St. Philip’s will mark Holy Week and celebrate Easter with beautiful brass, organ, and choral traditions April 2-9, 2023.

Vocal offerings include pensive and celebratory works by British masters Samuel Barber, Benjamin Britten, and Theodore Chandler. St. Philip’s Chancel Choir and Folk Choir will present compositions by Paul Manz, John Stainer, and John Rutter from Palm Sunday through Easter Day.

Good Friday services will be led by the choral scholars of St. Philip’s, with tenor Jamie Gilson, portraying the role of Jesus, and baritone Jonas McCannless singing the Narrator.

At the Great Vigil of Easter on the Saturday evening before Easter Day, the Chancel Choir will present John Trotta’s shimmering a cappella setting of Alleluia.

Easter Day choral works for brass, chorus, and organ highlight a stunning arrangement of George Elvey’s Crown Him with Many Crowns by Diane Bish (dianebish.org). Other works for brass include an arrangement of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, Bach’s Ein feste Burg, and many other festive settings for Easter.

Schedule of services with music

Palm Sunday, April 2 at 10:30 am

Maundy Thursday, April 6 at 5:30 pm

Good Friday, April 7 at 12:00 noon

Easter Vigil: Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 pm

Easter Day: Sunday, April 9 at 8:30 am and 11:00 am

Holy Week and Easter Musicians

Choral Scholars

Jamie Gilson, Tenor

Jamie Gilson, a sophomore voice (music) major at Brevard College, grew up singing solos as a boy soprano on Cape Cod. He sang in a Royal School of Church Music Episcopal parish and was a soloist in another Episcopal church as well as a soloist at 13 in the highly auditioned Chatham Chorale, an adult chorale on Cape Cod with two student members and 60 adults. He took voice lessons and drumming lessons for five years on Cape Cod before he moved to Brevard in 2018. He has had starring roles in several musical theatre productions at both Brevard High School and Brevard College. As a senior at Brevard High School, he won the talent show with a self-composed jazz drum solo. He is a choral scholar at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Brevard. As a high schooler he sang with the Transylvania Choral Society and sings with the Brevard College Chamber Singers. He plays drums with the Brevard College Jazz Ensemble. He was on the golf team at Brevard High School and works on weekends as a cart attendant at the Connestee Falls Golf Course. He worked at the Star Island Conference Center off the coast of Portsmouth, NH the summer of 2022 and performed in the weekly music concerts.

Gabriella Lujon, Soprano

Gabriella Lujon is a classically trained soprano pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education degree at Brevard College, where she is studying with Dr. Brittnee Siemon. Gabriella is a member of two ensembles at the college, one of them being the Brevard College Chamber Singers. She is also a former member of the Carolina Concert Concert Choir in Hendersonville. When not singing, Gabriella enjoys reading or spending time with her dear family and friends.

Jonas McCanless, Baritone

Jonas McCanless is a junior at Brevard College working towards a BA in music with a minor in psychology. He is primarily a classical guitar student, participating in the college’s classical guitar ensemble and playing electric bass in the jazz combo. Additionally, he has taken voice lessons under Dr. Brittnee Siemon, as well as lessons in piano, pipe organ, and composition. Along with singing baritone in the St. Philips Chancel Choir, he participates in the two vocal ensembles at the college. When not studying or playing music, he may be found climbing a tree, riding bikes with friends, or enjoying a nice hot beverage.

Kayleigh Miller (Mezzo Soprano)

Kayleigh Miller is a junior at Brevard College studying voice and psychology. She participates in both of the Brevard College choirs as well as singing with the St. Philip's chancel choir. She also enjoys playing trumpet in the college's wind ensemble. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and her two beloved cats.

Guest Musicians

Scott Coates, Organist

Scott is a native of the Asheville area. He began piano lessons at the age of five and began his organ studies at Asbury University his freshman year of college. He has been a supply organist in western North Carolina since finishing law school in 2014. During the week, he works for the Clerk of Court in Buncombe County. When not on the organ bench, Scott can frequently be found on a trail or a river somewhere in the beautiful mountains that surround us.

Linda Davis, Trombone

A native of Chesterfield, SC, Linda Rienette Davis received her B.S. Degree in Music Education from UNC-Pembroke. Her first professional job was the trombonist of the Italian Band at Busch Gardens Theme Park in Williamsburg, VA. She has performed with several artists such as Kenny Rogers, Ray Charles, Allen Vizzutti, Ed Shaughnessy, Katie Lee Gifford, and several others. Rienette is the recipient of many awards such as The John Philip Sousa Award, Outstanding Musician at Richmond Senior H.S. and UNCP, Outstanding Bass Trombonist Soloist at the UNC-CHAPEL Hill Jazz Festival, and Trombone Soloist with the National Community Band. She currently holds positions on tenor and bass trombone with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Spartanburg Philharmonic, and the Brevard Philharmonic.

