Music at Heartland
Music plays a very important role at Heartland. Our music program is led by the immensely talented Peter Roberts and consists of the following small groups:
Heartland Worship Jazz Band
The Heartland Worship Jazz Band is one of the central features of Heartland Presbyterian Church. We, as the church, identify as having a “jazz service” and the band provides the foundation for that identity. The band plays jazz arrangements of traditional Presbyterian Hymns, contemporary hymns, and Christian world music drawing especially from Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Africa. The band also provides music before and after the service as well as the offertory during the service that is either jazz standards or compositions by legendary jazz musicians such as Miles Davis.
The band is anchored by a professional rhythm section comprised of pianist and music director Peter Roberts, bassist Steve Charlson, and drummer Jamie Cord. There are also several volunteer musicians that play a variety of instruments including trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, violin, and flute.
The experience of playing in the band is open to all instrumentalists that wish to play with us. There is no need to ever play a solo, although volunteers are welcome to, and the music is generally available to practice about a week beforehand. Please contact Peter Roberts with questions about the group at peter@hpcusa.org.
Here is a playlist of recently recorded original tunes, performed for weekly worship by the Heartland Jazz Band.
Heartland Singers
The Heartland Singers is a generationally diverse choir that sings music from a variety of influences, eras, and styles. The ensemble welcomes anyone high school aged or older who wants to sing or learn to sing in a choral setting.
This year the Heartland Singers will perform music from Renaissance England, Debussy, Beethoven, Mozart, traditional carols, a jazz setting of “I Saw Three Ships”, and will perform the U.S.A. premier of the “Caribbean Mass” by Donald Patriquin complete with a steel drum player. In the past, we have sung arrangements of Mumford and Son’s, African-American Spirituals, and jazz and contemporary arrangements by the music director Peter Roberts.
For their spring concert in 2017, the Heartland Singers invited members of the Des Moines Symphony, the Central Iowa Wind Ensemble, Drake Orchestra, and members of three local church choirs to perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs. Music director, Peter Roberts, performed the baritone solo and Eric Mohlis, the 10-12 choir director at Dallas Center-Grimes High School, conducted the choir and orchestra.
Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at 7:15-8:15 in the Sanctuary from September through May. Please contact Peter with questions about the ensemble at peter@hpcusa.org.
Heartland Ringers
The Heartland Ringers is another generationally diverse group that plays handbells and handchimes. The group welcomes all ages of people who can read sheet music. The ensemble is lead by Jeff Gumm who is a member of the congregation that has experience teaching music in the public school system.
The Ringers rehearse Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:00 am in the music room adjacent to the northwest corner of the Sanctuary. For inquires about the group, please contact Jeff Gumm at jeffgumm@gmail.com