In 2018, St Luke made a commitment to church music by establishing a fund our St Luke Choral Scholars. These Scholars sing with us and for us, while continuing their education at UNM. Not all of our Scholars are music students, but all are active in the UNM music programs. In sharing their voices with us, we receive the blessings of their skills and time. In turn, they receive the blessings of a welcoming community and an opportunity to experience church music as a potential career choice.
The St Luke Choral Scholars play an active role in the Sanctuary Choir. They serve as section leaders and vocal role models. They sing as individuals and as an ensemble. If they are interested, they prepare, rehearse, and conduct the choir. They may also work with the Salt and Light Children’s Choir. Each Scholar is compensated with a small stipend for their work.
Faith communities have long been a fundamental part of music making and music education. The Book of Psalms is the first written hymnal. To this day, the Torah is chanted. Prayers and devotions throughout the world in many faith traditions are chanted or sung. Since the middle ages, faith communities were the first music schools, the first patrons of music compositions, the first repositories of music repertoire, the first to promote the art of making instruments, and much more.
We are part of a continuing heritage to sing the glory of God!
Psalm 96
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Choral Scholars Biography
David Hernandez
David is a senior attending UNM and hopes to graduate with a degree in Music with a concentration in Voice and in International Studies in the spring of 2024.
A tenor and an El Paso native, David has sung with Dolce Suono and the UNM Concert Choir and was a member of the Youth Opera of El Paso. He has competed in the Texas All-Region competitions, Texas UIL Solo & Ensemble, SNATS Rio Grande and in other vocal performance organizations.
As well as being an active member of the Student National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS) and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), David enjoys video games, movies, bouldering, and hiking in his free time. Over the summer, David went on bouldering in San Antonio, Phoenix, El Paso, and Albuquerque!
This is David’s second year being a Choral Scholar and is thrilled to continue being a part of the St. Luke’s community.
Grace Marks
Grace Marks is a senior at the University of New Mexico and is expected to graduate in May of 2024.
She is studding for her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts with focuses in Music and Arts Leadership and Business. She loves spending time with her family and friends, playing guitar at the farmers market and coffee shops.
She now plays gigs around Las Cruces and Albuquerque at local businesses, and even had the opportunity to play at the State Fair this fall!
She plans to move forward as an independent musician and hopefully become a music teacher for elementary level students.
She is very excited and happy to be a new member of St. Luke’s choir and feels blessed to have this opportunity.