Music
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament:
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
- From Psalm 150
RPC’s music ministry strives to embody what the psalmist implores: ALL are to praise God. Thus, it is collective and continual; meaning, it is made all the more complete and enriched when we praise the Lord in all of the ways the psalmist describes. Beyond raising our voices as those “in the pews,” there are many ways for you – child or adult – to participate.
For more information, please contact Jason Charneski, Director of Music and Organist, 914-967-0842, ext. 16, or send him an e-mail.
Summer Volunteer Choir
Sundays, through August 9
Please join us! All (middle-school age and older) are invited to meet at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday, through August 9, in the chapel, to learn and rehearse a piece of music to sing in the 10:00 service. You get to sit with your family or friends, and you do not wear a robe. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and to find your way into the church’s music ministry.
Though there is no commitment required for any one of or all of these Sundays, it is helpful to know if you plan to be there. To that end, please call 914-967-0842, ext. 16, or send an email to Jason Charneski. Thank you!
Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir, open to all persons high-school age and up, sings each Sunday of the program year (approximately nine months), on the great festivals of the church year, and for occasional concerts or other services. The ability to read music makes for ease of progress, but anyone who can match and maintain pitch is welcome! The Chancel Choir is fortunate to have section leaders (a core of professional musicians) who assist and help to inspire all singers and, by extension, all who worship here.
The Chancel Choir’s regular schedule is Sunday-centered. The usual routine is to begin with warm-up at 9:15 a.m., sing the 10:00 a.m. service, and then have the weekly rehearsal from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (note: there is time for all to enjoy a bit of fellowship at coffee hour following the 10:00 a.m. service). If you are not able to sing the entire season, participation as your schedule allows is more than welcome. A few rehearsals take place on weekday evenings or Saturday mornings to allow for rehearsing with additional singers or instrumentalists for special events such as Cantata Sunday or concerts.
Please contact Jason Charneski to learn more.
InstrumentALISTs
We encourage those who play an instrument to contribute to the life of the church by offering to play in worship or for other occasions, such as the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and other special events. Please contact Jason Charneski to learn more.
Children's Music
The 2026-2027 program year will include many opportunities for children (age 4 through Grade 5) to come together to sing, learn, and make friends.
First, on Thursday afternoons in the early fall (September 17 through October 29), all in Grades 1 – 3 are encouraged to “Come, Sing!” We will meet from 4:00 – 4:45 p.m. (snack available at 3:45 p.m.) to sing and move about.
Second, all children age 4 through Grade 2 will have time together during worship on the first Sunday of the month (going out at the regular Sunday School time and returning in time so that all may participate as families during Communion) to learn some songs of the faith.
Our hope is to have the children sing in worship on occasion.
Looking later into the fall, children age 4 through Grade 5 are encouraged to participate in the annual Christmas Pageant. Rehearsals will be held on Thursday afternoons in November and December (exact schedule t.b.a., including auditions for speaking and solo singing parts), with the Pageant to be given Sunday, December 20, at 4:00 p.m.
And, who knows? As interest and participation grow, we will look at other musical/educational enrichment opportunities for these age groups, including a Bible story-based musical to be offered in late winter.
Youth Music
High school students are encouraged to sing in the Chancel Choir. We hope to create structured music programs for middle school youth in upcoming program years. In the meantime, we encourage these developing disciples to consider contributing their musical abilities through offering to play in worship whatever instrument(s) they currently are studying. Please contact Jason Charneski to learn more.
Organs and other Instruments
Rye Presbyterian Church is fortunate to have many fine keyboard instruments to help lead and inspire music in worship, concert, and rehearsal.
Two pipe organs, built by the Canadian firm of Casavant Frères, support the majority of the church’s musical expression. The larger of the two organs (the builder’s opus 3506, installed in 1981) located in the chancel of the sanctuary, is composed of 3,863 pipes. (For more detailed information about the sanctuary organ, please click here.) The smaller organ (the builder’s opus 3942, installed in 2020), comprising 564 pipes, is in Crawford Chapel. (For more detailed information about the chapel organ, please click here.)
A Steinway concert grand piano (built in 1981; rebuilt in 1995 and refurbished in 2020) aids music-making in the sanctuary, and a Mason & Hamlin grand piano (built in 2004, from the former All Souls Parish in Port Chester) lends its voice to musical needs in Crawford Chapel. A Baldwin grand piano (built in 1962) is available for use in the Assembly Room, a Kawai baby grand piano (dating from 1982) is located in the music director’s office, and a moveable Baldwin spinet piano resides in the Westminster Room.
In addition, the church owns a Hubbard & Broekmann French-style harpsichord (built in 1986, restored in 2026), which is useful as a solo or continuo instrument for music of the Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical eras.
The Casavant Frères, opus 3506, 1982 organ. Photo: Virginia Bender.
