A Musical Anniversary: A Reflection from Mark Heiskanen

It has been nearly a year now since I joined Plymouth's staff as your Director of Music and Organist and so have had the chance to experience a full liturgical year with you. It has been a joy I must say and thank you all for being so welcoming to this nearly life long Ohioan! I am not disappointed to be in Colorado, let's just say...

My intention is to always open up more possibilities for all of you to participate in Plymouth's music ministry. The music program is, after all, yours! To that end, benefitted by the knowledge and wisdom gained by taking 'one lap' around the liturgical year, I'd like to present a brief overview of our existing music ensembles and introduce a few new opportunities.

The Chancel Choir will continue to be open to all who love to sing and who wish to be challenged by a wide spectrum of repertoire. This choir sings primarily at the 11:00 a.m. service and occasional at ancillary services such as Christmas Eve.  

New this year is the Chamber Choir, which will sing primarily at the 9:00 a.m. service approximately once per month. Depending on the repertoire selected, one or two rehearsals would precede the service attended. I would like to keep the size to 12 - 20 singers with a rotating roster expected. Also new this year is the Plymouth Chorale, an auditioned group focusing on advanced repertoire from the Renaissance to contemporary. I anticipate two or three appearances in our services this year.

The Plymouth Ringers, our adult handbell choir, is always open to new players. If you have never played handbells before that is okay! A learning curve is built into each rehearsal. A basic understanding of music notation however is required.  Additionally, the Youth Bells are always accepting new members under the able direction of Kathee Houser. 

I am also always looking for instrumentalists to offer their gifts in the summer services and 9:00 a.m. services during the academic year. If you are interested in contributing, please contact me via email or speak with me during office hours or after a service.

As you can see, there are many opportunities for you to participate in our music ministry if you wish. Do please know that there is no need for an all or nothing commitment to any of the preceding ensembles either. Give the time that you have, when you can. I can provide further details on how this can be accomplished. Lastly, a music page will be set up in the near future with much more information including schedules and further detailed descriptions of our ensembles. Stay tuned.

Mark Heiskanen
Director of Music/Organist ​

Author

Mark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. 

Read Mark's mostly-weekly updates on service music at Plymouth here.