St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in northwest Atlanta is tiny, with just 175 members. The church has no soaring steeple or dazzling stained glass windows. The faithful worship inside a one-story building of near-Buddhist simplicity.

But when it comes to music, St. Dunstan's has ambitions to match those of the grand cathedrals on Peachtree. Thanks to a fund established by the family of the late Charlie Yates — a church member and former president of what later became the Woodruff Arts Center — St. Dunstan's has begun a program to hire a composer to write an original piece of music for its choir each year.

Sara Hopkins/Special

Soprano soloist Laura Withers, who has a solo in the original choral piece, "In the Garden" by James Stevenson, sings during choir practice at St. Dunstan's Episcopal church in Sandy Springs.

More photos LIVING Latest Headlines: Secluded Georgia refuge takes in misfit gorillas  Decatur First Baptist keeps woman in the pulpit  Zoo Atlanta's gorillas include numerous old-timers  Atlanta conference examines institution of marriage  World's oldest polar bear dies at Canadian zoo  • More Living Stories • Living photo galleries • Georgia Aquarium news and photos • Zoo Atlanta news and photos

The first piece, titled "In the Garden" by Chicago-based composer James Stephenson, debuts Palm Sunday (March 16) during the late service.

It's rare for such a small church to commission original music for its choir.

The piece cost St. Dunstan's $1,500 and is dedicated to "the Glory of God and in loving memory of Charles R. Yates."

The idea of commissioning an original piece of music came after the Yates family approached St. Dunstan's music director and organist, Steve Furches, to see if he might need "more chairs for the choir room, or some extra money to repair vestments," said Furches. (His 15-member choir, with members ages 16 to 85, rehearses in the "Yates Room.")

Furches suggested honoring Yates' memory with new music. Yates, a champion amateur golfer, was president of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the mid-1960s and helped recruit Robert Shaw to be its conductor.

Yates' favorite hymn, "In the Garden," is an old campground meeting hymn — beloved by many but perhaps not the most inspired piece of music, Furches said. Never mind. Composer Stephenson added new harmonies and created an impressionistic seven-minute piece in which the original melody is only vaguely recognizable.

"I think I was lucky because I didn't know the hymn Steve brought me, so I didn't have any preconceived notions about it," said Stephenson, a former trumpet player for the Naples (Fla.) Philharmonic Orchestra who recently became a full-time composer. Stephenson's patriotic piece, "American Fanfare," has been performed by the orchestras of Cleveland and Detroit, among many others. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has performed a number of his works, including the Atlanta premiere of Stephenson's humorous "Concerto for Cell Phone" at its 2006 New Year's Eve concert.

Stephenson, an Episcopalian, said he gets one or two commissions from churches each year.

"It's unusual in a great way. It's an absolutely great and ambitious idea," said Dwight Andrews, an Emory University music professor and pastor of the historic First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Atlanta.

"It's important for churches to shape their own worship and liturgical tradition. It's something bigger churches do, especially for special events, but it's really much less an issue of resources than it is of priorities," said Andrews, who also is a composer.

Choir members have been rehearsing the piece and are looking forward to hearing what it sounds like with the organ, said Geoff Walker, who sings tenor.

"It's a very original arrangement of that particular hymn. I think it's going to be really nice piece," said Walker. "It's something very near and dear to us because we were all so close to Charlie. He meant an awful lot to all of us."

St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church

Sunday worship services start at 10:45 a.m. 4393 Garmon Road NW, Atlanta. The complete Holy Week schedule is available at stdunstan.net.