Music at St. Matthias Episcopal Church - A Place Where Every Voice Matters
At St. Matthias, music is not a performance to watch—it is a shared prayer to enter into. Whether the sound comes from the organ, a solo instrument, the congregation, or the choir, our music is offered to God and meant to draw all present into reflection, worship, and deeper connection with the sacred.
Our congregation is a joyful tapestry of local members, seasonal residents, and visitors from across the country and around the world. Some come every Sunday; others return a few times a year, and some may worship with us only once while enjoying the Northwoods. Here, music invites you not simply to spectate, but to participate—through singing, listening with the heart, and joining in the flow of prayer.
A Musical Welcome for All
We recognize that some who come through our doors carry experiences of having felt unwelcome or excluded in religious communities. At St. Matthias, we stand firmly within the Episcopal Church’s commitment to welcome and inclusion. Your voice, your presence, and your story matter.
Our music ministry welcomes:
* Professional musicians seeking a place where artistry can serve worship.
* Enthusiastic amateurs eager to offer their voices and instruments as prayer.
* Seasonal residents and visitors who might join us for a Sunday, a feast day, or a special service.
* Those new to church music and ready to explore this spiritual language for the first time.
If you have ever wondered whether there is a place for you in the song, there is.
Our Sound: Diverse, Prayerful, and Rooted
From ancient Anglican chant to gospel and spirituals, from classical hymnody to contemporary sacred song, the music of St. Matthias reflects the breadth of the Episcopal and Anglican tradition.
We intentionally draw upon:
* Traditional hymnody, allowing the poetry and theology of our hymns to tell their story.
* Contemporary sacred music that gives voice to faith in our own time.
* Global sacred music, reminding us that the Church sings in many languages, cultures, and musical traditions.
* Instrumental and vocal offerings that create space for prayer, contemplation, and beauty.
* Chant and the ancient music of the Church, connecting our worship with generations who have prayed and sung
before us.
Not every piece of music will be familiar to every person—and that is part of our welcome, too. Some music feels immediately like home; other music invites us to listen, learn, and discover. Together, old and new become part of the prayer of this particular community.
Our Instruments
St. Matthias is blessed with two remarkable instruments that help lead our worship:
* Our pipe organ—a beloved and versatile instrument that supports congregational singing, offers a rich repertoire of sacred music, and gives particular voice to the great seasons and feasts of the Church. You can learn more about the organ on its dedicated page.
* Our Yamaha baby grand piano, generously donated to the church specifically for worship. Its warm tone and expressive range make it equally at home accompanying congregational song and offering quieter moments of musical reflection.
These instruments are not here for show. They are tools for prayer, helping us lift our voices and hearts together in praise.
The Choir at St. Matthias
The St. Matthias choir is a prayerful ministry rather than a standing performance ensemble. It gathers especially for major feast days, holy days, and significant moments in the life of the parish.
Because ours is a community that includes seasonal residents and visitors, the choir can sometimes take shape in wonderfully unexpected ways. A singer who is with us for part of the summer, a musician visiting the Northwoods, or someone who simply happens to be here at the right moment may find an opportunity to join us.
Christmas, Easter, and other great occasions of the Church year give us opportunities to gather voices and offer something special in worship. The size and makeup of the choir may change—and that flexibility is part of its character.
There is no formal audition. What matters most is a desire to serve through music, a willingness to prepare, and the joy of making music with others.
Music as Ministry
Our music ministry, led by Music Minister and Organist George Ackerman-Behr, works in partnership with the clergy so that music grows naturally from the readings, prayers, seasons, and themes of our worship.
Music does not dominate the liturgy. It is woven through it—from word to song, from sound to silence—helping the whole assembly pray.
Throughout the Church year, the musical character of our worship changes with the season. Advent waits. Christmas rejoices. Lent turns inward. Easter bursts into song. The long season after Pentecost allows Scripture to guide us week by week. These changes remind us that worship, like life itself, has seasons.
Why St. Matthias Music Feels Different
Visitors often tell us our music feels alive—not because it dazzles, but because it connects.
We treasure the musical inheritance handed down to us without treating the past as the only place where sacred music can be found. The Holy Spirit continues to move. The Church continues to sing. New voices join old ones, familiar hymns stand beside music we are still learning, and each generation adds something to the song it received.
Come, Listen, Sing, Pray
Whether you are a lifelong Episcopalian, returning after time away, visiting the Northwoods, exploring a church for the first time, or simply wondering what you might find here, you are welcome.
Come as a listener. Come as a singer. Come with questions.
There is room for your voice.
For information about participating in our music ministry or upcoming musical services, please contact the church office.
“The pace of my spiritual journey picked up in midlife upon joining the Episcopal Church and its inclusive community. Within this new religious relationship I rediscovered an element from my early religious experience, which has become an essential part of my spirituality – the profound musical heritage of the Christian church. My spiritual journey, while still filled with more questions than answers, follows a firmer and more serene path since joining the St. Matthias’ community in the late 90’s. St. Matthias’ has nurtured my spirituality in ways which have allowed me to see and understand the simplicity and beauty of Christianity.”
