Participation Opportunities
St. James Choir
Brad Gee, Director
The St. James Choir is a vibrant ministry and sings a wide range of traditional Anglican repertoire including Gregorian Chant, Renaissance motets, anthems, spirituals, and newly-commissioned works. The choir is a member of the Royal School of Church Music and is led by Director of Music/Organist Brad Gee. The motto of the RSCM is “Psallam Spiritu et Mente” taken from I Cor. 14:15: “…I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also.”
The St. James Choir sings for the 10:00 AM service from September - July and also sings Choral Evensong several times a year. Highlights of the choral offerings in a typical season are:
- Evensong for St. Michael & All Angels in Early Fall
- Requiem mass setting for All Souls’ Day
- Advent Lessons & Carols on the first Sunday of Advent, featuring the Montreat Scottish Bagpipes and Drums
- Christmas Eve Service with string ensemble
- Evensong in Epiphany
- Candlemas Concert with proceeds going to Outreach
- Ash Wednesday service
- Evensong in Lent
- Holy Week including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, The Great Vigil of Easter
- Easter Day with brass quintet
- Evensong in May - Services of Choral Evensong are typically followed by thirty-minute organ recitals featuring prominent recitalists throughout the Southeast.
St. James also offers several Celtic Services throughout the year on Saturday evenings.
Allelu!
Lisa Whitfield, Director
Allelu! is a folk-style contemporary praise music group that leads the music in worship on every Second Saturday of each month at the 5 p.m. Eucharist and every Fifth Sunday Eucharist at 10 a.m.
Allelu! also leads the music for special services throughout the year, including Celtic services, outdoor services, services in the parish hall, and the Christmas Eve family service. The group consists of guitars, bass, harmonica, keyboard and singers. Allelu! repertoire is chosen from the 1982 Hymnal, Lift Every Voice and Sing (LEVAS), and Wonder, Love and Praise (WLP). Music ranges from older traditional tunes to classic and contemporary hymns. Director Lisa Whitfield selects hymns and anthems based on the liturgical themes of the seasons and weekly readings using the Episcopal Musician’s Handbook as a guide. Participation in the group is open to anyone interested in sharing their talents. For more information, please call Lisa at 828-693-7458.
Handbells
Linda Hill, Director
St. James has a three octave set of Malmark handbells which have recently been cleaned and refurbished. We also have three octaves of Malmark handchimes. Handbells enrich worship with the lovely, reverberant sound playing in the wonderful acoustic of St. James. They are used throughout the year. The ringers rehearse twice monthly immediately following the 10:00 AM service.
Linda Hill is the director of the handbell choir. She is a retired organist/choirmaster who served churches in Texas for over forty years. If you have questions or are interested in handbells at St. James, please contact Linda at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Being a member of a handbell choir requires regular rehearsal attendance, and the ability to read music.
Change Ringers
Bob Aldinger, Ringing Master
(Dorothy Fantle and Jim Loy, Bell Tower Co-captains)
The St. James Patton Tower houses eight bells cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London, England. Our tenor bell, “Matthew," weighs 1,032 pounds, while our treble bell, “Winter,” weights 338 pounds. The bells were first rung on Pentecost, 1978, and were dedicated on September 10, 1978. The bells are rung to call the faithful to services and for special occasions. To read a recent piece from the Hendersonville magazine Bold Life that describes our bells and the activity of "change ringing," click on the following button. Bold Life article To watch the bell band in action, click on the video at the end of this article.
The St James Guild of Change Ringers is affiliated with the North American Guild of Change Ringers and the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR). Weekly practices are held on Monday nights from 7:30-9:00 PM and visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are welcome in the tower.