Ministers: All Members of the Church
Pastor: Rev. Rich Rose
Program Associate: Kristin Scott
Administrative Assistant: Beth McGee
Organist/Pianist: Christopher Loy
Choir Director: Jennifer Lawrence Birnbaum
Custodian:
Kristen Scott-
Please visit our site again soon as we update our information.
Loy has been a guest composer/pianist in many venues and recital series throughout the mid-west and New York State. In 1987, he was a founding director of “EPICYCLE: an ensemble for new music” based in Cleveland. This organization helped to establish a significant voice for new music in Cleveland.
Since the 1980s Loy has received over 25 commissions from members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights, the Sage Chapel Choir of Cornell University, and individuals. He has received grants from New York State's Meet the Composer fund, the Gund Foundation, and the Cornell Council on the Creative Arts. He was invited to attend the 1993 June in Buffalo Institute. In 1998 and 2001, he received the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program Grant to compose his Serenade and String Quartet #1. His works have been premiered in Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, New York, San Francisco, San Antonio, and Ithaca.
He was a guest Professor of Composition at Binghamton University in 2005, and serves on the faculties of the Community School of Music and Art (CSMA) in Ithaca, NY and the 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning, NY. He is music coordinator and organist at the First Baptist Church of Ithaca.
Loy is a member of BMI and the American Composers Alliance (ACA). Helianthus Music Publishing Company publishes his music.
Jennifer Lawrence Birnbaum, FBC Choir director is a music teacher, choral director, performer and concert coordinator with music degrees from both Ithaca College and Columbia University. She has taught general music, chorus and recorder both in the greater Ithaca area and at the Little Red School House and Elizabeth Irwin High School (NYC) for over 12 years.
She has performed with college choirs, Glass Managerie, Women Singing and the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble. Most recently, she has been involved in producing choral performances, operettas and benefit concerts with great success. In addition, she was responsible for hiring and scheduling of arts teachers, counselors, field trips and demonstrations for the CSMA summer arts camp.
Ms. Birnbaum has held positions on the boards of the Kodaly Organization of New York, the Cornell Savoyards and the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble. Prior to her starting at FBC in April of 2007, she was the director of Contemporary Ensemble at St. Catherine's of Siena Catholic Church. Her most satisfying work of late has been envisioning and executing benefit concerts for local families in need and the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
What does the Lord require of you?
To do Justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.
~Micah 6:8~
Peace to all who enter here.