Music at St. Andrew's

Music plays a vital role in enhancing and enriching our worship at St. Andrew’s. Music expresses the truths of faith where words fail. Great care is invested in the selection and presentation of all the music in our worship services.

The Adult Choir is a healthy mix of amateurs as well as professionals. We pride ourselves on the quality of our musicianship and the expressiveness we put into the music we present to God and the congregation. Most recently, choral anthems have been by composers such as Karen Marrolli, Felix Mendelssohn, Mark Miller, Richard Smallwood, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. We rehearse weekly during the school year (Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:15 PM) and lead the music at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday morning. Outside of Sunday mornings, we collaborate about once a year with other church choirs to present larger works of music.

Minister of Music Ginny Chilton

Our Minister of Music is Ginny Chilton. She plans the music for each service, leads from the organ, conducts the adult choir, provides music at children’s chapel, and incorporates professional and volunteer musicians into worship services. She is also caretaker to our exceptional keyboard instruments: a Baldwin grand piano and a 1973 Robert Noeren organ (refurbished and revoiced 1988 and 2001).

Ginny Chilton joined St. Andrew's as Minister of Music in August 2022. With over twenty years of experience in church music, Ginny has served congregations in Charlottesville, Boston, Norfolk, and Hampton before coming to St. Andrew’s. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Virginia, and both a Master of Sacred Music and a Master of Divinity from Boston University. Ginny’s love for music and ministry runs deep. Growing up in the Episcopal Church, she developed a strong appreciation for choral and organ music in worship, which laid the foundation for her future career.