Music is an integral part of the worship life of Shallowford. The true choir of Shallowford is the congregation. Hymns, spiritual songs, and psalms are selected for each service that intentionally lift up the texts of scripture and sermon for the day. In this way the congregation participates through its singing in the proclamation, praise, and prayer of each service. Worship is not a spectator sport at Shallowford, it is the people at work in response to God's presence in our lives. Time is often taken before worship to introduce new hymns and psalm refrains. The church uses the Presbyterian Hymnal: Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs (1990) and we have enjoyed exploring the rich variety of this resource of theology, scripture, poetry, and music in our worship.

The Shallowford Singers are a choir of about 20 singers, open to anyone who wishes to join. We sing a full range of the church music repertoire including moets, anthems, chorales, oratoria movements, spirituals, and gospel music. We enjoy music from all times, from the Renaissance to the twentieth century - including some works that were composed especially for us. we rehearse regularly on Wednesday nights at 7:30 from September through May, and on Sunday mornings during the summer months.

The Joyful Noise is a children's choir for grades 1-5.  We also have New Song, a preschool and kindergarten choir. These two groups rehearse during the school year and also lead the congregation in worship, singing anthems, and psalms during the church year. 

The choirs provide two services during the year in which music is a major portion of the liturgy: a Service of Lessons and Carols on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and a Service of Tenebrae (darkness) on Good Friday. We enjoy evenings of prayer using the music of the Community of Taize in October and on the first Sunday of Lent. The prayers of Taize also play an important part in our Service for Wholeness.

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