Music Through the Years

By ty tippett

It took George Frederic Handel only 24 days to compose the oratorio Messiah, after which he said, “I think I have seen all Heaven before me, and the great God himself.” Over the past century at Peachtree Road, music has been a main medium through which people have experienced a closer connection with God and a deeper understanding of their faith. In fact, music has always been at the heart of the worship experience at Peachtree Road.

The modern era began with the renowned Scott Atchison coming to the church in 1982 as organist and associate choir director. In 1985 he became the director of music, succeeding Clinton Thatch, and is now in his 43rd year at Peachtree Road. A truly gifted organist and choir director, Scott presides over a Music & Arts program widely regarded as among the finest in the nation. In fact, a USA Today article once named Peachtree Road as one of the ten top places in the country to experience heavenly music at Christmas time. The Chancel Choir’s annual “Many Moods of Christmas” concert with orchestra, which first began in 1988, plays to a packed house every year.

Scott is considered a preeminent authority on all facets of worship, and every aspect of his music is geared toward enhancing the worship experience of both the listener and the singer. He is a passionate perfectionist who believes in giving his very best for the Lord, and helps the choir understand the “why” of the music they sing.

Chancel Choir Tours

The Chancel Choir’s reputation is so widely known that, beginning in the 1990s, they have been invited to sing in many of the world’s most famous cathedrals and churches, including St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey in London and St. Patrick’s in Dublin. These pilgrimages have enabled the choir to spread the gospel in song and give witness to the spiritual power of music. The 2026 choir tour will be a residency at Canterbury Cathedral in the U.K. Peachtree Road has always had a strong youth choirs program as well.

Children and Youth Choirs

Most recently, Kathy Fletcher became the director of children’s and youth music in 2006, and has led these choirs ever since. It is noteworthy how many graduating high school seniors give testimony to what being in Kathy’s program over the years has meant to them, as she takes a deep personal interest in each and every member of her choirs and their families. A plaque in Kathy’s office reads: “When words fail, music speaks.”

The Organs at Peachtree

The importance of the organs at Peachtree Road cannot be overstated. The Great Organ in the sanctuary was installed in 2002 by Mander Organs of London, England, and is the largest mechanical action organ ever built by a British organ builder. It features 106 Stops and 135 Ranks, and includes a 42 Rank Gallery Organ installed by Mander in 2008 above the West End Gallery. Organists everywhere covet the opportunity to play this instrument, and frequent organ recitals are conducted in the sanctuary. [Most recently, the prestigious Elizabeth B. Stephens International Organ Competition was initiated in 2022 and held every two years, featuring organists from all over the world competing for monetary awards.] The Chapel Organ was installed in 1991 by the Schantz Organ Company. It served as the Sanctuary Organ until the opening of the new Sanctuary in March of 2002.

Peachtree Road is also well known for its outstanding annual concert series, which commenced in 1983. The early years featured such notable artists as William Warfield, Marilyn Horne, Diane Bish, Jerome Hines, and Fred Waring. Recent performances have included some of finest choral ensembles in the United States, including the St. Thomas, New York Choir of Men and Boys, Kinnara, Chanticleer, and the Tallis Scholars. Additionally, the Chancel Choir regularly presents major concerts with full orchestra of some of the finest works in all of music literature. The concert series also features a wide variety of guest artists and choral groups which attract an audience from all over the Atlanta music community.

Friends of Music

In 2014 the church launched a patron program called Friends of Music to support Music & Arts at Peachtree Road. The financial contributions to FOM provide publicity for the concert series, help support the choir tours, underwrite guest musicians, host post-concert receptions, sponsor an annual featured Signature Concert, supplement the maintenance of our organs, and fund various needs such as the purchase of special instruments and equipment. Friends of Music continues to play a vital role in maintaining the level of excellence of the music program at Peachtree Road.

In the space allowed here, only a sampling of the comprehensive offerings of Music & Arts over the years can be addressed. Music has been such an integral part of the worship experience at Peachtree Road, it has touched and indeed changed hearts in ways that only music can. It has drawn us closer to God and made it that much easier to believe in Jesus Christ. That’s quite a legacy —- one that I’m confident will continue to bless our church in the next century to come.

Ty is an active member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church where he sings in the Chancel Choir, chairs the Friends of Music organization, and is a member of the New Beginnings Sunday School Class. He has had illustrious careers in both law and fund-raising for non-profits.