Festival Choirs and Chamber Orchestras of:
Gary United Methodist Church & First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton
Sunday, Feb. 15
9 a.m. First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton, 715 N. Carlton Ave., Wheaton
11:11 a.m. Gary United Methodist Church, 224 N. Main St., Wheaton
Enjoy M. Roger Holland's Tribulation Suite and Donté Ford's Three Gospelized Spirituals (choral-orchestral world premiere).
Kiena Williams, Soloist
Donté Ford, Minister of Music and Worship, First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton
Joshua Velez, Director of Music, Gary United Methodist Church
Free and open to the public.
Did you know that there is a digital suggestion box for Gary Church's music ministries? You are welcome to provide your ideas, feedback, or requests for a favorite hymn, worship song, or piece of music, as our worship through music is an integral part of our shared community. Share your thoughts here.
11:11 a.m. music playlist
If you've been wanting a way to worship through singing at home or on the road, Collective Joy! now has a playlist on YouTube and Spotify of the songs that we regularly sing at the 11:11 a.m. Sunday service! Feel free to listen throughout the week so you can be even more familiar with the songs we are singing on Sunday mornings.
Children's Choir
Wednesdays, 6-6:45 p.m., Choir Room
Age 3–grade 5
This group will make music with friends and praise God in worship. Register here.
This group is temporarily on hiatus due to low enrollment. Please register at the link below if you are interested to receive information about when we will resume rehearsals.
Do you play an instrument? Want to learn an instrument? Love to sing? Come and join 4:12 Youth Band as we play worship music together. All skill levels welcome. Register here to learn more.
Men’s Chorus
Saturdays, 9-10 a.m., Choir Room (meets twice a month)
High School–Adult: tenors and basses
Chancel Choir
Thursdays, 7:30-9 p.m., Choir Room
High School–Adult: sopranos, altos, tenors, basses
Leads Sunday worship at 9 a.m.
Thursdays, 6–7:20 p.m., Sanctuary
High School–Adult: singers of all voice parts and instrumentalists (instrumentalists especially needed!)
Praise band, leads Sunday worship at 11:11 a.m.
2026 Festival Choir and Orchestra
Thursday rehearsals beginning Jan. 8, 2026, 8-9:30 p.m., Choir Room
The 2026 Festival Choir will present Grief and Glory: A Musical Lenten Anticipation, featuring M. Roger Holland's Tribulation Suite and the choral-orchestral world premiere of Donté Ford's Three Gospelized Spirituals on
Sunday, Feb. 15. Additional rehearsals on Thursdays, Feb. 5 and
12 from 7:30-9:30 p.m., and a final dress rehearsal on Saturday,
Feb. 14 from 9 a.m.-noon at First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton.
Optional Saturday workshops held at Gary Church on Saturdays, Jan. 24, Jan. 31, and Feb. 7 from 2-3 p.m.
Please contact Director of Music Joshua Velez to find out more about our singing groups!
Good News Ringers
Wednesdays, 5:30–6:15 p.m., Bell Room
Grades 3–6
Register here.
Glory Ringers
Sundays, 11 a.m.–noon, Bell Room
Grades 7–12 and adults
This group is currently on hiatus for the 2025-2026 program year due to low enrollment. Check back in the summer for registration information for Fall 2026!
Altar Bells
Wednesdays, 6:30–7:45 p.m., Bell Room
High School–Adult
Please contact Director of Music Joshua Velez to learn more about our handbell groups.
Musicians of all ages are invited to share their musical gifts in worship at Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL.
Contact Director of Music Joshua Velez to find out more.
Pipe Organ Celebration
Former and current Gary Church organists came together in May 2025 to celebrate 95 years of the church's 1930 Austin pipe organ. The organ has led and supported worship every week for nearly a century. Music directors
have changed, pastors have rotated in service, and musical styles and tastes have
continued to evolve, but the organ has remained a constant. Even though recent
years have been particularly hard on church music programs, Gary Church remains
committed to a vibrant music ministry and the pipe organ as foundational to the
worship life of the congregation.
Hear about the history of the organ here.
Hear the organ concert here.
The original organ in the present building was built in 1930 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut at a cost of $15,900. It contained 26 ranks and was divided between two chambers located in the Chancel of the Church and completely under expression. It was an instrument of 3-manuals plus pedal and served Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL, for 60 years without change. In 1990, a solid-state combination action was installed in the console and a few tonal additions made.
In 2003, the Bradford Organ Company of Evanston, Illinois took charge of the maintenance. Under their direction, several tonal changes and additions were made and a completed specification drawn up based upon plans set forth in 1990. In 2006, the console underwent a complete renovation including new stop jambs and keyboards. At present, the organ contains 45 ranks plus console preparations for 3 digital ranks in the pedal.
A trompette-en-chamade was added in 2011 and first used on Easter Sunday that year. These were revoiced in 2025 and re-installed by Dean Christian of Ericksen, Christian & Assoc., Glen Ellyn, Illinois, who currently maintains the instrument. The revoiced en chamades were premiered on Easter Sunday 2025 and featured at the Pipe Organ Celebration in May 2025.
For the organ specifications, click here.
Hear the 2025 Festival Choir and Chamber Orchestra
Enjoy Maurice Duruflé's Requiem, with
organ and chamber orchestra. This deeply moving and spiritual work served as the musical message during our Sunday worship services on the
second Sunday of Lent.
Music Ministry Examples
Below is a sampling of many of our music groups. Click the upper left of
the video for the drop down menu to view a specific group.
Hear the 2024 Festival Choir and Orchestra:
