Monique Weiss Byrnes has been called as Organist and Director of Music of The Episcopal Parish of St. John the Evangelist.
Monique is delighted to join the staff at St. John’s. Monique lives with her husband Brendan in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where they raised their two children, Luke and Chloe Byrnes. Monique has focused on the spiritual and nourishing qualities that sacred choral and liturgical music bring to the singer and musician in the church community. Choirs are truly a beautiful presence in communities. The joy, beauty, love, and deep caring inherent in the sacred choral community has inspired her vocation as a liturgical musician. She has directed children’s, RSCM, youth, and adult choirs in the Episcopal church and finds a natural and deep connection to each other and the Divine in each moment of sacred music making in the Episcopal denomination.
Chloe and Luke Byrnes, with Daisy.
Monique received a Bachelor’s of Music in Organ Performance and Master’s in Music Teaching with a Choral emphasis from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Since Oberlin, she has played organ and directed choirs in churches, schools, and communities. She writes, “As a choral director, I find the simple, intriguing, and sometimes messy work of this musical and spiritual journey with each chorister and the choir as a whole, to be a fascinating, mystical, and glorious journey and in part a musical meditation or prayer to God.”
Monique and her husband, Brendan.
To balance the music, Monique loves spending time in nature, going to museums and concerts with her husband Brendan, a professional jazz/afro-cuban/latin drummer, their son Luke, a geotechnical engineer, their daughter Chloe, studying photography and business at Stonybrook University, and their Australian cattle dog, Daisy. In addition, she can be found gardening, cooking, baking, kayaking, hiking, and doing yoga as a way to center her day around finding God in each sacred moment of life.
From The Rector
I am delighted that Monique will be joining us this summer, and that she will be sharing her musical gifts, and indeed her skills in teaching and passion for spiritual formation with our community. As well as being a very experienced church musician and choral conductor in Episcopal parishes, Monique has served across various denominations and in a wide range of musical styles, as well as being a professional educator. She comes to us immediately from The Eliot Church of Newton, and Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, the latter where she played organ, conducted choirs, organized international choir tours, and taught teachers and students in folk, classical, jazz, spirituals, and pop.
Monique will be visiting St. John’s throughout August to prepare for the new program year, and she will officially begin her time with us on September 1. Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Monique and her family to St. John’s. There will be various opportunities to welcome and celebrate her in early September!
The Rev. Edward Thornley, Rector
Jody Jones Turner, Senior Warden
Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn, Junior Warden
and the Vestry of The Parish of St. John the Evangelist