St. Stephen's Church has a long history of liturgical and musical excellence. Solidly in the tradition of low church Protestantism for many decades, St. Stephen's has been influenced in the last 15 years by the liturgical reform associated with the new Prayer Book, celebrating Holy Eucharist as the main service each Sunday.

From the 1920's through the 1960's, the men and boys' choir was a significant part of the parish music program, with the boys' choir providing training for male sopranos throughout the area. The church office frequently receives visitors who say that they sang here as children.

St. Stephen's strong music tradition continues today with an outstanding organ and both adult and children's choirs. This program is under the capable direction of Mark Laubach , our talented organist/choirmaster and Minister of Music, who works in close cooperation with the rector to plan the weekly Eucharistic liturgy. In addition, an annual service of Christmas Lessons and Carols has become an event eagerly anticipated by many in the community.

For many years, the Downtown Ministerium has provided a time of worship and fellowship for the ecumenical worshipping community in the weeks leading up to Easter. Each Wednesday during the season of Lent a worship service and soup and sandwich luncheon has been held at St. Stephen's Church. Clergy and lay people from many faith communities participate in the services as readers and preachers and women's groups from different churches, ably assisted by men of their congregations, provide the soup and sandwiches for those who can stay for lunch after the worship service lunches. The final event in this series is a three hour service on Good Friday with meditations on the Seven Last Words of Jesus and music appropriate for the day. Guest choirs and soloists from the area have provided the music for these worship experiences and for the past few years a half hour organ recital has preceded the Wednesday services. Guest organists from as far away as Virginia have traveled to Wilkes-Barre to present the recitals. Often, while they are here to prepare for the recital, they also record for the radio program.

In the summer of 1995, in conjunction with King's College, St. Stephen's began hosting one of the summer courses of the Royal School of Church Music held in America. Close to 200 children and adults from all over the United States participate each year in this outstanding event.

For the past 21 years, "Music from St. Stephen's", a program of organ and choral music, has been taped in our Nave under the direction of our organist/choirmaster and broadcast each Sunday afternoon on WVIA.FM, our local National Public Radio station, as a part of our community outreach.

A vital part of the St. Stephen's music program is our Berghaus pipe organ, totally redesigned and rebuilt in 2003, with 83 ranks playing from two chancel organ bays. Above the main entrance to the nave is an antiphonal division with its horizontal en chamade trumpet. The four manual organ console can be moved to suit the needs of the service or performance.

In 1998, we contracted with Mr. Willis Snyder of Robesonia, PA for the re-manufacturing of our two Steinway grand pianos. Mr. Snyder has rebuilt one instrument at a time. Work began earlier in the summer of 1998 to rebuild the larger of the two instruments, previously located in the Choir Room. This instrument, completed in October of 1998, is placed permanently in the Nave, and the smaller instrument which was in the Nave, has also been rebuilt and moved to the Choir Room.

While instruments are important to the musical life of the church, the focal point of our music ministry is our choral program. Words cannot begin to adequately express the depth of commitment that exists among the children, youth, and adults who give so much of their time, talent, and treasure to this ministry. Our children and youth choirs include the Jubilate Choir for the youngest of singers, the Saint Nicholas Choir for boys, and the Saint Cecilia choir for girls. The mainstay of the program is the Chancel Choir populated with some 40 adult singers. Singers of all ages who are interested in joining one of the choirs are always welcome.