Director Music and Organist
Wilden Dannenberg
Director of Music and Organist
Wilden Dannenberg is a multifaceted musician committed to engaging people in a range of musical styles and experiences. With a firm foundation in the repertoire of early to contemporary works, Wilden is regularly engaged as a hornist, conductor, arranger and organist. Recent highlights include the Weill Hall premiere of a Carnegie Hall commission, multiple collaborations as a conductor and performer with Pulitzer Prize winning composer Tania León, and a live performance on WQXR’s New Sounds.
Originally from South Georgia, Wilden holds degrees from Florida State and Stony Brook Universities, and is an alumnus of Ensemble Connect, a fellowship program of Carnegie Hall and the Juilliard School. He is a resident artist with the Bronx Arts Ensemble, Assistant Director of the Westchester-based Hudson Chorale, teaching artist for Carnegie Hall, and faculty member at Adelphi University.
Wilden believes strongly in God’s ability to to use music to inspire people to contemplation and action– to go into the world and do the work of the Gospel. He is delighted to be joining the staff of St. Luke and St. Matthew in the fulfilling role of Music Director and Organist.
Piano Lessons
Piano lessons class begins Tuesday, September 12th and will be every Tuesday 4pm to 8:30 pm.
The price is 30 minutes $35 and 45 min $45.
Any inquiries please email musicministry@stlukeandstmatthew.org
Choir Recruitment
The choir is recruiting for the Fall. We seek a 16 person choir each Sunday consisting of 12 volunteers and 4 paid section leaders.
If you or someone you know would like to join the choir please contact:
Andy Clarke
Leader of the choristers at
347-866-1722 or tenbari1253@gmail.com.
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Keep up with the musical activities at The Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew.
Music Ministry
Music has been an integral component of our worship of God and our spiritual life since at least the time of King David. Music has the power to lift the soul and enhance our spirits. The Church of St Luke and St Matthew is firmly committed to providing a stellar music program that spans the repertoire from ancient choral traditional sacred music to spirituals and contemporary gospel music.
The Chancel Choir has a rich history in this parish. The first choir was assembled in 1865. The tradition continued with the Boys and Men choir accompanied by the IV/60 Reuben Midmer & Sons(1895) Pipe Organ and a 9 foot Knabe concert Grand Piano. By then the parish had three choirs – the church choir, the chapel choir and the Sunday School Choir.
The backbone of the musical life of the church is the Chancel Choir (which can be heard at the 11 am Sunday services) and organ heard at most services. The Choral and organ presentations are eclectic and strive to satisfy and inspire all musical tastes. We have begun the process of restoring our Organ and Piano with the hopes of including them in our concert series.
As the music ministry grows the parish is working on developing a children and youth choir, which will provide an opportunity for the young people in the area to learn the choral music tradition, develop their voices and learn to read music and work alongside others in developing their skills and especially in developing friendships.
The Organ
The current organ was installed in the church in 1915 following the devastating fire of 1914 that destroyed the Martin Memorial Organ. The organ was built by M.P. Moller, Inc of Hagerstown, Maryland. It has 4 manuals, 80 stops and 61 ranks. It was rebuilt in 1980 by Schantz. In 2012 following damage by another fire the organ was cleaned and restored to the wonderful instrument we have today, one of the largest such instruments in Brooklyn.
Timpani
In the late 1970’s or early 1980’s Mr. James Wofford who was a member of the church, and a school teacher, at a local Junior High School in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area was instrumental in procuring the set of 2 Ludwig timpani (26” & 23”) for the church..
He said that he had noticed the tympani lying around idle the music room and enquired about them. When he learned that the school had no immediate use for them, he acquired them from the school for the church.
