Music for Sunday January 25

FirstLight worship will begin with gathering songs "We fall down" and "Holy, holy, holy" (NICEA)and conclude with "Come, now is the time to worship." We'll sing "Halle, halle, hallelujah" at the Confession. The Prophets will sing "Take my life" at the offering and include "Give thanks" as our doxology. We'll be singing "Hungry" during the distribution at communion and conclude worship with John Bell's "The Summons."

Hymns at 11AM will include "Sing praise to God who reigns above" (MIT FREUDEN ZART) and"Live into hope" (TRURO). The choir will sing Marty Haugen's, "Gather us in" at the introit, the Purcell "Glory be to God the Father" (WESTMINSTER ABBEY) at the confession and Mike Barker's "The Lord bless you" at the benediction. The anthem at the offering will be Harold Freidell's "Draw us in the Spirit’s tether." Instrumental music will include Claude Debussy's, Prelude from Book 1: X. La Cathédrale engloutie at the prelude and Olivier Messiaen's "Apparition de l’eglise éternelle" at the postlude. With these we are in some very atmospheric, highly impressionistic music, with stunning harmonic language.

Music for worship January 18

Gathering songs at FirstLight: Graham Kendrick's "Knowing you;" "He knows my name;" and "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord." At the confession, Joy Patterson's, "Alleluia, alleluia in Jesus Christ we are forgiven." At the offering a new song, "Jesus Christ is Lord" by Ken Canedo a setting of text from Philippians, with Jimmy Owens "Doxology." The closing song will be "Lord, you have come to the lakeshore" (PESCADOR DES HOMBRES).

Hymns at 11AM will include "Ye servants of God, your master proclaim" (HANOVER); "Today we all are called to be disciples" (KINGSFOLD); and I'm gonna live so God can use me" (I'M GONNA LIVE). The choral introit will be "Jesus calls us o’er the tumult" to the tune PLEADING SAVIOR, at the confession the same Patterson, "Alleluia, alleluia..." as at FirstLight and at the benediction the refrain from "Lord you have come to the lakeshore." The choir will sing two anthems with Charles Perry Sprawls, bass-baritone soloist; the Qui Tollis from Haydn's Second Mass in C, the Paukenmesse, and William Dawson's "Every time I feel the Spirit." The organ prelude will be William Bolcom's setting of "Galilee;" the postlude will be an improvisation on musical themes from the service music.

Charles Perry Sprawls, bass-baritone soloist

The adult choir will be joined by Charles Perry Sprawls next Sunday January 18 for special music during the 11AM service. They will sing a movement from the Haydn Second Mass in C, "Qui Tollis" (Thou who takest away the sins of the world...) and the William Dawson spirtual, Every time I feel the spirit. Charles is the son of our own Charlotte and Perry Sprawls. He is in town next weekend for a concert at Montreat College (read below). We are excitedly looking forward to worship next week because of this special musical addition.



From the Montreat College Friends of Music press release:
The spring concert season opens on Monday, January 19 at 7:30 in the Chapel of the Prodigal with bass-baritone Charles Perry Sprawls. Mr. Sprawls will give a performance of songs, arias, hymns and spirituals, with works by Schubert, Strauss, Verdi and others.

Mr. Sprawls, a native of Atlanta, GA, has been enjoying a busy concert career since moving to New York City in 1997. Recent performances include the Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Raphael in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, the Szymanowski Stabat Mater, and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle
on the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series at St. Ignatius Loyola, the Mozart Requiem on the Great Performances series at St. Bartholomew’s Church, and Chausson’s Le Roi Arthus with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra. He has performed regionally as a
soloist with the Berkshire Bach Society and at the Bard Music Festival. He is a previous district winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. While in Atlanta, Mr. Sprawls performed as soloist in a number of performances with the late Robert Shaw, including the annual Christmas with Robert Shaw concerts and as part of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, including performances of Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and the Faure Requiem. He can be heard on the recording A Robert Shaw Christmas —Angels on High on the Telarc label. In previous seasons Mr. Sprawls has performed on stage as a member of the associate chorus at both the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera. He has appeared as a member of the ensemble of Sweeney Todd in Concert with the New York Philharmonic and the Lincoln Center Festival production of Goldenthal’s Grendel, but his first love is choral, small ensemble, and oratorio performance.

Ensemble credits include concerts with New York Choral Artists, Concert Chorale of New
York, The Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, Voices of Ascension and recording projects with Alice
Parker and Melodious Accord.