Music

Music

Luther Memorial's respected music program is led by Bruce Bengtson, who has served for 30 years as LM's director of music. An award-winning choral director and organist, Bruce leads LM's adult choir, youth choir, children's choir, bell choir, and Recorder ensemble and organizes various groups of instrumentalists. Bruce also gives free organ recitals at noon on Wednesdays during the school year.

Varied Liturgical Settings

In addition to the Evangelical Lutheran Worship musical settings for the communion service, Luther Memorial uses different styles of music from time to time. Examples are:

• Franz Schubert's German Mass, sometimes with orchestral accompaniment
• John Karl Hirten's Mary Mass setting of the liturgy. The music was written in 1993 and dedicated to the congregation of Old St. Mary's Church, San Francisco.

Luther Memorial's organs

The church has three pipe organs:

• A 56-rank Austin organ built and installed in the rear balcony in 1966
• A 1893 Steere and Sons tracker action organ of 19 stops, restored and installed in the east transept in September in 1997
• A 1986 Bedient portative organ of three stops