New Music - Congregational Church of San Mateo

Music

Photo of Dr. Ondine Young playing violin

CCSM is blessed with many talented musicians on our staff and with volunteers bringing their voices and instruments to our Sunday services.

During our services and special concerts, our Sanctuary reverberates with the magnificent tones of our Casavant Frères pipe organ, considered by many to be one the best pipe organs in the state of California.

Music Ministry

THE MUSIC MINISTRY carries on the long tradition of excellence at CCSM. We work to musically enhance the worship services with offerings that include choral, handbell, vocal solo, and instrumental contributions. In addition, we oversee a diverse concert series featuring outstanding musicians from the Bay.

The Music Ministry seeks to add the connection and deep meaning that music brings in its own incredible way. Anyone and everyone is welcome to participate in the musical life of our congregation, whether in a musical group, as a soloist, and/or as a member of our Ministry.

Music Groups

Our Choirs

If you’re interested in performing in one of our choirs, please contact us.

Chancel

The Chancel Choir is led by Dr. Ondine Young. The choir leads the congregation and enriches worship with a diverse offering of music. Our chancel choir offers special worship services and concerts, accompanied by a variety of instruments.

Carillon Handbell

Sundays are extra-special when our Carillon Handbell Choir performs.

Our Instrumentalists

If you play an instrument and would like to be part of our vibrant musical community, please let us know. We often have instrumentalists accompany our Chancel Choir and perform as soloists.

Our Music & Arts Circle

Our Music and Arts Circle meets monthly over a light lunch for music and art related programming and fellowship. Look for our next Music and Arts Circle gathering on our main calendar.

Music Events

Music is an integral part of the rich history of CCSM. Through our music we explore beauty, wonder, sadness, joy, and the many other mysteries of life, together.

Choir Performances

Our Chancel Choir is made up of volunteer singers under the dynamic leadership of our Director of Music, Lynnelle Bilsey. The choir performs a wide selection of music and offers special musical presentations as part of our morning worship.

In addition to enhancing our worship services, our choir, along with accompanying instrumentalists, offers outstanding musical events each year, including a Christmas Concert and a Spring Concert.

Organ Performances

CCSM houses our extraordinary Casavant organ, which is considered to be one of the best-crafted organs in California – artistically, musically, mechanically and architecturally. Visitors have many opportunities to hear this magnificent instrument throughout the year in worship and during special concerts. Also, each week our Organist in Residence presents a postlude on Sundays after our 10:30 am worship.

Concert Series and Special Music Events

A great community deserves great music! We offer concert series and special music events throughout the year, bringing the beauty and skill of high quality classical music performances to the San Francisco Peninsula.

Music Team

Dr. Ondine Young

Director of Music

C.J. Briggs

Resident Organist/Pianist

Julie Miles Berk

Joyful Noise Youth Choir Director

Julie is a homegrown member of the CCSM staff, as she and her mother Cari Parker moved to San Mateo when she was twelve years old. They began attending the church at that time and she has been an active member ever since. Julie sang in the children’s and Chorister choirs in the 1970’s with Angela Kraft Cross, and it was there that she discovered her love for singing.

Julie received her B.M. in music performance on the oboe at Hayward State University (now Cal State East Bay), and her Orff Certification at Mills College in Oakland. She began her career as a professional oboist, playing casual “gigs” with a number of orchestras and chamber groups including the Palo Alto

Symphony, Redwood Symphony, West Bay Opera Company, and Redwood Consort Woodwind Quintet.

In the early 1980’s her mom founded The Music School at CCSM. It was teaching at The Music School that kicked off Julie’s teaching career. During her tenure at the Music School, Julie discovered the Orff Schulwerk approach of teaching young children music, at which point she got her Orff Certification at Mills College in Oakland. The Orff method incorporates singing, percussion instruments, movement, improvisation, drama, and poetry, while also building a child’s self-esteem. Julie has loved incorporating all of these elements while leading the Joyful Noise Choir music program at CCSM, where she has served as Music Director since 2002.

In addition to leading the Joyful Noise music program, Julie teaches oboe, piano, and voice privately, and teaches preschool and elementary school music at several schools in the Bay Area, including Woodland School in Portola Valley, the Living Wisdom School in Palo Alto, and St. Matthias Preschool in Redwood

City. She is also continuing her professional development, having attended multiple live and online workshops with Lynn Kleiner at the Music Rhapsody School in Redondo Beach, California.