At 9:00 a.m., a Celtic spirit informs the musical offerings for our early morning worship service. Violinist Harmony Tucker joins us for songs of cheer and haunting beauty.
At 11:00 a.m., the organ speaks in the spirit of the Baroque era with two 16th century hymn tune settings. At the Prelude, 20th century "Neo-Baroque" composer Helmut Walcha offers a delightfully eccentric reading of the Epiphany hymn "How Brightly Shines the Morning Star." At the Postlude, we go to "the source" with Johann Sebastian Bach's energetic and joyful chorale prelude on the new year carol "In Thee Is Gladness." Lastly, at the Offertory, the Chancel Choir sings the celebratory traditional Caribbean tune "Halle, Halle, Halle" arranged by Hal Hopson with unofficial resident djembist Rev. Hal Chorpenning and other aspiring percussionists.
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At 9:00, the sounds of freedom, justice and big dreaming are expressed in the stylings of American folk music and jazz. Vocalist/guitarist Bill DeMarco, cantor Lucas Jackson, and bassist Peter Strening provide these inspired sounds in early morning worship.
At 11:00, the Chancel Choir sings of the sanctity of each and every human life in the gospel-tinged "Child of God" by Mark Miller. Staff Singers Alex Young and Lucas Jackson are featured soloists in this rousing anthem of equality and social justice. From the organ come contemporary readings of two American gospel tunes. At the Prelude, the highly chromatic and lush setting of "Sweet Hour of Prayer" by William Bolcom from his "Gospel Preludes." At the Postlude, an energetic arrangement of the spiritual "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" by Richard Elliott, Principal Organist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Accessible and exciting, artful elements of 20th century French organ repertoire make this work a memorable take on this simple gospel tune. Come wade in the water this Sunday morning and see what "good trouble" God can cause in your life!
At 9:00 a.m., vocalist and multi instrumentalist Lucas Jackson and I bring a diverse blend of sounds and styles to our early morning informally entitled "eclectic" service. At 11:00 a.m., the organ welcomes you with an imaginative two-part setting on the baptismal hymn "O Blessed Spring" by James Biery. The service ends with the triumphant albeit quirky "Festive March" by idiosyncratic composer Daniel Pinkham. Lastly, the Chancel Choir sings an anthem of water and light in Robert Powell's "Arise, Shine, for Your Light Is Come." Carols of the Christmas story will be shared and raised in song this blessed yuletide holiday weekend.
At the 3:00 p.m. Family Service, violinist Abigail Morgan offers Celtic and jazz influenced settings of three beloved European carols. As candles are lit for the singing of "Silent Night," the bells of Christmas will be rung by Plymouth's two youngest handbell ringers Anabel Siegel and Jaxson Zwahlen. At the 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. Services, the Plymouth Brass return for a prelude of rousing and intimate carols from around the world and join with the organ to accompany our joyful congregational singing. The Chancel Choir offers carols of the season both traditional and contemporary in inspired settings by John Bell, Alice Parker, Robert Shaw, and Daniel Pinkham. The Plymouth Ringers provide joyful exclamations of the Nativity during our communion time joined by tenor Lucas Jackson. From the organ, a brilliant contemporary toccata on the carol tune "Antioch" (otherwise known as "Joy to the World!") by Craig Phillips closes our yuletide worship this beautiful and holy evening. At the 11:00 a.m. Christmas Day Service, come join us for an intimate and casual service of stories and carols and organ offerings from Christmas past and present. Carols of this fleeting Advent season tell us to look east for the coming of Christ in song and in a carillon for organ. The prophetic tale of Mary and Jesus walking amid the thorns is told by the Chancel Choir. The organ states a lovely Marian antiphon in response as well. A Celtic Canticle of Turning and pleas of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" foreshadow the end of this season of waiting leading into our Longest Night Advent vigil Sunday evening. Savior of the nations, come.
The spirit of joy and peace on this Third Sunday of Advent. At the 9:00 a.m. service, we are joined by flutist Norman Menzales offering works by Nicanor Abelardo, J.S. Bach and others. Norman is the Principal Flute for the Fort Collins Symphony, Montana Great Falls Symphony, and the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. Together with vocalist and cellist Lucas Jackson and I we bring a more "classical" tone to our eclectic early morning worship service. At the 11:00 a.m. service, the Chancel Choir sings a delightful contemporary setting of the 12th century Latin hymn "Veni Emmanuel" by Dan Forrest. The shifting duple and triple meters propel this joyous reading of the ancient text into a frenetic dance. From the organ come two carols of this most fleeting season of Advent. At the Prelude, we hear a minimalistic-inspired gigue on the tune "Macht hoch die Tür" (fling wide the door) by Richard Hudson. At the Postlude, a stately toccata on the tune "Helmsley" (often associated with the Advent text "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending") by James Vivian closes worship. "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." - Mahatma Ghandi At the 9:00 a.m. service, musical expressions from the road of peace in the jazz, folk, and Celtic traditions will be prayerfully offered by guitarist Bill DeMarco, vocalist Lucas Jackson, bassist Peter Strening and I. Come walk the way of peace this Sunday morning.
At the 11:00 a.m. service, the Chancel Choir sings "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" in a transcendent setting by Larry Shackley. Violist Ethan Buell joins us in this hauntingly beautiful anthem during communion. From the organ, two venerable Advent carols in distinctive contemporary settings will be heard. At the Prelude, the Marian hymn "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" is presented in an ethereal tone by Mary Beth Bennett befitting the Isaiah 11 prophecy referred to in the hymn text. At the Postlude, a declamation on the Genevan psalter tune "Psalm 42" (the tune most associated with the Advent hymn "Comfort, Comfort O My People") will sound as a fanfare-like voice in the wilderness. At 9:00 a.m., the season of waiting is expressed through carols ancient and modern with cantor/cellist Lucas Jackson, violinist Harmony Tucker, and bassist Peter Strening.
At 11:00 a.m., the organ offers two carols for this fleeting season. At the Prelude, the 16th century German hymn "Savior of the Nations, Come" receives a contemporary reimagining by Kevin Hildebrand. At the Postlude, a plaintive march on the Advent hymn "The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns" by David Johnson sends one joyfully forth into the world. The Chancel Choir brings you an "Advent Message" by British composer Martin How, featuring soloist Lucas Jackson. At 9:00 a.m., songs of joy and changing seasons led by vocalist Lucas Jackson, guitarist Alan Skowron, bassist Peter Strening and percussionist Nick McCulloch.
At 11:00 a.m., a prelude on the Welsh tune "Ash Grove" (commonly associated with the text "Let All Things Now Living") opens worship as a duet for organ and handbells. The Plymouth Ringers also offer a shimmering accompaniment to the harvest hymn-anthem "Autumn Carol" by Russell Schulz-Widmar. Lastly, the organ brings worship to a resounding finish in ecstatic expressions of joy in "Chant de Joie" (Song of Joy) by Jean Langlais. At 9:00 a.m., hymns of promise and new beginnings with ukulelist Stuart Yoshida, vocalist Lucas Jackson, and bassist Peter Strening.
At 11:00 a.m., two 19th century works from the organ in "Vision" by German composer Josef Rheinberger and "Choral Song" by English organist Samuel Sebastian Wesley, grandson of the famed hymn writer and leader of the Methodist church Charles Wesley. The Chancel Chancel sings an arrangement of a Mozart work by Hal Hopson in "God Is Our Strong Salvation" using a text paraphrased on Isaiah 12.2-6. |
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