Salem Creative Arts

Salem Creative Arts/ Music Ministry offers a wide variety of worship support ensembles. Gifts of music and praise enrich and enhance services as people of all ages work together to share music as their gift to God, the congregation, and community.

Adult and Children's Vocal Choirs and Intergenerational Handbell and Puppet Teams participate in worship on a rotating basis and rehearse weekly during the school year on Wednesday or Thursday evenings. See the Creative Arts Calendar for the schedule.

Seasonal groups include Brass, Flute, Praise-style, or Vocal Ensembles and a Festival of Carols at Christmas. Salem Children's Choir shared the annual Spring Musical – for 2018 “Kidz Under Construction” in April. Individual gifts of music are most welcome as well.

Put Your Arms Around the World With SONG!

A New Creative Arts Season . . .
Wednesdays
5:30 p.m. Children’s Choir [Age 4 thru 5th Grade]
7:00 p.m. Celebration Voices [Part-Singing SATB]

Thursdays
6:15 p.m. Puppets  [5th Grade thru Adults]
7:30 p.m. Handbells [6th Grade thru Adults] in the balcony
“Praise the Lord all Nations; Praise God all Peoples!”
(Psalm 117: 1)

Salem Vocal Choirs gather groups of children and adults to teach the faith in song and celebrate God's love and grace in worship. There's a place for singers as young as 4 years of age. Please consider exploring the gift of music God has given you or your child. Visit a choir, handbell, or puppet practice between mid-September through mid-May to see if it's a good fit and feel. Offer to share music on an instrument or sing a solo.

Salem Puppet Praise Team brings smiles as adorable people, animal, and creature puppets come to life to share faith stories and songs for worship services and outreach programs. Learn to be a puppeteer Thursdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Choir Room, September 13 - May, and let your inner child shine through! Youth and adults, grade 5 and up, make a great intergenerational team ministry. Salem Puppets share in worship about once a month and prepare longer programs of faith or history about three times a year for care centers, community venues, or other churches.

Sounds of Grace Bells is for middle school and older, youth and adults who enjoy the teamwork of a handbell choir and the blessing of songs of faith. Each ringer plays 2 to 4 bells and learns to ring them with various techniques as indicated in the score. The ability to read music is preferred; others can learn. Ringers work with a 3-octave set of Malmark handbells and play for worship once or twice a month and for Festival services. Rehearsals are from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays in the Balcony
September 13 - May.

Please contact Ron Vanatta at 815.895.9171 or ron@slcsycamore.org if you have questions or wish to participate.

Each spring Salem children and youth prepare a fun themed musical drama for Salem worship services, and often share it as an outreach for a local care center. Rehearsals are held according to the children's availability about 8-10 weeks prior to the presentation date. Children are given a songbook and rehearsal CD to learn the speaking parts and songs at home, and work on choreography and staging at the rehearsals. Adults and older youth help with set construction, costumes, choreography, sound, snacks, etc..

Besides being a lot of fun, musicals help kids memorize scripture and faith stories, build musical skill, stage presence and confidence, and give the kids time to build new relationships. The 2018 Spring Musical "Kidz Under Construction – Building Futures on the Rock” was presented in April for Salem worship and the following Wednesday at a local care center.

Watch the News & Events page each Spring for Musical Drama titles and schedule.

Adult and youth singers come together once or twice a year to prepare special Christmas or Lenten programs, extended works of narration, and songs. Instrumentalists or soloists are often featured in these worship presentations. Rehearsals are held on scheduled Sunday and Wednesday evenings prior to the presentation and all singers are welcome.

Enjoy singing?

Plan now to participate in this year’s Joy to the World Festival of Carols the weekend of Dec. 8-9 and invite a friend.

ALL VOICES WELCOME

We’ll be preparing favorite carol arrangements for choir, brass, bells, and instruments.  Choral Rehearsals will be held Sunday nights Nov. 11, 18, 25, and Dec. 2 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. [Chapel  Lounge or Sanctuary] and Wed. nights Nov. 7, 14, 28, Dec. 5 from 7:45-8:30 p.m. [Choir room]  Come to as many as you can!

Register your interest with Carla Vanatta at Carla@slcsycamore.org or 815-895-8521 so we have music ready for you.

Middle and High School Youth welcome as well as adults.

Solos, ensembles, and instrumental musicians are all encouraged to enhance Salem worship. Please contact Carla or Ron Vanatta, Salem Music Directors, for scheduling and assistance in choosing music or accompanying.

Financial support for Salem Creative Arts is always welcome and appreciated. Choral or handbell anthems, musicals, or cantatas may be sponsored in honor or in memory of someone.

Gifts are acknowledged in the bulletin the first time the music is shared and are cataloged as Singing or Ringing Memorials in a permanent file. Amounts of $25-$30 sponsors a handbell anthem, $40-$50 sponsors a choral anthem, and $400-$500 gift sponsors a musical or cantata. Several smaller gifts may also be combined to sponsor any of these categories.

The generosity of Salem congregation and friends has enabled Salem Creative Arts to build a good choral library with a wide variety of traditional, historic, and contemporary hymn and song arrangements for worship.

Gifts to Salem Puppet Praise Ministry in any amount are also welcomed to purchase puppets or equipment. Our puppet inventory has grown to about 75 puppets from small bugs to full-sized people and animal puppets through special gifts and memorials.