Music

8/2/17: Edited front page; added Come and Sing Choir information.

Scroll down past the "Music Inquiries" form for information on Catholic music available online, our Music Ministries, Instruments, and the Director of Music.

Welcome to the St. Edward's Music website.

If you are interested in joining any of our music ministries or if you have any questions or suggestions, contact Paul Radkowski, Director of Music/Organist, at music@saintedwards.org or 740-587-3254. 

You may also contact Paul using the "Music Inquiries" form on this page.

• Choir: The Choir, open to teenagers and adults, sings for the weekly 10:45 a.m. Mass from early September through late May/early June. The Choir also sings for the Christmas Eve 9:00 p.m. Mass, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, two Masses on Easter Sunday, and other special liturgies and events throughout the year. Rehearsals are Sundays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and Thursdays from 7:00-8:10 p.m. The Choir currently has 18 members and is always welcoming more.


• Bell Choir: The Bell Choir plays handbells for a weekend Mass once or twice a month from October through May. The Bell Choir also plays for the Christmas Eve 9:00 p.m. Mass and two Masses on Easter Sunday. Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 7:00-8:15 p.m. Directed by Steve Schlicher, the Bell Choir has three octaves of bells and is always looking for additional people who are interested in ringing. 


• Children's Choir: The Children's Choir is comprised of first through seventh graders. The Children's Choir sings for the Christmas Eve 5:00 p.m. Mass. Seasonal rehearsals are held on Sundays immediately after the 10:45 a.m. Mass (from about noon to 12:45 p.m.). The Children's Choir generally has about 30 members depending on the season. 


• Cantors/psalmists: Cantors sing the responsorial psalm and gospel acclamation, and they lead the assembly in singing other music during Masses. They also sing for special liturgies and events throughout the year. St. Edward's has twelve regularly scheduled cantors who usually sing for one Mass per month. New cantors and substitute cantors are always welcome. 


• Instrumentalists: Instrumentalists from keyboard to strings to brass to woodwinds play as needed for liturgies and other events throughout the year. New instrumentalists are always welcome.


• Come and Sing Choir: Periodically throughout the year, adults and teens are invited to join in singing for a Mass. There is only one rehearsal, which begins about an hour prior to the Mass. No reservation or RSVP is required -- just come and sing!

St. Edward's is blessed with instruments that serve our music ministry well.

ORGAN
Installed by Peebles-Herzog in late 2004, our pipe organ was originally built by Casavant for First Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg, VA in 1975. It is a two-manual tracker organ with full pedalboard and 1105 pipes divided into the Hauptwerk and Ruckpositiv chests. In summer 2014, the organ was revoiced by Halbert Gober, and it is regularly maintained by Peebles-Herzog.  

PIANO
Generously donated to St. Edward's in 2008, our piano is a Bechstein upright.

HANDBELLS
We have three octaves of Schulmerich handbells, many of which were refurbished in summer 2015.

Paul Radkowski has been the Director of Music/Organist at St. Edward's since September 2014. He has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from Saint John's University (Collegeville, MN). He served as Liturgy & Music Coordinator at the Church of St. Peter (St. Cloud, MN), and he has also served as organist at the Church of St. Joseph (St. Joseph, MN), Sacred Heart Church (Sharon, PA), and his hometown parish, the Church of the Good Shepherd (West Middlesex, PA). He lives in nearby Newark, OH with his wife and family.

Previous Directors of Music at St. Edward's include Susan Brattain, Bill Miller, Julia Parker, and Steve Schlicher.