Music and Choirs at Idlewild
If you’ve ever experienced the glorious churches in Europe — an organ concert in Paris, a carillon in London, a choir in Stuttgart, a worship service in Rome — you know the tradition of the music ministry at Idlewild Presbyterian Church. The congregation shares in praise with hymns related to modern concerns in the new hymnal and the enduring hymns of Christian tradition.
Special programs of alternative music add variety and entice special interest groups to worship. Youth Sunday may bring drums and guitars; stewardship focus may feature a gospel choir or jazz combo; and music for holy days such as Easter and Christmas usually includes a brass ensemble, harp and violin, or chamber group.
Singers of every age have the bonus of music education added to the joy of singing. Rehearsals for every choir include ear training; music appreciation; music history; hymnology; liturgy; sight reading; responsibility for vestments, music, and attendance—and fun!
Add in our magnificent sanctuary pipe organ and the 48-bell carillon, and you have music at Idlewild.
Dr. Ted Gibboney
Organist and Director of Music
726-4681 ext. 12
gibboney@idlewildchurch.org
Adult Sanctuary Choir
Idlewild's Adult Choir has a reputation of a high quality of musicianship that attracts singers from the congregation, nearby Rhodes College, the graduate music program at the University of Memphis, and throughout the community. Led by Ted Gibboney, approximately 50 singers lead the music worship each Sunday at the 11:00 service. Soloists lead the service at 8:30 in the chapel.
Adult Choir rehearsals are on Thursday evening.
The choir rehearses Thursday evenings: 7:00-8:00 p.m. for worship and other services; 8:00-9:00 for concerts and special occasions.
In addition to regular Sunday services, the choir takes part in concerts and special programs, such as Mozart's Requiem and Haydn's Creation, accompanied by members of local professional ensembles.
Children's Choirs
Music ministry for children at Idlewild is not just about music, nor is it merely an activity for Wednesday evenings. The foundation of the choir curriculum at every level is to give children the tools 
necessary to be active participants in the primary focus of every Christian: hearing and responding to God in Sunday worship. All children's choirs are led by Ted Gibboney.
Cherub Choir (Kindergarteners)
Our Cherub Choir sings in Sunday worship about every two months during the school year. This choir lays the foundation for children to learn the joy of participating in worship through the music ministry. Rehearsals are Sundays at 9:40 a.m. (the first half of church school) in Room 201W.
Primary (grades 1-3)
Junior Choir (grades 4-6)
Primary and Junior Choirs rehearse and sing throughout the school year. These choirs rehearse Wednesday evenings (before WELL dinner): Primary Choir 5:00 - 5:40 p.m.; Junior Choir 5:00 - 5:50 p.m.
The Sanctuary Pipe Organ
Idlewild Presbyterian Church houses two magnificent musical instruments: The Sanctuary pipe organ and the 48-bell carillon.
The design of Idlewild's sanctuary pipe organ was inspired by instruments of 18th and 19th century France. It is comprised of three keyboards and a pedalboard. The 69 sets of pipes in the organ are combined into 47 individual sounds or stops and total 3,459 individual pipes.
The key action system and stop action system allows the organist to create an infinite variety of combination of sounds and tonal colors. The console employs a memory system that permits the organist to store many different combinations of sounds.
The local chapter of American Guild of Organists schedules meetings and recitals at Idlewild, in addition to recitals by the church’s organists.
The Idlewild Carillon
Idlewild's carillon of 48 bells was completed in 1999. The carillon is the only one in Memphis, and the largest musical instrument in the MidSouth.
The bells, housed in a stone tower which rises majestically 120 feet above the church’s sanctuary, were cast at the Paccard-Fonderie de Cloches of Annecy, France. They range in weight from 4,397 to 29 pounds, totaling more than 26,890 pounds.
Forty-four of the bells are stationary; the other four, the C, F, G and A in the bottom octave, swing in a peal or a random ringing. Due to the varying sizes of the bells, the smallest of the four bells rings first, the next largest follows, and so on. The cessation of the peal is in reverse order.
The church building itself was completed in the late 1920s, but, because of the volatile economic times, the magnificent bell tower remained empty for decades. In 1980 the first 23 bells were installed, and the remaining 25 were installed in the fall of 1999. The full carillon was initiated by carillonneur Paul Hicks on December 31, 1999 at 11:59 as a welcome to the third millennium.
Carillonneurs David Caudill and Peggy McClure give carillon concerts several times a year, in addition to playing for 20-30 minutes each weekday at 4:00 p.m.