Throughout written history, group singing has been part of life in worship and entertainment. Over three thousand years ago, Moses led the Israelites in celebrating their deliverance from bondage in Egypt by singing unto the Lord "for He hath triumphed gloriously and become my salvation" (Exodus 15:1). Later, amidst the splendor of King Solomon's temple, a choir of 2,000 sang psalms in worship of God. The early Christian church at Ephesus (in modern day Turkey) was instructed by St. Paul to "sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord in psalms and hymns" (Ephesians 5:19). In his vision of Heaven, St. John wrote that he heard singing around the throne of God (Revelation 5:9). Famous classical composers of the past three hundred years, such as Bach, Handel, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn, have given us a rich treasure of choral music, which is sung today by renowned choirs around the world.

The pipe organ is rightly called "The King of Instruments" for its incomparable size, dynamic range, and variety of tonal colors. It is a memorable experience to hear one of the very largest organs --- having more than 10,000 pipes --- played by one of the few truly virtuoso organists in the world. From the softest sound of an ethereal string rank to the floor-shaking rumbling of a 32 foot-long bombarde pipe, majestic organ music challenges even the highest-end stereo sound system to the utmost.

Every Saturday and Sunday, we broadcast "Sacred Classics", a two-hour radio program of choral masterpieces performed by world-famous choirs, along with magnificent organ music, which can also be heard on the Internet.

On the air since 1983, your host is Jim Howes, who has assembled a vast collection of organ and choral recordings from his travels around the world. An avid fan of sacred music, he studied organ and sang professionally for several years with New York City's esteemed Riverside Choir. On the show's 25th anniversary broadcast in 2008, Frederick Swann, president of the American Guild of Organists, expressed the organization's "great debt of gratitude for the joy that Sacred Classics has brought untold thousands of listeners over the years". Premier of Bermuda Ewart Brown sent his "sincere congratulations", saying he "hopes Sacred Classics enjoys another 25 great years".