Music at St. James
Music is a vibrant part of parish life at St. James by-the-Sea under the leadership of our Music Director, Alex Benestelli. Contact him HERE. Read his bio HERE. We welcome you to listen, participate, reflect and find inspiration in the music of St. James.
Basic Musicianship Class
Want to sharpen your musical skills? Haven’t dusted off those notes and rhythms in a while? Starting September 17, our church organist Dr. Alison Luedecke will be offering a musicianship skills course on Zoom this fall, Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:00pm. Everyone is welcome! This is a great activity to do on your own or with friends and family. The course is open to all skill levels and experiences. Come, learn, and try something new. No RSVP needed - just click to enter the Zoom meeting HERE.
All offerings listed below represent our musical life during normal times and we look forward to resuming them when the current health restrictions are lifted.
All offerings listed below represent our musical life during normal times and we look forward to resuming them when the current health restrictions are lifted.
The Choir
The Choir of St. James by-the-Sea is renowned for its musical excellence, and is open to adults old and young, with previous choral experience desirable. Repertoire is drawn largely from the Anglican tradition, encompassing music from the sixteenth
century to the present day. The choir sings each Sunday for the 10:00 am Eucharist and offers monthly services of Choral Evensong. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:30 pm (Sept.-May). Auditions are required and can be arranged by emailing Alex Benestelli, Director of Music. The St. James Organ ProjectClick the image below to learn how to participate in our campaign for a new organ.
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Services with MusicChoral Eucharist is the principal celebration of the church. The choir leads worship every Sunday morning at 10:00 am with the singing of hymns, psalms, and anthems. Together with the clergy and congregation, we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion, commonly called the Mass. Choral offerings at the mass range from early Renaissance Polyphony to the modern day, focusing strongly on our Anglican heritage.
Choral Evensong in an Anglican tradition is a magnificent act of choral worship. Drawn almost entirely from the Bible, its purpose is to proclaim the wonderful works of God and evoke from the worshiper a response of praise, penitence, and prayer. Evensong is offered daily in many churches and cathedrals around the world. Compline-by-Candlelight, drawn from the most contemplative of the monastic offices begun in the middle ages, this service offers music from Gregorian Chant and early polyphony to the contemporary music of modern mystics. It is offered in the St. James Church several Sundays a year. Taizé is a service which includes music of participation, often sung in short Latin phrases, so the mind is released from distraction, allowing focus on listening to God. This is a ministry of the Daughters of the King at St. James and held in St. James Church several times a year. To see the full schedule of services with music click HERE. |
St. James' Music SeriesThe highly-praised St. James Music Series presents concerts throughout the year as an outreach to the San Diego community.
San Diego Baroque presents a noontime recital series, Bach's Lunch, on the first Wednesday of the month in the Spring and the Fall . Starting October 2, bring your lunch for a free 30-40 minute Baroque concert immediately following the noon Eucharist. Members of San Diego Baroque
will be joined by other instrumentalists and some of our own St. James singers. The series is curated by our organist, Dr. Alison Luedecke. In addition, St. James is home to these organizations:
Bach Collegium San Diego, La Jolla Music Society Summerfest, San Diego Baroque, and San Diego Early Music Society. |