Music is at the heart of worship. Worship services provide many opportunities for everyone in the congregation to lift their voices in praise. Our choirs and instrumentalists provide support for congregational singing and add to the service with anthems and other special music. If you would like to be a part of the music ministry at Good Shepherd, contact Music Director Nemeh Azzam.

Sanctuary Choir
The Sanctuary Choir, which sings at Sunday services from September through June, is open to adults and high school and college-level students who have a love for singing and some experience with choral groups. The choir sings a large range of music, from traditional and classical to contemporary, Gospel, and spiritual pieces. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Sanctuary Choir also sings during occasional midweek services and presents one or two concerts during the year.

Listen to the Sanctuary Choir here:

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
For Unto Us a Child Is Born
The Dream Isaiah Saw

The PRAISE Band
The PRAISE Band supports our Sunday/PRAISE service, which is held the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month at 11 AM in the Fellowship Hall. The band has rehearsal on Wednesdays that precede the next PRAISE service. Contact PRAISE Band Director Dan Lamaestra for more information. 

Handbell Choir
Our three-octave bell choir rings in worship once a month, usually on the fourth Sunday. Other playing times include Reformation Sunday, Christmas Eve, and Easter. Repertoire emphasis is on liturgical bell-ringing and hymn-based settings, but the choir continually strives to explore more complex music, sometimes incorporating the choir and other musical interments.

Past ringing experience is not necessary to be a part of this choir, but the ability to count rhythms and read music is important.

Our Organ
Our pipe organ was assembled by Martin Ott in St. Louis, Missouri, and installed in June 2009. Ott was born, raised, and received his training as orgelbaumeister from his Uncle Paul in Göttingen, Germany. The organ contains 2 manuals, 33 ranks, and 1,872 pipes, which are housed in an oak case with raised mahogany panels. The wooden pipes, made of cherry and spruce and hidden inside the organ case, were hand-crafted in Ott's workshop in St. Louis. The metal pipes that fill the front façade of the case and the large majority of the inside chamber were built by two of Ott's lifelong friends in Portugal and are made of copper and tin. We are thankful to Peter Duys of the A.E. Schleuter Pipe Organ Company in Lithonia, Georgia, for tuning, voicing, and tirelessly maintaining our organ.

Read more about the organ in the program produced for its dedication in October 2012.

Listen to our organist, Todd Grivetti, play the organ:
"If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee" (Wer nur den Lieben Gott lasst walten), by J.S. Bach
"To God Be the Glory," arr. Mary Ellen Kerrick
"When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," arr. Gilbert Martin

Check out Todd's YouTube channel!

Concert Series
The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Concert Series creates an opportunity for our neighbors to enjoy an evening of music in our sanctuary. Concerts are free; a freewill donation is collected after each performance. Our next concert will be on June 2, marking the 10th anniversary of the installation of our organ. The concert will be performed by A. Nathaniel Gumbs, Director of Chapel Music at Yale University.The concert, co-sponsored by the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, will begin at 4 p.m. A reception will follow the concert.