– Roger Ganschow
At St. Matthias, music is not a performance to watch—it is a shared prayer to enter into. Whether the sound comes from the organ, a solo instrument, the congregation, or the choir, our music is offered to God and meant to draw all present into reflection, worship, and deeper connection with the sacred.
Our congregation is a joyful tapestry of local members, seasonal residents, and visitors from across the country and around the world. Some come every Sunday; others return a few times a year, and some may worship with us only once while enjoying the Northwoods. Here, music invites you not simply to spectate, but to participate—through singing, listening with the heart, and joining in the flow of prayer.
A Musical Welcome for All
We recognize that some who come through our doors carry experiences of having felt unwelcome or excluded in religious communities. At St. Matthias, we stand firmly within the Episcopal Church’s commitment to welcome and inclusion. Your voice, your presence, and your story matter.
Our music ministry welcomes:
* Professional musicians seeking a place where artistry can serve worship.
* Enthusiastic amateurs eager to offer their voices and instruments as prayer.
* Seasonal residents and visitors who might join us for a Sunday, a feast day, or a special service.
* Those new to church music and ready to explore this spiritual language for the first time.
If you have ever wondered whether there is a place for you in the song, there is.
Our Sound: Diverse, Prayerful, and Rooted
From ancient Anglican chant to gospel and spirituals, from classical hymnody to contemporary sacred song, the music of St. Matthias reflects the breadth of the Episcopal and Anglican tradition.
We intentionally draw upon:
* Traditional hymnody, allowing the poetry and theology of our hymns to tell their story.
* Contemporary sacred music that gives voice to faith in our own time.
* Global sacred music, reminding us that the Church sings in many languages, cultures, and musical traditions.
* Instrumental and vocal offerings that create space for prayer, contemplation, and beauty.
* Chant and the ancient music of the Church, connecting our worship with generations who have prayed and sung
before us.
Not every piece of music will be familiar to every person—and that is part of our welcome, too. Some music feels immediately like home; other music invites us to listen, learn, and discover. Together, old and new become part of the prayer of this particular community.
Our Instruments
St. Matthias is blessed with two remarkable instruments that help lead our worship:
* Our pipe organ—a beloved and versatile instrument that supports congregational singing, offers a rich repertoire of sacred music, and gives particular voice to the great seasons and feasts of the Church. You can learn more about the organ on its dedicated page.
* Our Yamaha baby grand piano, generously donated to the church specifically for worship. Its warm tone and expressive range make it equally at home accompanying congregational song and offering quieter moments of musical reflection.
These instruments are not here for show. They are tools for prayer, helping us lift our voices and hearts together in praise.
The Choir at St. Matthias
The St. Matthias choir is a prayerful ministry rather than a standing performance ensemble. It gathers especially for major feast days, holy days, and significant moments in the life of the parish.
Because ours is a community that includes seasonal residents and visitors, the choir can sometimes take shape in wonderfully unexpected ways. A singer who is with us for part of the summer, a musician visiting the Northwoods, or someone who simply happens to be here at the right moment may find an opportunity to join us.
Christmas, Easter, and other great occasions of the Church year give us opportunities to gather voices and offer something special in worship. The size and makeup of the choir may change—and that flexibility is part of its character.
There is no formal audition. What matters most is a desire to serve through music, a willingness to prepare, and the joy of making music with others.
Music as Ministry
Our music ministry, led by Music Minister and Organist George Ackerman-Behr, works in partnership with the clergy so that music grows naturally from the readings, prayers, seasons, and themes of our worship.
Music does not dominate the liturgy. It is woven through it—from word to song, from sound to silence—helping the whole assembly pray.
Throughout the Church year, the musical character of our worship changes with the season. Advent waits. Christmas rejoices. Lent turns inward. Easter bursts into song. The long season after Pentecost allows Scripture to guide us week by week. These changes remind us that worship, like life itself, has seasons.
Why St. Matthias Music Feels Different
Visitors often tell us our music feels alive—not because it dazzles, but because it connects.
We treasure the musical inheritance handed down to us without treating the past as the only place where sacred music can be found. The Holy Spirit continues to move. The Church continues to sing. New voices join old ones, familiar hymns stand beside music we are still learning, and each generation adds something to the song it received.
Come, Listen, Sing, Pray
Whether you are a lifelong Episcopalian, returning after time away, visiting the Northwoods, exploring a church for the first time, or simply wondering what you might find here, you are welcome.
Come as a listener. Come as a singer. Come with questions.
There is room for your voice.
For information about participating in our music ministry or upcoming musical services, please contact the church office.
“The pace of my spiritual journey picked up in midlife upon joining the Episcopal Church and its inclusive community. Within this new religious relationship I rediscovered an element from my early religious experience, which has become an essential part of my spirituality – the profound musical heritage of the Christian church. My spiritual journey, while still filled with more questions than answers, follows a firmer and more serene path since joining the St. Matthias’ community in the late 90’s. St. Matthias’ has nurtured my spirituality in ways which have allowed me to see and understand the simplicity and beauty of Christianity.”
– Roger Ganschow
