Liturgical Folk: Justin Brooks & Family Tour

Justin Brooks

www.justinphilipbrooks.com

For the past decade, Saint Michael Director of Contemporary Music, Justin Brooks, and his wife Tiffany have followed a calling to lead music and write liturgical songs for the Church that reflect the seasons of life, worship, and needs of their local congregations. This often manifests itself as the composition of sacred songs, settings of scripture, and reinterpreting traditional hymns and service music with faithful, yet new arrangements.

Excerpted from the September / October 2018 issue of Archangel. Read the full article here!

Steve Burk

We are thrilled to welcome Steve Burk as our Interim Director of Music and Organist! He is a gifted musician, caring educator, and seasoned manager. He will be with us for the remainder of 2023, providing overall leadership in the music program and assisting us as we search for a new Director.

In July 2021, Steve retired after nearly 20 years as Organist/Choirmaster of Grace Cathedral in Topeka, KS. As the director of musical activities, he was responsible for planning all Cathedral and Diocesan worship services, conducting the various choral ensembles and handbell choirs, managing the Great Spaces Music & Arts Series, and was principal organist.

After serving 22 years in the Air Force and then the Kansas Air National Guard, Major Burk retired in 2005, as the Commander of the 190th Air Refueling Wing’s Maintenance Operations Flight, Forbes Field, Topeka. Steve is married to Sally Burk. They have twin daughters, Dr. Katie Webb (married to Dan) who is the Canon for Music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, OR, and Dr. Maggie Burk who is Associate Professor for Music and head of Choral Activities at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI.

Dr. Robert August

Educated in the Netherlands and the United States, Robert August has an extensive background in keyboard performance, conducting, and teaching. He has served as Carillonneur at Brigham Young University, and as organist and conductor at several churches. He has performed in Europe and the United States as a solo artist and accompanist, has toured and recorded with the Harvard University Choir, the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra, the Texas Boys Choir, the Texas Camerata, and has made guest appearances with the Fort Worth and Irving Symphonies. While pursuing his doctoral degree at the New England Conservatory of Music, he served as Assistant University Organist and Choirmaster at The Memorial Church at Harvard University, and simultaneously served as Music Tutor at Harvard’s Dunster House. He served as Director of Music and Organist at First Presbyterian Church in Ft. Worth and most recently as Director of Music at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Austin. In 2010 his doctoral thesis, An Old Look at Schumann’s Organ Works, was published in the United States and Europe, celebrating the composer’s 200th birthday. Robert frequently serves as adjudicator for choral and organ competitions. He often concertizes with his wife, Dolores, performing a variety of music from early to modern, including organ, piano, harpsichord, flute, piccolo, and baroque flute. They have a 16 year old son, Robert John, and a 12 year old daughter, Melody Grace.

Catherine Hinkley

Catherine Hinkley grew up in Mesquite, TX and was a member of the Region 3 All-Region Choir for multiple years and a member of the Texas All-State Treble Choir her Senior Year. She attended Texas A&M University Commerce where she received her Bachelors degree in Music Education in 2016. Catherine spent the last year as a staff singer at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church and the last 5 years as a choir director in Mesquite ISD. She is excited to bring her love and passion for sacred music into a position that allows her to be more behind-the-scenes. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her pets (a dog named Blaise and two cats named Lily and Bella), perform in community theater musicals, play board games, and go roller skating with her friends.

Shelby Hendryx

Shelby Hendryx has worked in music education for eight years, teaching voice and piano lessons, early childhood music group classes, toddler piano classes and has most recently worked as an elementary music teacher. She has also been a staff singer with the Adult Choir for the past five years. She holds a B.M. from Simpson College and three years of graduate studies in Vocal Performance at University of North Texas. Shelby is honored to take on the role of Director of Early Childhood Music, and is looking forward to helping the students of SMES and the Cherub Choir find joy, faith and community through music.

Shelby lives in Garland with her fiance, John, and loves gardening, books, and knitting.

Samuel Sweet

It gives us great joy to welcome Samuel Sweet as our Assistant Choirmaster! After serving for nearly 7 years as a staff singer at Saint Michael, and most recently as Guest Conductor, he is looking forward to making stunning music with one of DFW’s bastions in sacred music and art. He will be working with the choristers and senior chorister students, the Compline Choir, and with our Adult Choir. Samuel attended the University of North Texas for his Bachelor of Music degree in choral music education. After earning his undergraduate degree and Texas State Board for Educator Certification, he continued at UNT in pursuit of a Master of Music degree in choral conducting with a related field in vocal pedagogy. Besides making music, you can often find Samuel running 5K’s in the Dallas area, discovering new recipes with his partner, Sean, and taking care of their various house plants.