St. Stephen is blessed with an exceptional Music Ministry that involves many people in a variety of musical styles. The most important goal that is shared by all is the commitment to maintain Prayer in whatever music is being offered. The first goal is to express Faith in music, and we start every rehearsal with prayer to focus in a common mission. The Music Director works closely with the Pastor to coordinate the Liturgy with appropriate selections that will emphasize the Scripture of the day as well as the Sermon topic. This team effort is then disseminated with the various participants of the Liturgy, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we celebrate a holistic expression of our Faith as we gather for Worship in the Name of God.
Michael Monaco is the Director of Music and Organist, and he brings a rich 
tradition of expression as he was trained in both Sacred Music and Theology. The Church has a pristine mechanical action Neo-Baroque pipe organ of seventeen ranks that is in an acoustically friendly Sanctuary. The instrument is played every Sunday and is featured in Seasonal concerts. In addition to the organ we regularly have the piano, guitar, flute, brass, and other instruments to enrich our celebrations. There are three choirs, cantors, and additional musicians from the Congregation who also participate.
The 8:30 AM choir will sing a variety of musical style from Praise music to some of the more involved selections of both Contemporary and Classical styles. This choir rehearses on Sunday mornings immediately following the 8:30 Liturgy for 45 minutes. We have all ranges of ability in this ensemble, and the quality of prayerful expression through music has been inspirational.
The 11:00 AM choir has a full compliment of SATB voices and will sing some of the more challenging repertoire in the Lutheran tradition. We rehearse on Wednesday evening from 7:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. from September through June. While the ability to read music is helpful, it is not required to participate in this choir, and in addition to the technical aspects of music making, we also have opportunity to work on tonal production and balance. A balance of musicianship and ministry of this choir is a joy.
We also have an ensemble of young people in the Faith Formation Choir. They sing on a regular basis at our Liturgies, and smiles are contagious when they share their prayer through music. This group rehearses on Sunday as part of the Faith Formation Program.
Please contact the Director of Music, Michael Monaco (229-6688) for any further information.
