Music at Historic Trinity
Mark your calendars for an upcoming special event. Just Bach, a Madison-based ensemble, will give their first performance in Milwaukee at Trinity on Sunday, July 30th at 7:00 PM. Admission will be free, with a $15 suggested donation.
Since 2015, “Music at Historic Trinity” has sponsored concerts, recitals, special worship services, and an annual Workshop for Church Musicians. The mission statement is: “Music at Historic Trinity offers resources and opportunities to present and enjoy God’s gift of music in honor of the legacy of Trinity’s magnificent 1878 sanctuary and to the glory of God.” Since the devastating fire at Trinity in May of 2018, sister churches have graciously hosted events. Concerts and recitals sponsored by “Music at Historic Trinity” have featured the String Academy of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble, John Behnke in organ recitals, and the Milwaukee Children’s Choir. “Music at Historic Trinity” has also sponsored an annual Epiphany Choral Vesper service which includes a combined choir from sister churches. Especially memorable is the Choral Vespers celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation/170th Anniversary of Trinity on October 22, 2017, which featured organ, piano, trumpet, and a choir of nearly 200 singers from a large number of sister churches. “Music at Historic Trinity” has also sponsored an annual “Workshop for Church Musicians,” featuring clinicians who share their expertise with participants in the areas of Choral, Handbell, and Organ music for the church. In 2020, in an abundance of caution over the spread of COVID-19, the “Music at Historic Trinity” committee decided to hold the annual workshop virtually. Three videos (Choral, Organ/Piano, and Handbell) were prepared that featured clinician and host John Behnke sharing musical recordings and demonstrations, interviews with composers, and strategies and techniques for making music safely under circumstances in which church musicians find themselves, such as having smaller choirs and fewer handbell ringers. Registrants were provided access to the three videos and, as a culmination of the workshop, an invitation to a live Zoom session during which participants could ask questions and talk with the composers and fellow directors. In addition to presenting and enjoying God’s gift of music in several ways, through registration fees and offerings, “Music at Historic Trinity” contributes funds to the church.
