Music at St. Paul’s

Over and over again one hears that “what brought me [to St. Paul’s] was the music,” or that liturgy — especially liturgy sung by celebrant, choir, and congregation — “is who we are as a people.”

St. Paul’s Choir is celebrated for its pure tone color, exquisite harmony, and strong musicianship, and its repertoire encompasses sacred music from the sixteenth century to the present. Four paid choir section leaders anchor the choir.

Service music, hymns, motets all offer both the high achievements of the past and the contemporary, but nothing is selected merely because it is very old or very new, but because it is profound and germane.

A special aspect of St. Paul’s relationship with music is the extraordinary level of congregational participation in our singing of hymns, psalms, and responses. One of the joys of many a liturgy is to be singing a hymn and have the organ drop away, leaving the entire congregation singing in remarkable four-part harmony. These occasions expose the beauty, intimacy, and often lump-in-the-throat poignancy of singing together to the Creator with our very human voices. We are truly a singing community, and music is indeed one of our most bountiful gifts to all who enter.

Gary James has served as organist/choirmaster at St. Paul’s, Seattle, since 1997. A native of Texas, he has worked on the west coast since 1980. After graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley, he was Composer-in-Residence at Linfield College in Oregon, where he taught from 1985 to 1989. He is a recipient of the Nicola de Lorenzo Prize and the ASCAPRaymond Hubble Award, and his compositions are published by ten publishers. His music has been performed throughout North America and in Europe, Asia, and Australia, and at such locations as Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and the Riverside Church in New York City. His work has been performed at regional, national, and international gatherings of the American Guild of Organists, the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, and the American Society of University Composers.

Children's Music Program

The St. Paul’s Children’s Choir is open to children ages 6 through 12 and focuses on basic singing technique, sight-reading and performance. The St. Paul’s Children’s Choir rehearses every Sunday from 12:15pm to 12:45pm and is currently on hiatus for the summer.