On Sunday, April 27, the Treble Choir sang for the 11:00 a.m. service , at St. Philip's Presbyterian Church, 4807 San Felipe Street, Houston, TX 77056

On Sunday, April 27, at 11:00 a.m., under the abled direction of Bethany Stuard, the Treble Choir of Houston at Christ Church Cathedral, sang for the 11:00 a.m. service at St. Philip's Presbyterian Church:

4807 San Felipe Street,

Houston, TX 77056

During this service, the Treble Choir sang:

Ave Maris Stella (Hail, O Star of the ocean) - Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907) , arr. Julio Dominguez (b. 1965)

Psalm 23 - Randall Stoope (b. 1953); Eva Mahr (Flute), Belle Tian (Oboe)

For the Beauty of the Earth - John Rutter (b. 1945)

Composed in 1898, “Ave Maris Stella” is Grieg’s setting of the medieval Latin hymn to the Virgin Mary. Departing from his usual nationalist themes, Grieg demonstrates a profound connection to choral traditions. The piece unfolds with a delicate interplay of voices, showcasing Grieg’s mastery in crafting expressive and emotive choral textures.

Composed in 2003 for the Bel Canto - Omaha NE, the composer wrote “The 23rd Psalm has universal appeal because its message is one of hope, promise, faithfulness, comfort and a sense of destiny.  I dedicated my musical interpretation of this very special text to my beautiful daughter, Brittany, who was a member of the first performance/recording of the work.”

Composed in 1978, and published in 1980, “For the Beauty of the Earth” was composed for Rosemary Heffley, the then Director of the Texas Choral Directors Association.  Rutter set the first four stanzas of the 1864 hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth" by Folliott Sandford Pierpoint.  The poet wrote about his experience of feeling blessed some day when he looked at the countryside near Bath, England, reflecting the beauty of the earth, of "each hour of the day and of the night", and of "the joy of human love."

A recording of this April 27 service may be found here:

https://video.ibm.com/recorded/134336889

Here is the Service Bulletin from April 27, 2025:

https://saintphilip.net/SundayBulletins/4.27.bulletin.ONLINE.pdf

This photo of the Treble Choir taken was taken before the service began at St. Philip's Presbyterian Church:

The Treble Choir beside the beautiful stain glass windows at St. Philip's Church:

The congregation in the sanctuary at St. Philip's Church.

The Treble Choir Choir under the direction of Bethany Stuard, accompanied by Dr. Matthew Dirst, with Eva Mahr (Flute), Belle Tian (Oboe) singing Psalm 23 - Randall Stoope (b. 1953)

The Treble Choir under the direction of Bethany Stuard sang "Ave Maris Stella (Hail, O Star of the ocean)"  - Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907) , arr. Julio Dominguez (b. 1965)