Music
Choir
Through the life of the Mayfield Presbyterian Church, music has been an important part of worship. The “old” church had excellent acoustics for listening to music.
That being the case, it was a necessity to, again, have a building where music could be heard at its very best. That was accomplished through detailed planning and we now have an environment that showcases all music which is played in the sanctuary, from solo voices or instruments to larger choirs and ensembles.
It is a venue that is desired by many local groups for their performances. Band concerts are held several times a year and Caroga Lake Strings also presents concerts here on a regular basis.
Pianist Alex Hitrick
Music Director Mary Lou Bryan
The church choir presents an anthem every Sunday throughout the school year. The choir has increased in number and ability. New members are always welcome.
We celebrate Christmas with a yearly Cantata; we sing each summer at the Caroga Lake Chapel. The choir is composed of people who like to sing and enjoy the fellowship which this group provides. One does not need to read music to be a member and there are no tryouts. Please know that all are welcome to be part of this active group.
Definition of cantata
The Christmas Cantata, Darkness into Light, as performed by the Mayfield Community Chorus and Orchestra under the direction of Luke Horst.
: a composition for one or more voices usually comprising solos, duets, recitatives, and choruses and sung to an instrumental accompaniment
Did You Know?
A cantata is a work for voice or voices and instruments of the baroque era. From its beginnings in 17th-century Italy, both secular and religious cantatas were written. The earliest cantatas were generally for solo voice with minimal instrumental accompaniment. Cantatas soon developed a dramatic character and alternating sections of recitative (solo singing that imitates the rhythms and tones of speech) and aria, paralleling the simultaneous development of opera. In Germany, the Lutheran cantata almost always involved a chorus. The approximately 200 cantatas written by Johann Sebastian Bach are the most celebrated. After ca. 1750 the cantata gradually declined.