The congregation’s singing voice is its principal musical instrument.
We sing in many styles, from Latin chant to German chorale, from African-American spirituals to Latin American folk melodies. We use the hymns and liturgies of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) as our primary source.
An accomplished choir, the Cantorei, is the parish’s main vocal ensemble. Children in Mount Olive’s Choir School sing about every six weeks.
While guest musicians are often featured on trumpet or oboe or in a string ensemble, our main accompaniment is a majestic Schlicker pipe organ.
Music is in our bones at Mount Olive.
- Our musical heritage dates back many centuries but was energized especially by the Reformation, when Lutherans began to celebrate the Mass in the vernacular and to emphasize hymn singing. Lutherans, including composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Michael Praetorius, have added much to the Western choral tradition.
- Paul Manz (1919–2009), a giant among American composers for choir and organ, served as Mount Olive’s principal musician from 1946 to 1983. He continues to influence our musical life.
- Mark Sedio (1954–) served as Mount Olive’s second cantor from 1984 to 2000, continuing Manz’s emphasis on congregational singing but from a global perspective.
- David Cherwien (1957–), was the parish’s third cantor, serving from 2001 to 2024. An exceptional organist, composer, and choral leader, David elevated and enriched the Manz-Sedio legacy, emphasizing musical texture and mood to enhance the meaning of texts. For a portion of his tenure David doubled as artistic director of the National Lutheran Choir.
- Susan Palo Cherwien (1953–2021) was a celebrated poet, hymn writer, and Mount Olive member who contributed more than 100 hymns to the ecumenical church, including sixteen hymns in Lutheran books of worship.
