The choir of St. George's upholds this parish's tradition as a singing congregation. A key component of the 9:30 AM Sunday service, the choir enhances the liturgy with its anthems, psalm leadership, and support on hymns. Choir members are among the most dedicated volunteers the church has, pledging to sing every Sunday 10 months out of the year and attending rehearsal one evening a week.

What makes the St. George's choir unique is our strong repertoire. For a number of years we have worked on selections from the Messiah. A number of them have been sung during Christmas, Lent and Easter including Behold the Lamb of God; Surely He Hath Born Our Grief; and All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray. We have performed: the Mozart Mass in C and the Faure Requiem. We also performed Vivaldi's Gloria in D and Handel's Zadok the Priest with the Clifton Park Community Orchestra.

We prepare and present a service of Lessons and Carols during Advent and liturgical music for Christmas and Easter. We have sung evensong at the Cathedral of All Saints in Albany and at Christ Church, Ballston Spa. We have also participated in a choir exchange with the choir of St. Paul's in Albany. We have also hosted a spring community choir festival joining with the choirs of Shenendehowa Methodist and Jonesville Methodist to praise the Lord with a mighty and beautiful chorus.

Over the years, our choir has been composed of adult and young adult singers, ranging in age from teens to seasoned choir veterans. We continue to recruit new members and develop additional singers in hopes of increasing our choir membership. All voices are needed and encouraged! No auditions are required. Musical talent is a less critical factor than is commitment, because creating harmony is a combined effort Choir members are asked to attend rehearsal on Thursday evenings, attend the 9:30 AM service each Sunday, vest, process, and sing in the chancel. Our practice is from 7:30-9:00 PM. We begin singing in the early part of September and continue to early June.

The choir relies on the Vestry for support for purchasing music and vestments. Other budget items include instrumentalists for Christmas and Easter, and support for our special performances. We supplement the church budget with donations from members of our congregation. We are sincerely grateful for the generous support of our St. George's family! If you have any questions about participating in the choir, see any choir member during coffee hour or just show up in the choir room on Thursday evening or during the summer, on Sunday morning!

Organist and Choirmaster, Timothy J. Olsen

Dr. Timothy Olsen has accepted the offer of the Rector and the Organist Search Committee to began serving as our new Organist/Choir Director/Music Director beginning October 1, 2011. Tim is a Fulbright Scholar who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from Yale University. He currently is Associate Professor of Music at Union College in Schenectady, NY. Prior to coming to St. George’s, He served for 16 years as Organist/Choir Director/Music Director at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in
Schenectady, NY. Tim also enjoys playing jazz piano, has over three decades experience as a composer and arranger, and currently directs the Union College Jazz Ensemble. A man of impressive musical ability, he and his wife Susie, who is a music therapist by training and an urban planner by vocation, along with their two sons William and Pierce have joined us at St. George’s. We are blessed to welcome them!

Our Music

Our music library is extensive and contains a vide variety of music of varying styles, from psalm in the plainsong chant style, to four part Anglican chant, to the new psalm styles found in the Revised common Lectionary.

Our music for Anthems comes from several well-known sources, such as The Oxford Easy Anthem Book, Carols for Choirs, Bach For All Seasons, and Wonder, Love, and Praise. Our library also has a large selection of anthems by Ralph Vaughn Williams, John Rutter, Holst, and Mendelssohn. We strive to offer a rich musical accompaniment to enrich the worship setting at St. George’s.

We are very fortunate to have a beautiful Steinway grand piano for use in our sanctuary. The money for the piano was raised with donations from Mike Steven's memorial fund, funds raised at a recital, and from individual members of the choir and congregation. Music is such a blessing and a beautiful instrument helps all of us at St. George's worship the Lord!