Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful song. 
Know that the Lord is God…
Psalm 100

Praise the Lord in his sanctuary, praise him in the firmament of his strength...
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!  Alleluia!
 Psalm 150

    The Music and Fine Arts Ministry of Government Street Presbyterian Church seeks to serve God through enhancement and fortification of the message, spirit and experience of worship by quality sacred music and fine arts.  We serve our congregation and reach out into our community through quality offerings of music and fine arts designed to bless all those who worship and share with us in special events, concerts and sacred arts.

 

 

The Rieger-Kloss Pipe Organ

    The Rieger-Kloss Organ Company of Krnv, Czech Republic, was selected to build the new pipe organ for GSPC in January of 2000.  Although Rieger-Kloss is one of the largest builders of pipe organs in the world, it operates as a small company. Each pipe organ is built by a team of Master Organ Builders. An eight-member team built our instrument.  They assembled the organ in the Rieger-Kloss shop and then installed and tonally finished the instrument in its permanent home.   Tonal Finishing is one of the most tedious processes in organ building.  Each pipe of the over 3,500 pipes in our organ had to be given a singing lesson in the GSPC acoustics.
    The Rieger-Kloss organ at GSPC is designed especially for this building and for the musical needs of the congregation.  It is unique and not another instrument exists just like this one.  It was designed architecturally to look as if it were always a part of the building.
Sunday and occasional services are supported by the Rieger-Kloss Pipe Organ.  Public concerts featuring national and international recitalist artists are offered annually.   The organ is registered with the American Guild of Organists Organization.

 

 

Choral Ministries

Music and Fine Arts ministries are directed by Terry D. Maddox, M.M. and assisted by Wanda Lawrence. 

 

Choral Ministries include:

 

The Cherub Choir for ages 3 through 1st grade is directed by Wanda Lawrence and rehearses Sunday mornings at 9:30 on the first floor of the Educational Building.   Designed to be an introduction to both music and rhythm and sacred children’s tunes, Wanda prepares the Cherub Choir to sing in worship at least once a semester and for our Annual Christmas Pageant – often becoming the living animals of the stable and angels!

 

The Children’s Choir for grades 2-5th is directed by Terry D. Maddox and rehearses Sundays mornings at 9:30 on the first floor of the Educational Building.   Designed to prepare and train young Christians to sing in two part harmony, the Children’s Choir prepares and presents anthems for worship two to three times a semester and provides player/actors for our Annual Christmas Pageant.

 

The Sanctuary Choir welcomes all ages from high school through retirement who love to sing.  The Sanctuary Choir directed by Terry D. Maddox and assisted by Wanda Lawrence sings each Sunday except for a two month summer hiatus when vocal soloists are selected.  Performances are rehearsed and presented several times a year with orchestral accompaniment.  Both members and non-members of GSPC are welcomed and encouraged to join the Choir. College scholarship singers also participate. If you are interested in joining our music and fine arts ministry, contact Terry D. Maddox and/or Mrs. Wanda Lawrence at (251) 432-1749 or e-mail tmaddox@gspcmobile.org.

Sacred Tones
GSPC’s bell choir Sacred Tones is open to anyone who has ever wanted to play.  The bell choir is featured in worship each month and through worship-hour concerts.  The ensemble rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Multi Purpose Room located on the 2nd floor of the Educational Building.

 

OTHER MINISTRIES

    From time to time, the Music and Fine Arts Ministry displays art work created by members of our congregation following concerts given at Government Street Presbyterian Church. We also display art work created by children from the Boys & Girls Club of Lower Alabama.
The Church Music Library is a resource for local churches. Music may be borrowed for use in services and concerts. For guidelines and information contact Terry Maddox.
The Rieger-Kloss Pipe Organ is available for organ students and professionals for instruction, practice and performance. For guidelines and information contact Terry Maddox.

 

OUTREACH MINISTRIES

The Boys & Girls Club of South Alabama Honor Choir

    Formed in 2006, this choir rehearses at GSPC Monday afternoons during the school year from 4:30-5:30.  Singers, age six through fifteen, are chosen from area Boys and Girls Clubs.  The choir studies vocal and choral technique and singing in two and three part harmony.  The choir is co-directed by Terry D. and Rebecca Rasmussen Maddox. Rebecca works in the area Boys and Girls Clubs as a coordinator/educator to help beginner singers develop eligibility for the Honor Choir. The choir is featured in GSPC worship during Christmas and Easter and performs in other venues throughout Mobile.

 

The Greater Mobile Bay Area Choral Society

    The choral society began in the fall of 1998 as The Mobile Community Chorus and was renamed in 2010 as The Greater Mobile Bay Area Choral Society. The choir is an outreach of GSPC’s music ministry and is composed of all ages, walks in life and denominational faiths.  The Choral Society performs three or more concerts a year. Holiday and Spring Concerts feature a variety of musical genres and styles. Additionally, the choir joins the GSPC Sanctuary Choir for a concert service of Lessons and Carols during Advent. The Choral Society is open to all interested singers of varying experience.   Membership dues of $45 a semester assist the purchase of the Society’s music.
    In 2007, Choral Society, GSPC Sanctuary Choir and other adult choir members traveled to Carnegie Hall to present Gabriel Faure’s Requiem.  Terry served as an assistant conductor.  In 2009, the group returned to perform John Rutter’s Requiem at the Isaac Stern Auditorium with Terry conducting.

 

 

CONTACT US

If you wish to know more about Music and Fine Arts ministries of GSPC or are interested in joining or assisting, please contact Terry D. Maddox, M.M. – Director of Music and Fine Arts (251) 434-9325 or tmaddox@gspcmobile.org.