Meet the Staff

Pastor John D. Current Sr.

Welcome to Lake Park United Methodist Church.

I warmly invite you to Celebrate - Connect - Contribute in the name of God,

Please come and enjoy our service, music and fellowship!

James Meredith

joined Lake Park as our organist in September 2002. The following biography was taken from the website of his handbell ensemble, Sonos:

A native of North Carolina, Mr. Meredith received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Tulane University. He has been a musical partner with mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and dramatic soprano Olivia Stapp. As a solo pianist, vocal and instrumental accompanist and conductor in America, Europe and Asia, his work has brought him into contact with such artists as Elly Ameling, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Eleanor Steber, Gerald Moore for whom he has played masterclasses. He has been Dalton Baldwin's assistant in art song in summer masterclasses at the French Conservatory in Nice. Concerts with Ms. Von Stade include an appearance on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" reaching a National Public Radio audience of over two million listeners. He has been conductor of the Oakland Symphony Chorus, been on the faculty of Merritt College and taught masterclasses at Holy Names College and San Jose State University.

As a professional musician in the classical musical community, he brings a high standard to his work with handbells. Sonos Handbell Ensemble has done much to bring the art of handbell ringing into the musical mainstream by appearing with symphony orchestras, performing on major concert series and collaborating with other well-established performing ensembles.

Since 1983 Mr. Meredith has been a clinician and conductor at workshops and festivals and has been on the faculty at Handbell Exploration and American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Directors' Seminars in Springfield and Spokane, where Sonos had been invited to play featured concerts.

Mr. Meredith is the author of many arrangements and transcriptions performed around the world. He composed a major work for handbells, handchimes and percussion, "Kodo Tryptich", premiered at the 1997 AGEHR Directors' Seminar to great critical acclaim and continues to be performed by Sonos and other groups. He is CEO of Meredith Music Press which publishes advanced music for handbells sold nationwide and internationally.

Ellen St. Thomas

Ellen joined the staff of Lake Park in November 2002 as our Music Director. She has performed widely as a lyric soprano for Bay Area opera companies, including Livermore Valley Opera, Golden West Opera, San Francisco Lyric Opera, and West Bay Opera. Ms. St. Thomas recently added directing to her resume for the Russian Center Opera Company in San Francisco in its production of La Boheme, and she was Assistant Director & Stage Manager for the Livermore Valley Opera production of Tosca. Ms. St. Thomas was a featured soloist with the San Francisco Community Chorus in their performance of Mendelssohn's St. Paul Oratorio, and has worked with Kent Nagano and other well-known opera directors in various workshops.

Ms. St. Thomas taught voice and beginning piano for the Community School of Music & Arts, Mountain View, CA and is currently teaching privately and at the Alameda School of Music. She conducted several youth choruses for the Mountain View School District, and has contributed her talents to the Summersong Institute.

Ms. St. Thomas has studied voice with David Tigner of San Francisco, Paula Anglin of San Jose/London England, and Martha Randall of the Univ. of Maryland.