I recently began reading “Sing for Your Life: A Story of Race, Music, and Family.” The book chronicles the life of Ryan Green, winner of the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. At one very low point in Ryan’s life, while locked up...
Read more“The Seven Last Words of Christ”
On April 9th, at seven o’clock in the evening, the Sanctuary Choir and Chamber Orchestra will present “The Seven Last Words of Christ” by Théodore Dubois. The work will feature soloists John Blizzard, Mike Trammell and Taylor Rogers. The seven...
Read moreGathered Together . . . As It Is in Heaven
In their book, “Worship Together in Your Church as in Heaven,” Josh Davis and Nikki Lerner challenge readers on the discussion of worship. “Many times as we approach the subject of worship, we are asking the wrong questions. What kind of music do...
Read moreRequiem for the Living
Having experienced the triumphant joy and looming sadness of Palm Sunday morning, we find ourselves facing grief head-on and grappling with the sorrow that is common to all human existence. We long for rest and peace, but we become...
Read moreSinging in the Light of God
On the last weekend of January each year, choirs from across the Southeast descend upon Charleston, SC for Festival by the Sea. This year, members of our Sanctuary Choir participated in this wonderful event, allowing for a time of learning...
Read moreIn Your Hearts
In my article last month, I quoted from Ephesians 5: “… but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father...
Read moreAnd Yet, There Is Always Hope
As cooler temperatures and changing leaves remind us that fall is here, we lament the loss of our regular music programming. The choir suite and children’s music rooms are hauntingly sparse, and yet, there are glimmers of hope. We are finding new...
Read moreMoments for Music
The ways in which we make music have certainly changed this past year. We cannot simply gather in a room to sing our favorite hymn, and even our best efforts to make music together (safely) can be difficult. However, music remains a much-needed...
Read moreD.S. al Coda
Formal music notation is full of many wonderful terms and symbols. In short, they help us navigate the musical score, giving specific instruction to the singer or instrumentalist. Many of the terms we use come from the Italian...
Read more