Innovative Partnership Puts Student Musicians In The Spotlight

Hatboro, Pa. - A summer test run blossomed into a partnership between the area’s elite youth musical ensembles and a Hatboro church, resulting in new opportunities for young musicians and enhanced worship experiences for congregants.

The Sanctuary Choir, the senior choir at Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church in Hatboro, funded the summer pilot program, which highlighted musicians from the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County during Sunday worship services. The YOBC Residency Program became a fixture in the church’s music ministry.

Ruth Kuchinsky-Smith, who serves as a YOBC volunteer and music director at Lehman, saw a way to connect the students and the church.

“The Youth Orchestra of Bucks County has a lot of talent,” she said. “And I saw an opportunity to get them into the public eye. In addition, the youth and the talent enrich our worship experience. We’ve been largely choral and this residency allows me to use certain individuals on specific anthems that require a particular instrument.”

Colleen Sweetsir, YOBC’s executive director, sees the program as a growth opportunity for the young musicians.

“The residency has given the students a chance to use their skills in a real-life situation,” she said. “It expands their reach to a greater audience and they serve people by performing. It’s great for people to witness what these students are up to and to expand their appreciation for classical music.”

Kuchinsky-Smith, who is also a full-time professor at Cairn University in Langhorne, said students can also inspire Lehman congregants.

“It gives the young people in our church a chance to hear these instruments, perhaps before they select an instrument in school,” she said. “And for those already playing an instrument, it might inspire them to seek an opportunity to play in a service.”

And the residency has been a success with the Lehman congregation.

“The congregation loves it,” Kuchinsky-Smith said. “Whenever they see young people do things within the services, they get excited because it speaks of an investment in the next generation. They are very complimentary of these kids. They love to talk with them and get to know the plans are for their life, what college they are going to or what career they might choose.”

She also said the young musicians leave a lasting impression.

“The congregation asks about the students long after they’ve played,” she said. “They want to know how they are doing or are they coming back to play again because they enjoyed having them.”

The residency is also a part of continued growth for YOBC, which started 26 years ago as a single orchestra. There are now eight ensembles, including two full orchestras, and 10 chamber ensembles for students from kindergarten through high school, drawing from schools all across Bucks and Montgomery counties. This summer, YOBC will have its eighth international tour, this time to Andalusia, Spain.

The students perform at both traditional services - 8:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. Lehman also offers a contemporary worship service at 9:30 a.m. and a Latino worship at 10:30 a.m.

Caption for attached photo: Raegen DuBeck, a 17-year-old junior at Calvary Christian Academy performed on her clarinet at Lehman Church in February. She also plays the saxophone and piano.