Worship & Music

"We sing because we have something worth singing about." So writes Noel Werner, music director of the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. Ask almost any member of HFPC what is most important to our church life and each would say, "Our worship." In a day when people brand worship in so many ways - traditional, contemporary, casual, liturgical - we like to say that we simply gather to worship the living God, who has made us, saved us, and invites us to offer our words and songs of thanksgiving.

As Presbyterians, the center of our worship is the sermon. But in the spirit of our psalm-singing ancestors, the singing of hymns provides the structure of our worship. Hymns of praise, prayer, and commitment form the beginning, middle, and closing of our worship. After our congregation's return to its historic sanctuary in 1994, our first priority was to put in a pipe organ for our worhip leadership. In December, 2001, the first Schoenstein pipe organ in the area was installed and has been central in leading our worship ever since. In 2003, a quality grand piano was donated in memory of longtime choral director, Dr. Thomas D. Warren, to further enhance our worship.

Leading our music life are three choirs. Chancel choir sings every Sunay in the 11:00 service, and at our special services. This choir practices each Wednesay evening at 7:15. To know more about the choir, speak with music director Will Berger. An adult handbell choir practices each Wednesay at 6:00 p.m. and leads worship monthly. A children's choir (called the Calvin Choir), meets as part of our Terrific Tuesdays on Tuesday afternoons at 4:00 p.m., and is open to all children from kindergarten through fifth grade. They also sing monthly.

For all who attend our worship services, we invite you to listen reverently, to participate faithfully, and to sing joyfully, knowing that "we sing because we have something worth singing about."