Ministries:
Music
Ministry
Music is something we both hear and sing when we worship. This is related to the fact that worship is both call and response. The call of God reaches the depths of our hearts with special power through music, and our singing expresses with special power the deepest response of our hearts to God.
Music is the heart language of worship, and makes a difference in how everything else in the service goes. When we all have been lifted to the heights through music, the pastor and others who lead worship are inspired to preach and lead with greater freedom and power. Those who worship in the pews find their hearts and minds opened to hear more clearly and receive more fully the good news that is the gospel.
Community
Artist & Speaker Series
FPGH has a long and established history supporting and promoting the arts as a means by which we demonstrate our hospitality, encourage intellectual pursuits, and nurture spiritual growth. We program an average of eight concerts per season, and since the program’s launch in 2008, we have welcomed thousands of people into our sanctuary for a wide range of concerts and events.
Community Artist Series events are free and open to the public. All are welcome.
2023/24 C.A.S. Schedule
Grand Rapids Guitar Quartet
November 12, 2023 4:00 p.m.
The Grand Rapids Guitar Quartet is comprised of four award winning guitarists who currently make their homes in the West Michigan area, Andrew Bergeron, David Martin, Jonathan Marshall, and Brian Morris. For the past sixteen years they have received an overwhelmingly positive response from audiences at their sold out performances at colleges, universities, art centers, chamber music series and community concert series. The quartet presents a variety of masterworks, Latin music, and original compositions, along with entertaining, informative and often humorous explanations about the music.
The Orchestra and the Organ: Sounds of the Season, featuring Shoreline Community Orchestra and Rob Hlebinsky
December 10, 2023 4:00 p.m.
The Shoreline Community Orchestra brings together professional and amateur musicians who play alongside students and faculty from several area colleges and universities. The non-profit organization is the only all-volunteer orchestra in the Muskegon area to include woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. The orchestra is conducted by Nick Mosely.
Rob Hlebinsky is an organist and arranger who has a passion for the pipe organ and Disney, with a repertoire that includes a variety of both traditional and non-traditional pieces. Rob currently serves as organist and handbell director at First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven. He is also the accompanist for the Spring Lake choral department and music director for the school’s theater program.
The orchestra and organist are delighted to team up and spread some holiday musical joy with some of your favorite Christmas classics!
Beery and Beery
January 28, 2024 4:00 p.m.
Classical music siblings have a unique bond with one another, and it’s truly a gift to both perform music together and to be able to call these cohorts your closest friends. Michael and Maryanne Beery share the family musical gene, and they each become their musical best when playing together.
Michael studied music at Michigan State University and is currently Director of Music at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Empire Michigan. He currently plays Oboe and English Horn in the Traverse Symphony in Traverse City, MI and has held principle Oboe positions with symphonies throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Maryanne received a diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy, bachelor of music degree from Manchester University, and a master of music degree from Central Michigan University. Her primary flute teachers were Alexander Murray, Joanna Cowan White and Patricia Greorge. She is currently the Director of Music and Fine Arts at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Haven, Michigan.
Uneven Ground
February 11, 2024 4:00 p.m.
Uneven Ground from Muskegon, Michigan blends their traditional Celtic and Irish music with vocals and instrumentals to escort you on a unique musical journey. Grounded in the roots of traditional Irish music, Uneven Ground presents a unique blend of songs molded from hundreds of pub and folk tunes from around the Celtic region. By teaching the history of Celtic music, mixed with their nonsensical humor, each performance offers you an escape from your busy life.
Messiah Sing-Along with St. John’s
April 21, 2024 4:00 p.m.
Together with the choir of our neighbor, St. John’s Episcopal, we are once again looking forward to a special MESSIAH sing-in on Sunday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m! Our Geneva Choir will join voices with the St. Cecilia Choir of St. John’s and will lead us through this beloved piece of music. Those who attend will be given scores and invited to join in the singing as well at various times throughout the performance.
Westbound Situation
May 5, 2024 4:00 p.m.
Westbound Situation blends the precision of classical chamber music, the rhythmic drive of bluegrass, and the colorful expression of jazz into a new style of chamber music—chambergrass. The quartet—comprised of Grant Flick on violin, Jake Howard on mandolin, Zach Brown on cello, and Jacob Warren on bass—mixes composition and improvisation seamlessly into their entirely memorized arrangements.
Westbound Situation’s exciting and diverse concerts feature a set of unique original repertoire colored with recognizable standards from many genres. With bluegrass, classical chamber music, and jazz all coming together in the group’s concept of chambergrass, a Westbound Situation concert is dazzling musical journey not soon forgotten.
Rob Hlebinsky
June 2, 2024 4:00 p.m.
Rob Hlebinsky is an organist and arranger who has a passion for the pipe organ and Disney, with a repertoire that includes a variety of both traditional and non-traditional pieces. A majority of Rob’s arranging work comes from live-action and animated blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean and Frozen.
Rob currently serves as organist and handbell director at First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven. He is also the accompanist for the Spring Lake choral department and music director for the school’s theater program.
