Bradley Naylor has been Minister of Music at Duke Memorial since September of 2010. As Minister of Music, he oversees all of the musical events in the life of the church: he directs the Sanctuary Choir and Wesley Singers children’s choir, works with co-pastor Roger Owens in the planning of congregational music for worship, and coordinates with the lay leaders of the Bethany Bells and Sacred Dance groups as they prepare music and dance for worship. Bradley looks forward to including more instrumental music in worship, as well as ongoing mentoring of the Youth Ensemble for musicians from 6th to 12th grade.
Fred Mason, Jr. has served as organist at Duke Memorial since 2005. He also serves the congregations of St. Joseph’s A.M.E. and Immanuel Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church as organist. He is organist at Bennett College in Greensboro, NC and is on faculty at Durham School of the Arts. He maintains an active role in training future generations of pianists and organists, and often brings students to Duke Memorial to practice on the Holtkamp Organ.
Shelley Turkington was first introduced to Sacred Dance at Duke Memorial, and took over the dance ministry in 1998. “As someone who devoted much of my life to the study of dance, I was thrilled to find a way to use this art form to express my faith. One of my greatest rewards in leading the dance ministry has been in helping youth and children bridge their love of dance and their love of God. It is important for them to realize that they play an important role in enriching the worship experience for our congregation and that they can help express God’s message throughout our community. I am so grateful to the congregation for their strong, enduring support of this ministry throughout the years.”
Murray Simpson started playing handbells in middle school while attending First Baptist Church in Monroe, NC. After a hiatus of nearly two decades, he rekindled his interest in handbells by joining the Bethany Bells choir at Duke Memorial, assuming the position of choir director in 2009. Murray’s wife and sons play the bells as well, and he fully expects his daughter will carry on the family tradition once she is a little older. There is a place for you in Duke Memorial’s handbell ministry if you can (1) spell the word FACE, (2) learn what the acronym GBDFA represents, (3) count to four, and (4) pretend to drive a nail into a wall. If you can do each of these, you have what it takes to make a beautiful noise for the Lord!
Lee Galbreath is a member of the Duke Memorial Sanctuary Choir, 2012 Chairperson of the Music Committee and Director of the Joyful Noise! ensemble. She believes strongly that the opportunity to take part in church music should be available to everyone who wants to participate and that the performance of music is the emotional heart of the worship service. She created Joyful Noise! as an inviting and low-intensity choir that shares exciting and uplifting musical offerings with the congregation in worship.
