Just Look Up

By Samuel K. Sweet, Director of Music

I often talk to choirs about how music is not just an auditory experience, but is also an architectural one. At its core, a song is a building that does what buildings should, welcome people in. That notion of flinging the doors wide open for all people to experience its essence is exhilarating to me. To be the bannerman of the heartbeat of a piece of music—or the heartbeat of a parish—is what has driven our community of music in the past and will continue to do so into the future. Whether it be singing or playing, Cherub or Adult Choir Member, Organist or Conductor, the pulse of our music ministry is stronger than ever, and I want you to be a part of that next chapter.

People ask me all the time, “How long have you been at Saint Michael?” I always relish giving them my response as I say, “I’ve been a part of the woodwork of Saint Michael for over a decade…and believe it or not, the brick walls are good friends too.” Starting off as a Staff Singer fresh out of the rolling plains of Kansas while studying at the University of North Texas, then Assistant Choirmaster, then Assistant Director and now Director of Music, that same boy from the good midwestern soil of my mother is beyond honored to be serving this community by curating the worship-driven artistic experiences for all people who walk through those doors. Ever since walking through those same doors for the first time in 2014 myself, I have been enamored by the kindness and sincerity of the people in the pews who accept all walks of life—the heartbeat of our song. Like our stained-glass windows, where different shapes and colors find homes knitted together in microcosms of shocking alignment, I find our parish mirrors that exact same symbiosis. The very same undeniable truth so often preached every Sunday: that this gift to exist together, to worship together, to live and love together is a beautiful design that wraps our entire existence in one large embrace. Music-making at Saint Michael, like visual art, is the perfect vehicle to find that innate sense of welcoming love we all hope to find within the larger mosaic of life. What it takes is listening. The music at Saint Michael allows those who listen to be present in the presence of divinity’s embrace, and to bear witness to beauty, grace, and truth.

I have witnessed the many chapters of music’s life here in our parish, and I am ready to help write a new one with familiar faces and new faces alike. Over this summer, I had the privilege of working with the Rev. David Faulkner—a treasure to us all here at Saint Michael—to help appoint our new Principal Organist, Jordan DeRouen. Originally from Louisiana, and with degrees in Organ Performance from Northwestern State University, and Southern Methodist University, Jordan is both world-class musician and deeply genuine human. Please read his biography on the following pages. In conversations with Jordan, David and I both found that he innately shares the values that Saint Michael consistently embodies; love through faith is a service found in music.

One of the greatest strengths that Saint Michael has to offer, is its immense dedication to education. Learning plays a critical role in our parish, both for parishioner and staff alike. Speaking for myself, I started at Saint Michael as a young student at UNT with hopes of one day having my own choirs, and I knew that my learning experiences at Saint Michael were going to be a major catalyst for my development as a musician. Church leadership and I share that same desire to continue the growth of making Saint Michael the education bastion of worship and music in our area. So, why not look to our neighboring universities to offer staffing opportunities to young, extremely talented artists who are going to be the future of shepherding faith through high-quality music? In came Yuqing He, our new Organ Scholar, a student of Dr. Malcolm Matthews at the University of North Texas. Yuqing is impressively pursuing simultaneous doctorates in Piano Performance, and Organ Performance—her playing speaks for itself. Having originally studied at the China Conservatory of Music and at the University of Wyoming, she is a stellar talent, and I am looking forward to helping her hone her craft in the sacred world.

As an educator myself, I know the value of childhood music education. This vested interest is shared with my colleague, Catherine Seveney (Coordinator for Music and Choristers). Catherine is an extremely gifted educator in her own right. Years in public education, coupled with her innate gift of administrative work and thoughtful approach to working with our youth, have helped build this program into the powerhouse our parish sees throughout the year. Our Chorister Program has a long history of success and will always be a pride and joy of mine to oversee with Catherine, especially now after finishing our grand tour to St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. This tour was a demonstration of this parish’s dedication to children’s discipleship through high-quality experiences. These young musicians prepared for nearly two years to get to our 10-day stint as the resident choir for one of the largest houses of worship in the world. Here are some statistics for you:

7,000+ people in attendance over the course of our residency

15,000 steps a day on average

65+ hours of pure singing that week alone

156 pages of music

6 different Canticle Services 

7 different Anthems 

9 different Psalms 

1 fully sung Eucharist (Howells, Collegium Regale)

2 sets of Preces & Responses 

Singing alongside members of The Tallis Scholars and BBC Radio Choir. 

Our youth are thriving in a world where not all children feel grounded with a higher purpose. Catherine and I always tell our chorister families that this program is designed to create quality musicians, but more importantly quality humans. We welcome any new faces to join us in continuing this long and proud legacy of children singing—now across the globe. Please reach out to Catherine Seveney (cseveney@saintmichael.org) for more information about joining our Chorister program.

Music at Saint Michael is an architectural feat of beauty. It has always served a purpose far beyond just the sounds we make in our various services throughout the year—it’s a calling in service to our faith and community that has carved a place into the firmament of music history in our country. Saint Michael is not just another church in the neighborhoods of Dallas; it’s a beacon that is excited about writing the next chapter with all people who walk through the doors. Just look up, and see the writing on the walls; history is made here, and it’s only through our faith and love for each other that we make our future one that even our own stained-glass windows would deem a work of art.

**This article was written by Samuel K. Sweet and was featured in the 2026-27 Winter Archangel.