Music Ministry

ELAM's Music Director

Mark Payne is a conductor, music director, vocal coach, pianist and tenor based in London, Ontario. He is the music director at ELAM where he plays the organ and piano and conducts the choir at the 10 a.m. Sunday worship service, and leads the house band at Thank God It's Saturday, a service of contemporary music held on the first Saturday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Currently, Mark is the head opera coach at the University of Western Ontario, in London. He plays piano with Orchestra London and is a member of the chamber ensemble Triofus (along with colleagues Robert Riseling, clarinet, and David Haward, bassoon). Mark also performs many recitals as a collaborative pianist with singers in just about every genre. He has been featured on several CDs -- two with Theodore Baerg (La mystique de l’amour and Enchanted), one with TriofuS (Coolsteps), and two solo works of voice and piano music (A City Called Heaven and When It's All Been Said and Done). His latest, a Christmas CD titled Ring Them Bells, was released for 2010. More information on it can be found on the News & Notes page. He also appeared as piano soloist with Orchestra London, has served as musical director for the MTP production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, prepared two Puccini operas at the University of Western Ontario, and an opera gala to celebrate the London Opera Guild’s 25^th anniversary. He co-arranged, conducted and directed A Grand Night at the Stratford Festival. In addition, he performed the solo piano in Beethoven’s 1^st piano concerto with the Oakville Chamber Orchestra and conducted the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in a broadway tribute show starring Cynthia Dale. In addition, he was the repetitur and chorus master for Orchestra London’s production of Don Giovanni. For more information, see Mark's website.

NOTES from the Music Director…

We’ve got some exciting changes for music this year, changes which will enrich our worship greatly, I’m sure. 

First of all, we will be welcoming Chris Pentecost and Alex Baerg to our regular morning worship, as part of the instrumental ensemble.  Chris will be playing drums and Alex will be playing bass.  They will join me in bringing you the kind of music we’ve been enjoying for the past couple of years now.  It will continue to be a blend of contemporary and traditional, but all presented in a contemporary format.

Secondly, the choir is going to condense and thereby strengthen its efforts into preparing for the two main seasons in the church year – Christmas and Easter.  We will rehearse beginning in October for a wonderful evening service on the 4th Sunday in Advent.  This service will present a wealth of beautiful Christmas music, meaningful readings and presentations, and will feature the choir, several soloists from within and from outside the congregation, a small instrumental ensemble, and participation by the children.

Now, I am looking for at least 10 more people to swell the ranks of the choir, and I know you’re out there! 

To that end, I’ll make it easy for everyone to join us in preparing for Christmas.  We’re going to have our rehearsals immediately following church on Sunday mornings for an hour, beginning October 16th.  We will be done by 12:30pm, so you’ll still be home for a late lunch!  Please come join us – you’ll see how much fun the choir has in preparing music.

New Music

ELAM is committed to introducing contemporary Christian music to its worship services and the Music Director and choir take great joy in leading this. To help members of the congregation and newcomers get a taste of this music, the links below lead to recordings of songs that are currently being introduced. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, the songs may take a minute or so to download to your computer.

Amazing Grace (revised) Better Is One Day Blessed Be Your Name Grace Like Rain Holy Is the Lord Hosanna Hosanna 2 How Great Is Our God In Christ Alone

Indescribable Jesus Messiah Love the Lord My Saviour My God Still You Are God Alone Your Name God of This City Christ the Lord Is Risen Today