Music & Arts

Sharing God’s creative gifts

Music and Arts is significant in the life of the church. It is powerful, engaging and inspiring and creates meaningful experiences that connect people closer to God and to each other. At Shandon you’ll find a dynamic music and arts ministry for all ages offering lots of ways to experience music and to be involved through the arts.

For more information about Music and Arts, contact Rev. Eddie Huss, Minister of Music at ehuss@shandon-umc.org or Debbie Bauer, Music Associate and Organist at dbauer@shandon-umc.org.

Upcoming Events

October – December 2021

The Columbia Choral Society, under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Mears will present a concert in our Sanctuary on Sunday, October 3rd at 5:00 p.m. The concert will include a vocal solo by the recent student winner of the Guthrie Darr Scholarship.

Owen Connolly, tenor, Bruce Isley, baritone, and Anna Flynn, soprano, will sing a program of Broadway songs and show tunes. The concert will be on the East Lawn, Sunday, October 10th at 6:00 p.m. Owen, Anna, and Bruce are Staff Singers at Shandon and sing in the Chancel Choir.

Felix Hell, organist, will present an organ recital in our Sanctuary on Friday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m. Felix is one of the most sought-after organists in the world. He has been featured as a soloist in more than 1000 concerts throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has studied at the Julliard School in New York City, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. This concert is sponsored by the South Carolina Chapter of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, the Columbia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and Shandon UMC.

A Church Music Workshop, sponsored by the South Carolina Chapter of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, will be held on October 29 and 30th here at Shandon UMC. Dr. Dustin Ousley from the Sandlapper Singers and Felix Hell, concert organist, will be our guest music and worship leaders. You may register for the event at: southcarolinafellowship.org.

Hanging of the Greens Service, with the Celebration Choir and Wesley Ringers, Sunday, November 28, 8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services.

The Chancel Choir and Orchestra presents special Christmas music on Sunday, December 12 at the 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. services.

The Annual Christmas Benefit Concert, Eddie Huss and Friends, will be held on Sunday, December 19, at 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. An offering will be received for “Camp Kemo,” through Prisma Health Children’s Hospital here in Columbia.

All choirs and ensembles are open to anyone who would like to share their talents and time building the body of Christ through the arts. No auditions are required, just a commitment to serve.

Shandon’s children’s choirs introduce children to the wonderful world of expressing their faith through music. The choirs sing at various services and special events. Children’s choirs rehearse Wednesday evenings, September-April:     

  • Cherub Choir – k4-1st grade. Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 6:00-6:30 p.m.
  • St. Nicholas Choir – grades 2-6. Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 6:00-6:45 p.m.

The Chancel Choir performs a variety of music including classical, traditional, hymns and spirituals. The choir sings in worship weekly and performs with orchestra several times a year. The Chancel Choir has performed at outside events such as the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. Rehearsals are each Wednesday from 7:15-8:30 p.m., late August-June.

The Celebration Choir performs a variety of music including contemporary and spirituals. The choir sings in 8:45 a.m. worship on the second Sunday of the month. The choir also provides seasonal and holiday music events. Rehearsals are twice a month, every other Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 p.m., September-June.

Shandon’s adult handbell ensemble rings for various worship services late August-May and occasionally for special services. They also participate in the SC Fellowship Bell Festival.

The ringers rehearse Mondays from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

In Shandon’s Youth Music Group, teens share their creative gifts and express their faith through music. The group is open to all 6th-12th graders interested in music, both singing and instrumental. They perform during various worship services and for special programs and events. Rehearsals are Sundays from 4:15-5:00 p.m.

Shandon’s LifeLine Band leads the 11:05 a.m. LifeLine worship service with contemporary Christian praise and worship songs. The band, of both volunteers and professionals, plays each Sunday morning and for special events and includes keyboards, drums, guitars, bass and vocalists. Non-musical volunteers are welcome to help with set-up and break-down of equipment.

A variety of beautiful and inspiring musical presentations are performed at various times throughout the year by Shandon’s Chancel Choir with soloists as well as performances by the Youth Music Group, Children’s Choirs, orchestra, and musical guests.

Hanging of the Greens

A moving service filled with Christian symbolism, glorious decorations and beautiful music of the Christmas season presented by the Celebration Choir and Wesley Ringers. Hanging of the Greens marks the beginning of the Advent Season through placing ivy, cedar, mistletoe and holly and is designed to help us prepare our hearts to welcome the Christ Child at Christmas.

Eddie Huss & Friends Benefit Concert

A musical Christmas program filled with beautiful music by a variety of performers and benefitting an outreach nonprofit organization.

Faith and Freedom

An annual patriotic musical celebration held on the Sunday prior to July 4. The celebration features a barbeque lunch and lots of fellowship with family and old and new friends. 

Music and Arts sponsors a variety of arts events and projects to discover God’s presence through sharing artistic creativity. These projects include numerous pieces of commissioned art and worship items located throughout the Shandon campus including stained glass, painted and fabric art pieces, wind sculptures and more. They also feature live-painting during special worship services and rotating art exhibits in the Gallery by a variety of artists. The Gallery is located in the Bruner Building, second floor.

Upcoming Music Events at Shandon UMC

Shandon Organ and Bells

Both the Sanctuary Pipe Organ and Tower Bells enhances the music at Shandon.

Shandon’s Carillon of Bells, located just under the steeple, was cast by the Paccard Bell Foundry in Annecy, France. The Foundry is world-known for the high quality of its bells, and more than 90,000 bells from this foundry ring worldwide. Shandon’s 24 bells were installed by the Christoph Bell Company in Charleston, SC and are played by a small keyboard. The bells ring the Westminster Chime on the hour throughout the day and remind us that God is always present.

Shandon’s Organ in the Sanctuary was designed and built by the M. P. Moller Organ Company in Hagerstown, MD in 1949 and was installed in 1950 with additions in 1976, 1994, and 2021.  The combination of the organ’s rich musical tones and the Sanctuary’s acoustics creates beautiful, magnificent music for worship services, musical events and community concerts. The Moller Company, established in 1880, was the world’s largest and most widely known organ manufacturer.

In 2021, an antiphonal division of 427 pipes totaling 7 ranks was installed, playable from the original console located in the choir loft. Currently the organ contains 3872 pipes which includes pipes in the chancel area and pipes in the antiphonal division. On Sunday, April 18, 2021 we consecrated and celebrated the organ refurbishment with special music during our traditional worship services. We are very grateful to Mrs. Patricia Beckler for making the 2021 organ refurbishment project possible.