Music Ministry

Music has been an ongoing priority in the 25+ year life of The Fountains. One delightful story about the original charter members is that every Sunday morning when the choir was asked to stand to sing the anthem, everyone but one or two people stood to sing! Music continues to provide the heartbeat for The Fountains to this day.

Adult Choir:
The Adult Choir provides Choral Music, both traditional and contemporary, for the 9:00am service from September through May. In addition to weekly anthems, the Choir leads the congregational singing of hymns and special music throughout the service. The Choir also presents an annual Christmas Cantata and Easter Cantata. The Adult Choir rehearses Wednesday Evenings from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, and Sunday Mornings from 8:30am to 9:15am in the Church Sanctuary. The Adult Choir is open to all who are interested. Newcomers are always welcome!

Special Summer Music:
During the hot Summer months vocal soloist, small ensembles, and instrumentalists provide musical leadership for the Fountains worship services.

Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles:
As part of the expanding ministry of the Music Program, we like to put together various small Vocal Ensembles and Instrumental Ensembles to provide special music throughout the year. This could be a Men’s or Women’s Ensemble, A Cappella Group, Jazz Quartet, Flute solo etc. If interested, please contact the Church Office.

WildeP’lay is a twofold creative and performance collaboration of singer/ saxophonist Donna Wilde and pianist/keyboardist Richard Palalay that writes songs which strike a balance between entertainment and social awareness, as well as produces and performs big-stage shows with a number of themes that delight and enlighten audiences. Several of their compositions from their album Fabric of Love have received radio and internet radio airplay locally and nationally, and their shows have been featured at such venues as Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, Fountain Hills Theater, the Sagebrush Ballroom at Sun City Grand, and Wickenburg Community Center. They have been featured performers on Phoenix-area TV and radio shows, and even appeared in a segment for an HBO special about a distinguished WWII pilot. WildeP’lay also writes original music for businesses and websites under its Musicality brand.

The Fountains UMC Handbell Choir is a member of Handbell Musicians of America, and welcomes new and experienced ringers to join us. We practice weekly on Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 pm, and ring on Sunday mornings once a month and for special events.

The choir is directed by Suzanne Miller, who was introduced to handbells when the church she attends found cases of bells in a closet and started recruiting congregation members to learn how to put them into use. She is also the Handbell Choir Director at New Covenant Lutheran Church (Scottsdale, AZ), where it all started. Suzanne has a B.A. in Music and owns a collection of instruments she plays for self-enjoyment, in addition to ringing handbells as a member of Sonoran Bells (Tucson, AZ) and subbing for various churches in the Phoenix area. She is Michigan-born and Alaska-raised and has resided in Scottsdale, AZ, for many years. Suzanne works in Finance for BASIS Charter Schools.

We invite you to come to hear us ring, and are available to tell you more about opportunities to ring with us! Contact Suzanne at skamiller@cox.net.