A Look Forward at the Music of the Lenten Season

Once again, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the many musical riches which bless our church. Lent, Holy Week, Palm Sunday, and Easter will be full of beautiful music, which, it is hoped, will comfort and inspire this congregation.

On Ash Wednesday, February 14, at 7:00 pm, we will have a quiet service in the sanctuary; Ellie will be our cantor. Each Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm in our area UCC churches, there will be a Lenten supper with sung Taizé music; ACC’s dates to host this event are February 21 and March 13; you can find out more in the Worship section, above.

On Friday, March 1, at noon, I will present a 1/2-hour Brown Bag organ concert. You bring a sandwich in a brown bag. I will present three of the great Lenten chorales: "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded;" "Ah, Holy Jesus, How Hast Thou Offended;" and "O Lamb of God." We will sing these chorales together. Then, I will play some beautiful old and modern settings of these chorales and tell you what to listen for in the composer's settings. Then off we go to Hartman Hall, where you will find juice, tea, and coffee to go with your brown bag lunch. 

On Sunday, March 17, harpist Angelina Savoia will be featured in the service, which will also include our wonderful choir. You may remember Angelina from the choir’s performance of Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols.” She will play prelude and postlude and a piece in the service.

On Palm Sunday, trumpeter Seelan Manickam will play, and, on Easter, trumpeter Tom Duprey will play. Everyone looks forward to hearing these superb musicians…they have become part of the ACC family! At the Easter service, you can join the choir to sing the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

You will learn more about this later, but on Good Friday the service will be very special. The choir, under the direction of Ellie Armsby, will sing the Fauré “Requiem,” with some additional choir members from the community. The piece, which is beloved, will be interspersed with prayers and scriptures.

I can’t resist adding this: I am grateful to those who have contributed so generously to the Music Gift Fund…your gifts make it possible to have the harpist and the two trumpeters.

Liz Carley

Organist/Coordinator of Music