Saint James UCC of Hamburg, NY

Meet our Director of Music & Choir Director!

Ciaran Krueger is our Director of Music and Choir Director. Ciaran was hired in the fall of 2010. He has a Masters in Music Performance: Choral Conducting and currently is a Music Teach for Youth Pre-Kindergarten to Eighth Grade at both St. Joseph University School and Annunciation School. He also has been a Music Director with Creative Allusions Productions and is a Vocal director with Opera-Lytes. We are pleased and excited to have someone of his expertise - and ability to work with people of all ages directing our choirs. Since Ciaran has started, we have experienced a significant number of new members to our Adult Choir, and the same is true of both our Chapel and Youth Choirs. Ciaran is always eager for new people to try out our Choirs!

Meet Our Accompanist!

Jonathan Rizzo is our Accompanist. He started in the fall of 2010 and regularly receives ovations from our congregation. Jonathan studied Music Education at SUNY Fredonia and currently is a music teacher as well as a band teacher. Our congregation has been enjoying his amazing keyboard skills, as he is a very accomplished pianist, and is becoming a very accomplished organist as well. We are excited to have Jonathan working with Ciaran!

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The organ at St. James is a two manual, 21 Rank Schlicker Pipe Organ that was built on the principles of a north German pipe organ. It is a fine instrument - dedicated in the spring of 1970 and well maintained. There is also a sizeable organ fund to insure that it continues to be kept in excellent condition. There is a Steinway grand piano in the sanctuary and a Steinway baby grand in the organ\choir loft.

St. James has the following choirs:

Chapel Choir
Students in Kindergarten - 3rd grade are invited to join the Chapel Choir. They rehearse on Wednesdays from 7 - 7:30 PM. (If school is not in session, is canceled or there is a Wednesday holiday, the choir does not rehearse).

Youth & Teen Choirs
The Youth Choir includes all students in grade 4 through 12 (High School students may choose to sing with either the Youth Choir or the Chancel {adult} choir.). The Youth Choir rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:30 - 8:15 PM If school is canceled or there is a Wednesday holiday, they do not rehearse).

Chancel Choir
The Chancel Choir is our adult choir. Senior High students may choose to sing with the adult choir. They rehearse on Sunday mornings for about 45 minutes following our worship service (roughly 11 - 11:45 AM).

In a typical month the Chancel Choir will sing two Sundays, and the Youth and Chapel choirs one Sunday each. The other Sunday is open for whoever would like to provide some of the music.