New music director at Christ Episcopal

Ryan Bridge has been selected as the new music director at Christ Episcopal Church.

A graduate of Belleville High School, class of ‘10, Bridge attended the Manhattan School of Music for classical piano and organ, and received his masters in classical piano at Montclair State University where he also was a graduate assistant in theory and composition. He began playing the piano at five and studied voice, and played the clarinet and saxophone.

“Most of my time was on the piano,” the 32-year-old Belleville resident said in a recent interview. And I went through all the schools I attended singing in choirs. I also sang for the North Jersey Regional Choir while in high school.”

He hopes to build a youth choir at Christ Episcopal having been involved with the New Jersey Youth Choir, in New Providence, for the last three years.

“I’m passionate about music education,” he said. “I’d like to make the church a center for music. With the colleagues I have, I’d like to bring in some to share their music. It could be wonderful.”

Bridge has also been involved with a community group, the Ridgewood Singers, for six years, starting as a concert pianist. He is now an assistant conductor. He has composed and hopes to write choral music. He also works as a staff pianist at MSU and has about two dozen private students. He said the purpose of sacred music is primarily to put a special emphasis on the occasion to be worshiped.

“At Christ Episcopal, it’s traditional Angelican music,” he said. “It can be lively and energetic. More than likely, it evokes a feeling of sacredness and holiness. I grew up going to St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, in Nutley, and love musical theater, love jazz, but always sacred music for me.”

In sacred music, he said, there are central choral pieces that capture the mood of the occasion or season, but at times, there is more freedom in what might be performed.

In the past, for example, Black History Month and Women’s History Month have been celebrated at Christ Episcopal, so the musical selection can be tied to world events at-large.

He said to get a true appreciation for sacred music, one should hear it live, resonating through the building.

“An organ can make so many different sounds,” he said. “People say it was the first musical synthesizer. It’s incredibly appealing.”

The Rev. Diana Wilcox, who leads Christ Epsicopal, said that sacred music first and foremost is praise.

“Our choir and director of music aid our congregation in lifting up our hearts to God through beautiful music.” she said. “I know when I hear my favorite hymn tunes, my heart is always full.”

Wilcox said a variety of hymns can be sung to the same tune, her favorite including, “Lord, you give the great commission,” “For all the saints,” “Be thou my vision” and “Guide me, O thou great redeemer.”

“We sing all the verses in the worship service because in them is expressed the theology of the lyricist and to drop a verse or two is to cut up the flow of the lyricist’s prayer,” she said. “Choir anthems in the service offer a chance for everyone to prepare themselves for the Eucharist, to put themselves in the proper mind and heart.”
Bridge said his love for choral music comes from the sense of community it builds.

“And that you’re bringing poetry to life is incredibly powerful,” he said.

  Christ Church, Episcopal, Glen Ridge