Music is central to the worship at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. We are blessed with many talented singers and instrumentalists who offer their time and talent through music ministry.
The tradition of fine music at LCH continues under Dr. Barry Wenger, our new organist and director of music and liturgy. Recent leaders have been Scott Fikse (director of music and liturgy until July 2022), Dr. Miguel Felipe (director of music and liturgy from September 2011 through December 2014) and Carl Crosier, who retired as cantor in 2011 after 38 years of dedicated service.
The LCH Choirs
While the LCH Choir currently sings for worship on every Sunday morning and for special liturgies, in pre-covid times two separate choirs sang each Sunday as part of the two morning worship services. (List of musical selections for all services of the current month)
Early Worship Ensemble prepared hymns and offertory and communion anthems for the 8:00 am service during pre-covid times. They also sang for the early service on Christmas Eve. The Ensemble was a mixed group of all ages who enjoy singing popular-style music for this service. Piano was the primary keyboard instrument, augmented by guitar, flute, and other melody instruments. Worship materials were taken from contemporary hymnals including With One Voice, This Far by Faith, Worship and Praise, Renewing Worship Songbook, and Gather Comprehensive. The group will likely be reconstituted when we add back an early service.
The LCH choir in procession
Lutheran Church of Honolulu Choir sings at the 10:00 am service each week, all special seasonal liturgies, vespers, and at least one concert per year. The mixed choir of about 20 voices has been heard frequently with the Hawaii Chamber Orchestra and the Bach Chamber Orchestra. Membership is by audition with the choirmaster. The choir rehearses regularly on Thursday evenings, September through May, 7:00 to 9:15 pm, with a Sunday morning warmup at 9:00 am.
The ensemble prepares over 200 works each year, ranging from ancient chant, Renaissance polyphony, Baroque works to masters of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, most in their original languages of Latin, German, French, Hebrew, and even Scandinavian languages and high church Slavonic. During the past 30 years, the choir has performed many choral works of Johann Sebastian Bach, having presented over 50 cantatas, all six motets, both versions of the Magnificat and the complete Christmas Oratorio. The choir has also sung major works by Buxtehude, Charpentier, Handel, Mozart, Fauré, Britten, Bernstein, Duruflé, Copland and Peter Hallock. In the year 2000, for the church’s 100th anniversary, they gave two critically-acclaimed performances of the St. Matthew Passion with the Honolulu Symphony. Bach’s St. John Passion was performed in March 2004 with the world-renowned Max van Egmond taking the role of Jesus. In Mary 2011, the Mass in B Minor (PDF) was offered as part of Carl Crosier’s final season.
Watch video of selections from the Ionian Psalter sung by members of the LCH Choir.
The LCH Men’s Schola sings at Sunday evening Compline, the last prayer service of the day in the monastic cycle. Compline features a cappella singing and chanting in a contemplative, candlelit setting. The all-male ensemble features several gifted composers, and new works are regularly premiered. All are invited to our services on the third Sunday of each month at 7:30 pm from September to May. Rehearsals are at 6:00 pm prior to the service.
First Mondays Concert Series
The First Mondays Concert Series began in fall of 2018. In support of local musicians and for the enjoyment of concert-goers, Lutheran Church of Honolulu presents a free concert on the first Monday of each month (September through May). Visiting artists and local talent alike are featured. Programming includes outstanding chamber vocal and instrumental music, giving voice to intimate works in the resonant space of the Nave. First Mondays Concert Series 2022–2023
Orvis Foundation
We are grateful for the generous support of the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation. Mae Zenke, a gifted musician and singer of opera, married businessman Arthur Orvis. The two loved the arts very much and were great supporters of the arts in Hawai‘i. Their legacy lives on through the Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation, which provides funding for our choral scholars and other music programs.