Children's Choirs
The mission of the Children’s Choirs program at Central is to actively involve our children in worship and to nurture their ability to lead through music. Below are details about the age level for each choir:
Preschool Choir: 4K & 5K
Elementary Choir: 1st & 2nd Grades
Junior Choir: 3rd - 5th Grades
Several times during the choir season (which runs September through Palm Sunday), our Children’s Choirs participate as worship leaders in both our traditional services and The Well.
Youth Handbell Choir
This ensemble is for youth in 6th through 12th grades and is led by Betsy Johnson. We enjoy fast paced rehearsals with great music and fun refreshments. Participants also learn about musical notes, rhythms, etc. and are privilege to ring for our worship services throughout the year. Rehearsals are held on Sundays from 5:00-5:45 p.m. in Handbell Room #290.
Youth Choir
Central's Youth Choir is comprised of 6th through 12th grade singers. The ensemble leads worship at the 9:00 a.m. sanctuary service approximately once a month throughout the academic year. Singers explore various music styles, learn about elements of worship through first-hand experience, and acquire knowledge of the basic rudiments of music. The choir members also have the opportunity to participate in events such as the South Carolina United Methodist Youth Choir Festival. Rehearsals are held Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:15 p.m.
Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir is a vital part of Central's worship services in the sanctuary. The choir primarily sings Sunday mornings in the 11:15 a.m. service, with occasional double services (to include 9:00 a.m. services). Rehearsals are held September to June on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. No audition is required, but some music reading is helpful. Special services include: A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.
The Well Musicians
Music at The Well (Central’s casual worship service) ranges from Contemporary Christian selections and traditional hymns and songs (often arranged in more modern styles) to original songs, bluegrass, southern gospel, rhythm and blues, and current popular music. We have a core group of seven musicians, including lead and rhythm guitar, harmonica, double bass, cajun, piano, and vocals. We do not use any prerecorded music at The Well. Throughout the year we often invite guest musicians to join us in leading in worship. In addition, all three children’s choirs at Central participate in worship at The Well five to six times during the choir season. The lyrics to all the musical selections are projected on a large screen at the front of the space, and attendees are encouraged to sing “as much or as little” as they feel comfortable.
Handbell Choir
Central United Methodist Church's Memorial Handbell choir is for advanced ringers and plays a full Five Octave set of Schulmerich Handbells and a three octave set of Schulmerich Melody Chimes. The bell choir attempts to perform about once a month and for special services for Advent/Christmas (December), Lent, Easter and Mother's Day. These choirs also perform away, in festivals, or by invitation. The Handbell Choir holds rehearsal every Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Handbell Room #290.
About the Organ
History of the Organ at Central
In May of 1914, a two-manual 18 stop organ of 16 ranks of pipes built by M. P. Moller Company of Hagerstown, Maryland was installed in the church. The total cost of the organ was $3, 300. The organ was used continuously for nearly fifty years. In 1960, the Moller organ was replaced by a three-manual organ of 24 ranks built by Paul Fritzsche of Bethlehem Pennsylvania. In 1977, the Schantz Organ Company of Orrville, Ohio added 25 ranks to the existing organ. This included a new Great Division, which was located on the chancel wall. Due to deterioration of electrical and mechanical systems of the Fritzsche instrument, a decision was made to remove the existing organ, and commence a ground-up restoration.
A contract was signed with the Schantz Organ Company on June 5, 1987. On the day after Easter 1988, the organ was removed and for six months there was no organ in the sanctuary. The new Schantz organ was inaugurated by William Mills on May 21, 1989. The instrument retained a small portion of Moller pipe work and Fritzsche pipe work that was restored and reused. The organ remained unchanged, save the addition of a Zymbelstern in 2013, until this project.
The console, particularly the combination system, began to fail by 2018, and was deemed irreparable. A decision was made to replace the existing console to provide a more reliable combination action and to take advantage of advances in technology that would dramatically increase the memory capacity of the instrument. In 2020, a contract was signed with Orgues Létourneau of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, to build a new console, supply a new gamba rank (61 pipes) for the positiv division, and undertake a tonal refinishing of all exposed flue pipework. COVID introduced delays in the delivery of the console, but it was installed in October 2022. The first portion of revoicing took place later in the fall with the balance of the instrument completed in August 2023. Revoicing was undertaken by Greenleaf Organ Company of Wooster, Ohio.