Tuesday Rupp

The growing Milwaukie Presbyterian music program has blossomed under the tutelage of Tuesday Rupp, an accomplished performer in her own right.

Tuesday, who is completing a master's degree in music and choral conducting at Portland State University, is a recording artist who sings regularly with five area ensembles.

With conductor Anna Song, Tuesday co-founded the group In Mulierbus, Latin for Among Women, which specializes in music written before 1750. In Mulierbus recently released its first CD.

Tuesday, who has a rich alto voice, also is featured on recordings released by the Oregon Catholic Press.

"This is an amazing time to be involved in this kind of work," Tuesday says. "It's so rewarding and satisfying to do something really difficult and do it well, and to help other people do this really difficult thing, and do it well."

Tuesday is a graduate of Clackamas High School, where her choir director was our own Julie Bauder, a member of the MPC Chancel Choir. After migrating east, Tuesday graduated from Boston University in 1999 with a degree in vocal performance.

She studied privately in New York City and worked for a year as the office manager of a Wall Street brokerage company. At the end of that year, though, she turned down a promotion and returned to Portland.

"It could have been really lucrative," Tuesday says. "You can make some money doing that. But it was just not the kind of life I wanted to have."

Once back in Portland, Tuesday found a calling in her music. She has led or helped to lead the music programs at several Catholic churches, including St. Mary's Cathedral in Northwest Portland.

In graduate school she was mentored by former PSU professor Dr. Bruce Browne, the renowned conductor.

Ultimately, the desire to run her own program brought her to MPC.

"I wanted a place where I felt I could make it as big as I had the time and energy to make it," Tuesday says. "That is something I really love about this work in a church that is willing, like Milwaukie Presbyterian. People here have been so encouraging.

"When that is the case, you can really create a program that has a wide range and in which a lot of people participate."

Under Tuesday's direction, the Chancel Choir has expanded in size, and in the range and complexity of works it performs.

Tuesday also directs the Bell Choir, the Children's Choir and the more contemporary early service ensemble, which frequently includes Dan Meares on piano, Tom Muti on guitar, John Goff on flute, John Hasenjaeger on drums, vocalist Adele McMurry and the entire congregation on percussion.

"I love that I can be both creative and pragmatic at the same time," Tuesday says. "Every week there is a goal. And there is a long-term goal too, to help the members of the choir have better skills. As you build on those skills I think it really makes the whole quality of the worship experience better."