R. Kevin Paul, Trumpet

R. Kevin Paul, a Virginia native born in 1971, earned his Bachelor of Music (B.M.) degree in Education from Radford University in 1993. He earned Virginia Commonwealth University's first Master of Music (M.M.) degree in Conducting Performance in 1996. Kevin served the Richmond Community as a member of several brass quintets, Principal Trumpet of the Richmond Philharmonic, Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Richmond Symphonic Winds, and trumpeter with the Petersburg Symphony and various other chamber ensembles. He founded the Richmond Brass Consort, Richmond’s only large brass & percussion ensemble, and was its Conductor/Music Director until he left Richmond in 2000. He has also performed as a trumpeter with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra (IL) and the Lynchburg Symphony (VA). He currently performs as a trumpeter with the Blue Ridge Orchestra (Asheville), the Toe River Chamber Ensemble (Burnsville), the TRCE Brass Consortium, and substitute with the Biltmore Brass.

Mary Jo Sparrow, Trumpet

Mary Jo Sparrow received her professional music education and performance in Trumpet certifications in 1979 from the University of N. Colorado, Greeley, Co. She earned her Masters in Education certificate from Columbus State University in 1987, Columbus, GA. She has taught music in the public schools of Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio, and North Carolina. 1996-2015 she directed the band and jazz band programs at North Buncombe Middle School in Weaverville, NC. She is currently retired but is serving as a Field Supervisor for music student teachers (Interns) through Western Carolina University.

Mrs. Sparrow has performed with Henry Mancini, Dave Brubeck, The O’Jays, The Canadian Brass, Denver Symphony, Lawton Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony, Asheville Symphony Chorus, Hart and Sart Theater Orchestras.

She currently performs with Smoky Mountain Brass Band, The Blue Ridge Symphonic Brass, The Mars Hill Brass Quintet, The Asheville Jazz Orchestra in addition to other free-lance opportunities.

Nathan Tingler, Percussion

Dr. Nathan Tingler currently serves as Instructor of Percussion and Director of the Tornado Drumline at Brevard College in North Carolina. Prior to joining the Brevard faculty in 2019 Tingler taught in several locations around the state of Georgia, including Georgia College and State University, and continues to teach clinics and masterclasses in person and online. Tingler has diverse experience teaching competitive marching ensembles, lecturing in musicology, directing steel bands, composing, performing, and recording. 

Dr. Tingler currently serves as Principal Timpanist with the Tallahassee Symphony, the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, and records with his percussion duo, Mist. His compositions, currently published by Bachovich Music Publications, have been performed across the south by groups including the Arasmas Percussion Group, the University of Georgia Percussion Ensemble, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Percussion Ensemble.

An “in demand” freelancer, Dr. Tingler currently performs regularly with the Charlotte Symphony, the Asheville Symphony, the Charleston Symphony, the Brevard Philharmonic, the Hendersonville Symphony, and has performed with the Chattanooga Symphony, the Alabama Symphony, the Macon Symphony, the Valdosta Symphony, the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, the Albany (GA) Symphony, the Ludwig Symphony, the Russian Folk Instrument Orchestra, the Highlands Playhouse, Arts! Oglethorpe, and the Arasmas Percussion Group. Tingler has also performed on stage with major artists including Bela Fleck, Dave Brubeck, Chris Brubeck and Triple Play, Martina McBride, Ney Rosauro, Kevin Bobo, and Blake Tyson.

Dr. Tingler earned his Doctorate, Masters, and Bachelors from the University of Georgia under the tutelage of Mr. Timothy Adams Jr., former Principal Timpanist of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Mrs. Kimberly Toscano Adams, former Principal Timpanist of the Tucson Symphony. Tingler also holds a Professional Studies certificate from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Mr. Richard Weiner and Mr. Paul Yancich of the Cleveland Orchestra. Tingler has also studied with Dr. Thomas McCutchen, Dr. Ryan Smith, and Dr. Todd Mueller. Dr. Tingler proudly endorses Zildjian, Innovative Percussion Inc, and Black Swamp percussion products. Born in Kingsport, TN, he currently lives in Brevard.