Trinity Lutheran Choir and Bells

06/18/2026

If you want to watch the live stream of Jonathan's performance or see the recording later, here's the link. The performance will be on Sunday, June 21, at 4 pm central time.

CUC streaming and archived video viewing options.

06/17/2026

06/07/2026

SONG OF SONGS is a beautiful and deeply theological poem in the Old Testament. Jonathan Stahlke will present an explanation of this book in the Trinity Center on June 7 (9:15 am) and June 14 (8:30 am).

These presentations are preparatory for the world premiere of Jonathan's musical setting of the entire book on Sunday, June 21, at 4 pm (Concordia University Chicago, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest). For more information, contact Jonathan at 708-341-4679.

Painting:
_Song of Songs_ by Peter Stahlke

06/07/2026

CLOSING HYMN is “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” (LSB 803) by the U.S. educator, minister, diplomat, and author Henry Van D**e (1852-1933). Born into a Presbyterian family in Pennsylvania, Van D**e attended Princeton University and later taught English literature there.

The tune ODE TO JOY was composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) for his groundbreaking Ninth Symphony (1824). The melody was originally written for Friedrich Schiller’s secular poem "An die Freude" (“To Joy”), but several composers (including Van D**e) have used the tune for hymns.

05/31/2026

JOYFUL NOISE is Trinity’s newest musical ensemble. Their name is taken from Psalm 100:1 "Make a joyful voice to the Lord, all the earth!"

This youth band will play for the prelude and offering at the 10:30 service. Thank you to these young musicians who have worked hard to prepare music for worship today.

Source of image:
Psalm 100 – A Psalm for Giving Thanks – Lift Up Your Eyes! https://share.google/uiUXrIqR0WNB1mPIS

05/24/2026

Today is Pentecost, which celebrates the Holy Spirit and is the third of the three great festivals of the church year. The distribution hymn at Trinity today is “Come Down, O Love Divine” (LSB 501), a Pentecost poem by the Italian monk Bianco da Siena (c. 1350 – c. 1434). This vernacular lauda spirituale (sacred song) was originally written in Italian, not Latin.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) composer the tune DOWN AMPNEY in 1906 for _The English Hymnal_. It is named after the Gloucestershire village where the composer was born. Vaughan William’s melody has been praised as one of the most beautiful hymn tunes ever written.

Painting:
_Pentecost_ by Juan Bautista Maíno (1581-1649), located in the Prado Museum.

05/19/2026

From a theology prof at Concordia:
"Concordia Chicago celebrates the Song of Songs this June 20-21 in the festival of Scripture and the Arts. It will have music, poetry, art, and theologians! The theologians Drs Raabe, Steinmann and Elowsky will share their interpretation of the Song. Join us if you can. It will be amazing."

Jonathan's oratorio _Song of All Songs_ will receive its world premiere on Sunday, June 21, at 4 pm.

https://www.cuchicago.edu/events/2026/062/festival-of-scripture--the-arts--song-of-all-songs/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAR5VqdjbGNrBHlWcWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhs5eVThnlZLT0-EzsjJzZ1k81fTbDFZWo8trA4eGOyqpdFzbsoPy_dB9t5S_aem_ONgl1QvnlInI53StDrsTcA

Concordia University Chicago (CUC) will host a Festival of Scripture & The Arts on its campus in suburban River Forest, Ill., on June 20–21. The we...

05/13/2026

Did you borrow library books at this place?
Built in 1915, this was the second church in Villa Park. It served as the Trinity Lutheran Church until 1956, when the library purchased it. It had been remodeled after a fire in 1936.
Trinity Lutheran met in the Ardmore School building from 1913 until this building was completed. In 1956 they moved across the street to their new church and current location.
In 1969 the Villa Park Public Libary moved into it's new building. This building was razed and became the location of the parking lot for the library. Today it is the St Alexander's Catholic Church parking lot.

05/03/2026

All students currently in 5th - 12th grades who like to sing or play an instrument are invited to spend Wednesday afternoons at Trinity making music. If you don't already play or sing, there are opportunities to play chimes and percussion instruments.
Wednesdays April 22 - May 27 @ 4:30 – 6:30 (no class on May 13)
Sunday, May 31 @ 10:30 Perform in worship

05/03/2026

APPOINTED HYMN OF THE DAY is “At the Lamb’s High Feast” (LSB 633). Originally written in Latin sometime between the 4th and 9th centuries, it was translated to English by Robert Campbell in the mid-19th c. The text, with many references to Revelation, also points to the Easter Vigil in numerous ways. Historically the hymn was sung between Easter Eve and Ascension, usually for Vespers.

The tune SONNE DER GERECHTIGKEIT was originally the melody for the fifteenth-century Bohemian folk song “Der reich Mann war geritten aus” (The rich man has gone riding”).

Image: _Adoration of the Mystic Lamb_ from the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan Van Eyck