Music

Since 2002, Matthew Henry Curl has utilized his position as music director at Intown Church in Portland to bring new and vibrant arrangements of old hymns and psalms to the worship services there. Matthew has challenged himself and his church to create and worship with a new music, using ancient texts that resound with poignancy and depth. The goal of Matthew and the music team at Intown is to refresh old texts with new and timeless tunes that can be easily sung by a congregation. A blend of pop and acoustic driven folk, these arrangements beautifully capture the essence of the words and breathe new life into worship. The instruments used to capture this sound are piano, organ, cello, accordion, viola, acoustic guitar, and djembe, framing beautiful three part harmony.

One may find themselves at a worship service at Intown singing the classic rendition of A Mighty Fortress, and then singing Matthew's updated arrangement of Rock of Ages in the next breath. The two styles are not mutually exclusive, and praising God through both the ancient and indigenous musical expressions keeps us rooted in our church heritage and history while looking forward to the new creation by doing as God commands: "Sing a new song to the Lord God for the wonders he has wrought"—Psalm 98.

The latest release from Intown Church and Chief Musician Matthew Curl, Intown Communion: Vol. I is the culmination of several years of writing and arranging new melodies for old words. It is a collection of hymns, prayers, and poems set to new and vibrant indigenous music. These folk/pop arrangements are used in worship every Sunday at Intown Presbyterian Church in Portland, OR

Intown Psalms is the first album from Intown Church and is the culmination of two years creating new music for the Psalms from the 1912 Psalter. Using acoustic instruments, Matthew has created sparse yet beautiful arrangements that breathe new life into the words of the psalmist.