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The Saint Simons Sacred Music Festival, founded in 2019, is an event inspired by the Music and Worship services of the American Choral Directors Association National Conference.  Its goal is to further our sense of community through the healing powers of music.  It is a completely non-denominational endeavour open to any and all singers who wish to make our Golden Isles an even better place to be.   It also exists to introduce new music to our worship community and to support contemporary composers in the genre of sacred music.  We hosted our inaugural composer-in-residence and clinician Elaine Hagenberg in 2019, and reemerged from COVID with renowned choral composer and clinician Craig Courtney in March of 2022,  esteemed conductor Dr. Z. Randall Stroope in 2023, the estimable Dan Forrest as our composer-in-residence in 2024, the dynamic Kyle Pederson in 2025, and last year Howard Helvey graciously shared his gifts of music with us.  This year we are excited to host Tom Trenney, who is composing this year’s anthem for its world premiere at our festival!  You can read more about Tom and listen to some samples of his music at tomtrenney.com.  Mr. Trenney will accompany the choir and lead our rehearsals of his music throughout the weekend, culminating at a special service Friday, Feb. 13th at 3:30 p.m. at St. Simons Island United Methodist Church.  For more information on how YOU can be a part of this experience, just click the link at the bottom of this page.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY
February 12 and 13, 2027

St. Simons United Methodist Church
624 Ocean Blvd.
St. Simons Island, GA 31522

2027 Festival Schedule

Composer-In-Residence

Composer, conductor, pianist, organist, preacher and teacher Tom Trenney has been blessed to serve as Minister of Music to First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, NE since 2009.  in 2019, he became associate Professor of Music and Director of Choirs at Nebraska Wesleyan University.  Tom’s choirs have been honored to perform for state, regional, and national conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and they have been award winners in the American Prize for Choral Ensembles.  He serves as Music in Worship Chair for Midwest ACDA.
Tom has been a featured performer at churches, colleges and concert halls across the country including Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Philadelphia’s Kauffman Center, the Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.  His choral compositions are published be Augsburg Fortress, Beckenhorst Press, Choristers Guild, E. C. Shirmer, Galaxy Music, Morningstar Music, Musicspoke, Pavane, and G. Shirmer.
A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of music and the Eastman School of Music, Tom is grateful for the inspriation of his teacher and mentors – especially Anton Armstrong, David Davidson, Craig Hella Johnson, Mister Fred Rogers, William Weinert, Anne Wilson and Todd Wilson.