Adult Choir
From September to June our Adult Choir sings at our 10:00 services, for festival liturgies and special events. Volunteer singers range from no formal musical training to those with extensive experience. They share faith, enthusiasm and a desire to make beautiful music a part of our worship. The choir rehearses from September through mid June on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. Our choir enjoys a summer vacation, this year beginning on June 10th. During the summer months, soloists or ensembles from the choir provide the music for this service.
Cambridge Ringers Handbell Choir
The Cambridge Ringers enhance the 10:00 worship service on a monthly basis by providing handbell music for preludes and at Communion, and for seasonal liturgies and special events. The Handbell choir is open to youth and adults; music reading skill is required. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m., from September through May.
Instrumental Music
We are fortunate to have within our parish many trained musicians who provide instrumental prelude music and/or accompaniments for the Choir. Currently those instruments include cello, clarinet, flute, harpsichord, organ, piano, recorder, steel drum, viola, violin and virginal. We have a String Ensemble, a Woodwind Ensemble and a Recorder Ensemble that play for special events at various times.
St. Alfred’s also welcomes guest instrumentalists in our services, such as a string quintet from The Florida Orchestra that joins us on Christmas Eve and sometimes on Easter Sunday, as well. Additions to our instrument availability are always welcome.
Organist and Choir Master
Kevin V. Johnson, AAGO, a native of Western New York, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ and Music Education from the State University of New York at Fredonia, and a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Kevin has served several terms as Dean of the Clearwater Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and on the Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. He maintains a private piano and organ studio, and has studied the viola with Karl Bawel. He also plays oboe and recorders.
Kevin has been our Organist and Choirmaster since February of 2000, and currently directs two choirs and several instrumental ensembles, as well as composing and/or arranging music for our worship. In addition, he has assembled musicians from within the parish to create a string ensemble, a woodwind ensemble, and a recorder group, as well as introducing instruments other than piano and organ into the music for worship. He also invited a string quintet from The Florida Orchestra into our Christmas Eve celebration, which now returns each year. His professional contacts brought us the expertise that enabled us to add a choir loft and properly redesign the nave of our church building.
