Mission and Music: Jim Shults

I first became involved with St. David’s music program 40 years ago, when I sang with the choir in the Poulenc Gloria during the Celebration of the Arts.  I began singing regularly with the St. David’s Choir in the fall of 1979, right after the completion of the renovation which installed a choir loft and moved the choir and the organ upstairs in an expanded sanctuary.  I was a member of the choir for 30 years, retiring a little over three years ago, and still occasionally participate in the choir when the need arises.

When I came to St. David’s on a regular basis, it did not take me long to decide that this church would be my spiritual home.  I found comfort in the structure of the service and I enjoyed the challenge of the  difficult music we performed every Sunday during the 10 o’clock service.  I was much attracted to the Celebration of the Arts and to the members of the Congregation, many of whom were artists and performers or significant supporters of the arts in the Central New York community.  I had attended many churches, but found St. David’s unique in many refreshing and stimulating ways.  In the many years which gone by while I was attending St. David’s, that feeling has never changed.

St. David’s commitment to the visual and performing arts has never waned.  The Celebration of the Arts has presented many memorable performances as a gift to the larger community and has consistently produced a yearly art exhibit which is universally recognized as being the best in the Central New York area.   Our choir, under the leadership of Abel Searor, is in many ways better than ever, presenting on a weekly basis well-chosen and well-performed anthems utilizing an infinite variety of musical expressions and our instrumental music, ranging from the most difficult music written for the organ to gospel renditions at the piano, frame our church services in a uniquely spiritual and uplifting way.  We proudly realize and demonstrate that God’s perfection can be eloquently represented by excellence in artistic expression.

Although I am no longer actively involved in the music program, I know that the music and the visual art which have become a part of my life here at St. David’s enhance my spirituality and define the way I live my entire life.  My stewardship commitment to this parish reflects not only my commitment to St. David’s artistic expression, but also my gratitude for what the arts at St. David’s have meant to me and to my life.