The Chancel Choir is the flagship ensemble of the Music Ministries Department  and is open to any singer in high school and beyond. The Chancel Choir provides choral music for the Sunday Worship Services. The  musical offerings of this group include Renaissance a cappella pieces, major oratorio choral movements, gospel selections, contemporary Christian...and more! Additionally, they are the centerpiece for the Friends Church annual Christmas Cantata/Masterwork and Good Friday Cantata/Masterwork. Recent highlights include performances of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Rutter’s “Magnificat” during the Christmas season, and Mozart’s “Requiem,” Forrest’s “Requiem for the Living,” and Choplins’ “Once Upon a Tree” on Good Friday. 

The Chancel Choir also provides music for special services, ordinations, and

memorial services. The group takes a summer hiatus in July. On February 16, 2020, the
Chancel Choir made its Carnegie Hall debut, performing John Rutter's
"Requiem" with other singers from around the world.

The Children’s Choir, A Joyful Noise, sings for Children’s Sabbath Sunday as well as  the fifth Sunday of the month. This group of music makers is open to any youth from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Rehearsals are held on Sundays in the Sanctuary, during Sunday School time. The rehearsal schedule is light; they practice just a few weeks before the Sunday they are scheduled to sing. A Joyful Noise also joins the Chancel Choir on occasion for Christmas Cantata/Masterwork performances. The annual Christmas Pageant includes our Joyful Noise singers! 

The Handbell Choir is made up of our own four-octave handbell set (with a borrowed fifth octave on occasion). This group is open to any musician, from junior high to adult. This ensemble rehearses in the Sanctuary on Monday evenings at 7:30. They perform once a month (usually the second Sunday of the month), as well as special services (such as Easter and Christmas Eve). 

The Youth Choir knocks it out of the park with contemporary arrangements,  including pop, rap, jazz, and soul styles. This group rehearses during the Sunday Youth Group time. They sing for three-four Services a year. We look forward to expanding this aspect of our Music Ministry. 

Designed for the children of Friends, and easy to learn. This special event with the children always draws a resounding round of applause after they perform. Rehearsals last for just a few minutes during Sunday School time, a couple of weeks before they are scheduled to perform. 

If you have a love of worshiping through music, but the above ensembles aren’t exactly the right fit for you, you can still get plugged in! Instrumentalists are always needed for the Chamber Orchestra that accompanies the Chancel Choir for Cantata/Masterwork performances, or as obbligato instruments that accompany certain Choral Anthems. Guitarists and drummers are always welcome for contemporary praise songs. And if you love to sing, but the rehearsal schedule of the Chancel Choir doesn’t fit in with your schedule, we can always program special music offerings that feature soloists and ensembles. Simply contact our Director of Music Ministries, Chris Hoffman, at choir@friends-ucc.org, and he can help get you connected into the musical life at Friends!