Dear People of St. James’,
I am delighted to announce that, effective August 1, HouFei Yang has been named St. James’ Music Minister. She will be responsible for St. James’ vibrant and diverse Sunday morning music program, working on a half-time basis alongside our pianist Sharon Coleman. Martha Pulkingham continues to serve as Music Minister for the evening service, and Francisco Chavez continues as Worship Leader for our 1 pm Spanish-speaking community.
The Music Ministry Search Committee, co-chaired by Riley Carruthers and John May, and including Sharon Coleman, Ari Monts, Clark Nisbett, and Rev. Eileen, began their work in May of this year. We hoped to find someone skilled both in conducting choral music and piano accompaniment and performance. But beyond that, we wanted to find someone who had a strong pastoral commitment to supporting the choir in its ministry with and to the congregation, nurturing congregational singing, and helping us live into our traditions of radical welcome and continuing embrace of the African American heritage of St. James’. To our great delight, we found all of this and more in HouFei Yang, who comes to us with incredible keyboard skills on piano and organ, a love of choir-building, and experience in working with a multi-cultural church community.
We are eager for you to get to know HouFei, who will be present with us on Sundays. When we get beyond this current surge, we will host some outdoor welcome gatherings so that we can welcome her the St. James’ way, with eager and loving hospitality. But, in the meantime, don’t be afraid to reach out, especially if you are a part of our music community, and introduce yourself (houfei@stjamesaustin.org). Because of COVID, this is a strange time to enter a new faith community, especially as a music minister. We are going to be about the work of continuing to adapt to the COVID-rollercoaster over the next year as we seek to rebuild our choral and music community. I am so thankful that HouFei will be leading us in that holy work.
Here is more about HouFei:
HouFei, born and raised in China, started playing piano at the age of 4. When HouFei was in high school, she had the opportunity to play for Dr. William Race from UT Austin in a master class at the Shanghai Conservatory. Dr. Race subsequently offered HouFei full scholarship to attend UT Austin Music School. That’s how HouFei came to Austin as a freshman and started her journey in America. After graduating from UT Austin with a BA in piano performance. HouFei went on to get her master’s and doctoral degree in piano performance from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. During her years at Peabody, HouFei was one of the Accompanying Teaching Assistants and gained vast experience working with various instrumentalists and vocalists.
HouFei has always worked as a church musician. One of the long term church positions, she has held was the music director at Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia, MD. Being in the suburb of DC, Christ Episcopal Church had a very diverse, multi-cultural congregation. People of different colors and cultural backgrounds all celebrated the Lord’s Day together. HouFei, being from a different country herself, enjoyed the diversity and felt very much at home. Over the years, the loving, supportive, vibrant congregations HouFei has been blessed to serve allowed her the opportunity to become an organist and discover the joy of being a choir conductor.
In her spare time, HouFei enjoys reading and trying out cooking various dishes with youtube videos.
Help us to welcome HouFei!
Rev. Eileen
