I asked Greg Wilbur to tell us a bit about the new piano that we’ve been enjoying in worship these past few months. In addition, he’s going to give us a preview of some of the upcoming music and services we will enjoy during the Advent season at Cornerstone.
Dear Cornerstone Family:
We are blessed with a number of gifted musicians in our midst, and it is a joy to lead the players week by week and in special services. As part of our weekly music, our old upright piano served us well for more than a decade. While fun to play, the design of that piano with its bright and narrow tone was better suited for a private practice room than for leading in worship.
Late in 2022, a Cornerstone member donated money with the express purpose of providing for a piano fund for a different and better instrument. The Finance Committee added to that amount, and I began the search for a piano to coincide with the renovations in the Chapel.
Many of you may know Brandon Herrenbruck, an elder at our sister church, Parish Presbyterian, and owner of Steinway Pianos in Nashville. Steinway pianos are some of the finest in the world—each handcrafted in New York—and they are the standard for performers and concert stages all over the globe.
Brandon selected several non-Steinway pianos for me to try—less expensive pianos made overseas, but still much better than the one we had. Before I left the store, he remembered that he also had a few used pianos in stock. And there was the 1934 Walnut Steinway M-class grand in immaculate condition and refurbished with Steinway parts. It is a beautiful antique that almost looks new and has a rich tone and feel. I studied music for six years in college and earned two degrees, yet I can only recall being able to play a Steinway piano twice. What a joyful thing to be able to utilize such a fine instrument week by week for the purpose of leading in worship. The Steinway store was very generous in making this a reality and I am most grateful.
I hope you have noticed and enjoyed the difference in the instruments and what that adds to our congregational singing. I continue to be encouraged every week by the enthusiastic and joyful singing of the congregation and am humbled and truly blessed to serve at Cornerstone.
With that in mind, I wanted to tell you about some of the fun and different ways that we will celebrate during the Advent season. On Thursday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m., the Cornerstone choir along with the New College Chorale will present a Christmas Concert of music from various ages. Music from England, Italy, Norway, Russia, and Ireland including pieces by Handel, Vivaldi, Ola Gjeilo, Palestrina, Amy Grant, and James Taylor. This will be a concert of beautiful and fun music for the season.
Since December 24th falls on a Sunday this year, we decided to incorporate our annual Lessons & Carols service within our Sunday morning services. In addition to the preaching of the Word and the sacrament, we will read various Scriptures from the Gospel story—from Genesis, to Isaiah, to Matthew, to Luke—as well as sing together many familiar carols as a congregation. I look forward to sharing that morning with my church family as we worship and anticipate the coming of Christ in the Incarnation.
Your servant,
Greg