choir to sing in worship.  This touring group has connections with Phoebe Binkley and we look forward to hearing them  on their visit to Nashville as they sing in worship and also work with Mrs. Binkley in a workshop on the 28th.

Our Children's Choir will sing in worship on Mother's Day.  Current choir singers and alums are welcome to join us in singing this Sunday.   On Wednesday, May 12, children and youth will celebrate the end of the choir year and the end of five years with Andra Moran as Director of Youth and Children's Music.

 Weather permitting, we'll gather on the 12th @5:15 for fun and games on the VSCC playground.  Please bring a box of popsicles and $3 for pizza and join as we say goodbye to Andra.  She and Stephen are leaving to start a new Sunday night ministry in music and worship at Woodmont Christian Church.  We wish them all the best !  We will miss them at VSCC but are glad they will still be in the Nashville area.

Worshippers at VSCC on April 25 experienced a hymn that was not sung.   Occasionally there is a hymn (the text) which connects with the message of the day but is set to a tune unfamiliar to most of us.  When possible, we seek a more familiar tune so we can sing the hymn in worship.  If not, we might just read it!

 Last Sunday the Rev. Dr. Bronson Netterville used Micah 6:6-8 for his sermon emphasis.  Our CHALICE HYMNAL has two hymns based on that scripture.  The meter of the text did not match any other familiar tunes so we chose to read hymn 659 at the close of the service.   From comments we heard, this was not as unwelcome as trying to sing an unfamiliar tune.

Our hymnal is filled with many fine texts which may never be sung in worship.  Reading the text can offer you an understanding of the hymn without the distraction of an unfamiliar tune, a tune that does not enhance the meaning of the hymn, or a tune which captures all our attention.  Try reading a hymn some time and let it sing in your mind and heart.