On Sunday - Music

The Bay Shore music program is a valued part of our worship service and ongoing activities. The Bay Shore sanctuary has a pipe organ in the American Classic style. Click here for details. Choral music is presented weekly by our large and accomplished Chancel Choir. The Handbells and Children's choirs are a much beloved part of our music program, providing music in our worship on a regular basis.

 

Adult Choir
The Bay Shore Chancel Choir is led by our Director of Music Julie Ramsey. The choir enhances our worship every Sunday with traditional and gospel choral music throughout the service. Additionally, the choir presents special music programs in the Christmas and Easter seasons.

The Bay Shore Chancel Choir rehearses on Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. in preparation for worship.

Handbells
Led by Alicia Adams, The Bay Shore Bells perform handbell music in worship services throughout the year and at religious holidays. This accomplished group of a dozen musicians always thrills our congregation with their synchronized playing and elegant touch, playing both five octaves of Schulmerich English brass handbells and handchimes.

The Bay Shore Bells rehearse on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. and before each performance.

Children’s Choir
The Bay Shore children’s Carol Choir is for children Kindergarten through Fifth Grace. It is directed by Julie Ramsey, and meets on Sundays after worship at 11:00 a.m in the Louise Henry Youth Chapel.  The Carol Choir sings several times a year during worship, and performs a Christmas Pageant in December and a Spring Musical.  Both are presented on a Sunday morning during our regular 9:30 a.m. worship service.

History of Bay Shore Church Organ

As the Bay Shore sanctuary neared completion in Fall 1950, it was the desire of the Rev. Milton G. Gabrielson to have a pipe organ. He acquired a console and small organ from a Long Beach funeral chapel and installed it himself. He procured subsequent additions of ranks from theater organs in Los Angeles as they were dismantled throughout the 1950s. These ranks were placed in the two side chambers.

Additional ranks of new pipes were installed by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois in 1987 and 1989. A sanctuary fire in the chancel area a week before Christmas 1989 destroyed the entire organ.

A new pipe organ of 29 ranks was ordered immediately from Wicks (opus 6213) and was installed in time to be used for Christmas 1990. Chambers on both sides of the altar window were created to allow several ranks of pipes to be visible, including the polished copper hooded trumpets.

Another four ranks of pipes were installed in the balcony in 1996, and dedicated as the Georgene Frances Hayter Antiphonal Organ, in whose memory it was given by her family. A generous bequest from Isolda McDonald, a former choir member, funded an extensive addition in 2000, which included moving the existing principal from the side chambers to exposed chests over the choir seats, and additional ranks of Wicks pipes to bring the organ to its present 39 ranks of pipes and 8 digital ranks.  A 2005 chancel remodel moved the organ console to the main floor of the sanctuary, where it now can be moved to various positions for concert performances.  An upgrade to the operating system included activitation of a MIDI, sequencer, piston sequencer, and new digital chimes.

Bay Shore Church has had organists of long tenure in its history: the late Helene Allen, Alton C. Hess for 20 years, and Alicia J. Adams since 2000. The Walter and Irene Neuharth Music Fund helps underwrite organ concerts and other special musical performances.