Music at WPC-
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Fifth Sunday of Easter
​Voluntary: "Psalm 139," Fred Gramann (b. 1950)
Offertory: "Salvation is Created," Howard McKinney
Voluntary: "When In Our Music God is Glorified," Robert Hobby (b. 1962)
Hymns
Opening Hymn: 442- The Church's One Foundation AURELIA
Sequence Hymn: 328- All Praise to God for Song God Gives SACRED SONG
Closing Hymn: 264- When In Our Music God is Glorified ENGELBERG
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Next Week's Music at WPC:
Sunday, May 25 Nik Stackpole, Organ, WPC Choir
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Prelude- About the Composer
Fred Gramann is an American composer, organist, and choral conductor known for his significant contributions to sacred and handbell music. He began serving as Director of Music at the American Church in Paris in 1976 and recently retired, where he has led both the vocal and handbell choirs. Gramann’s compositions, especially for handbells, are widely performed and respected for their musicality and accessibility, often blending traditional hymnody with creative harmonies and rhythmic vitality. Educated at institutions such as Syracuse University and the University of Washington, Gramann has also studied in Paris, where his European influences further shaped his compositional style. His work continues to inspire church musicians and ensembles around the world.
Offertory
Salvation is created, for all peoples of the earth, O our God.
Alleluia.
Postlude- About the Hymn "When In Our Music God is Glorified"
The hymn When in Our Music God Is Glorified is a powerful celebration of the spiritual and expressive role of music in worship. With text by Fred Pratt Green, written in 1972, the hymn emphasizes that music is not merely an aesthetic experience but a profound way to glorify God and deepen communal faith. Its lyrics reflect on the emotional and transformative power of music, suggesting that when music is offered sincerely in worship, it becomes a vehicle for divine praise and revelation. The hymn is often set to the tune Engelberg by Charles Villiers Stanford, which adds a majestic and uplifting musical dimension to the words. Widely sung in both traditional and contemporary Christian settings, it stands as a tribute to the sacred role of music in the life of the Church.
Westminster Presbyterian Music Director
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Nik Stackpole: Music Director
+1(330) 836-2226 ext. 104
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Nik Stackpole comes to us with a rich background in choral and ensemble music. Previously, he served at The United Methodist Church of Kent, where he directed a choir and handbell choir for five years. There, he had the privilege of taking the choir to Carnegie Hall in New York City to perform in 2024. He also held positions as assistant organist and music librarian at Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church in Huntington, West Virginia. Nik graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Music Education, specializing in choral and string instruction, with a focus on viola and keyboard studies. Nik also performs with the community auditioned ensemble, Stow Heritage Ringers.
