Glenn Memorial UMC
Friday, May 18, 2012

Choir News

Youth Choir Mission Trip to the Bahamas

 
An exciting Youth Choir tour is planned for June 15-21, 2012.  Thirty-two youth and adult chaperones will travel to the Bahamas to meet The Methodist Church of the Bahamas through song, service, and surf!  The choir will offer concerts, participate in worship services, sing in schools, and help renovate a house for use as a Youth Center on Harbour Island.  The week promises to be an exciting, adventure-filled time of growth, musically, spiritually, and culturally.

Each youth will pay $700 to participate; an additional $14,000 is being raised by the group to cover the cost of the trip, including the building supplies needed for the renovation project.  To support the Glenn Youth Trip to the Bahamas, click here.
 
 

Chancel Choir Spring Concert



Vega Quartet
 
Choir Spring Concert

The Chancel Choir presented their spring concert on March 18, 2012 in the sanctuary of Glenn Memorial. Titled "Of Thy Love, O Lord, I Will Sing," the Lenten concert included works for chorus, soloists, strings, harp and organ.

Mezzo-soprano Magdalena Wór performed Lili Boulanger's evocative "Pie Jesu," and Arvo Pärt's haunting "Ein Wallfahrtsleid" (Psalm 121) was sung by tenor, Timothy Miller and baritone, Stephen Ozcomert. Choral works included "Misericordia Domini" by Mozart and "Psalm 86" by Gustav Holst, with soprano, Cynthia Shepherd and tenor, Wesley Morgan. In addition to the Chancel Choir, performers included Emory's Vega String Quartet, ASO Principal Harpist, Elisabeth Remy Johnson and Emory University Organist, Timothy Albrecht. Steven Darsey conducted.

Click here to download the concert flyer.

 

Music for Advent and Christmas 2011

Performances of the Little Chapel Youth Choral Series were held on December 4, 2011.  The Altar and Chapel Choirs and friends presented seasonal music in Glenn’s historical Little Chapel with two identical back-to-back concerts.

The Advent Lessons and Carols Service was held on December 11th. Unique to Glenn, this service of Advent lessons, hymns and anthems calls for Christ to re-enter our lives. Instrumental music for trumpet, timpani and organ, led by Timothy Albrecht, began at 10:30.  Choral music was presented by our children’s, youth and Chancel choirs.  This year’s service featured “I Will Not Leave You Comfortless” by William Byrd, “Changed Mah Name” by Larry Christensen and “Timor Et Tremor” by Gyorgy Orban sung by the Chancel Choir.  Click here to view pictures of the Lessons and Carols Service.

The Christmas Carol Sing and Children’s Nativity Pageant was held on December 14th.  Steven Darsey led our annual Carol Sing, and our Cherub Choir, directed by Mary Lindsey Lewis, portrayed the Nativity of Jesus.

Other opportunities for singing included the Youth and Alumni Choir, Women’s and Men’s Choruses on December 18th and the Laity Choir during the 5:00 service on Christmas Eve.

The Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service was held at 11:00.  Haunting music for chamber choir, guitar and organ introduced and enhanced this service of word, music and sacrament. 
 
 

Fifteenth Annual Silver Tea

The Music Committee of the Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church sponsored the Fifteenth Annual Silver Tea in support of the Music Fund.  The Tea was held on Saturday, October 22 at 4:00 p.m. at the home of Jane St. Clair and Jim Sustman.  To view a list of previous Silver Tea hosts, click here.

The guest artist for the Silver Tea was cellist Charae Krueger, artist in residence at the Kennesaw State University School of Music. Charae is the principal cellist of the Atlanta Opera Orchestra and the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra.  She also enjoys playing chamber music with various ensembles throughout the city.

The Music Fund supports special projects in Glenn’s music program, including participation of guest musicians in worship and concert.  Among these is our Choral Scholar program, which provides stipends for eight area college students to sing with the Chancel Choir.

 

Todd Skrabanek Performs Piano Recital

Chancel Choir piano accompanist Todd Skrabanek presented a program of large piano works in the sanctuary of Glenn Memorial on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.  The program included Bach, Franck, Chopin and a 1975 work by living composer Andrew Rudin.  While a student at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Rudin was Todd’s theory teacher.  After class one day, Rudin gave him the score of Museum Pieces. Fascinated by its thick harmonies and expressivity through serial technique, Todd was pleased to present the southeastern premiere of Museum Pieces at Glenn church.
 
 

Awake the Trumpet’s Lofty Sound
Easter Sunday Music

The celebration of Easter was held on April 24, 2011 with music for
trumpets, timpani, organ and choir.  At both the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
services, the Chancel Choir and Choral Scholars sang Handel's "Awake the
Trumpet's Lofty Sound" with trumpets, timpani and organ, as well as
Duruflé's a cappella "Ubi Caritas." 



Where charity and love are, God is there.
    
Christ's love has gathered us into one.
    
Let us rejoice and be pleased in the Lord.
    
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
   
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.



Cynthia Shepherd and Stephen Ozcomert sang Bach's "Wer mich liebet," from
Cantata 59, with two trumpets, timpani and organ. 


Those who love me will keep my word,
and my Father will love them, 
    
and we will come to them
and make our home with them.  John 14:23


Timothy Albrecht, our Organist Laureate, led from the organ while
trumpeters Christopher Martin with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, his
brother Michael with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and timpanist Todd
Mueller accompanied.  The service closed with members of the congregation in
 record numbers joining the choir in singing the Hallelujah Chorus. Click here to listen to a recording of the Hallelujah Chorus.



To view photographs of the Easter Service, click here.

 

Chancel Choir Spring Concert

Glenn Choir Concert
 
The Glenn Chancel Choir presented a concert of music for
chorus, soloists, organ and string orchestra on March 27, 2011, 4:00 p.m. 
at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church.
 Click here to download the Concert flyer.
 
The hour long concert included the music of Henry Purcell
(1659-1695), Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) and Tarik O'Regan (born 1978).
The featured work was the Georgia premiere of Triptych, a cantata for
chorus and string orchestra, by British composer Tarik O'Regan, which
received its world premiere in London at the 2006 International Festival of
Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace.  The three movements of Triptych,
titled "Threnody," "As We Remember Them" and "From Heaven Distilled a
Clemency," contemplate resurrection through texts from Christian, Jewish and
Islamic writers. The string orchestra included Emory's resident Vega Quartet.  The soprano soloist was Katie Boice.  To read an interview with composer Tarik O’Regan, click here.

 
The concert began with the anthem "Unto Thee Will I Cry, O
Lord," by Henry Purcell, performed by the Glenn Chamber Choir.  Soloists
were alto Elise Eskew Sparks, tenor Wesley Morgan and bass-baritone
Stephen Ozcomert.  Instrumentalists included the Vega Quartet and
Timothy Albrecht, Emory University Organist.  This was followed by
Serenade by Benjamin Britten, for tenor, horn and string orchestra, 
featuring tenor soloist Timothy B. Miller, with Jason Eklund on horn.  The
concert concluded with Triptych.
 
 
 

Music for Advent & Christmas 2010

Performances of the Little Chapel Youth Choral Series were held on December 5, 2010.  The Altar and Chapel Choirs and friends presented seasonal music in Glenn’s historical Little Chapel with two identical back-to-back concerts.

The Advent Lessons and Carols Service was held on December 12th. Unique to Glenn, this service of Advent lessons, hymns and anthems calls for Christ to re-enter our lives. Instrumental music for trumpet, timpani and organ, led by Timothy Albrecht, began at 10:30.  Our children’s, youth and Chancel choirs offered anthems, including a new setting of “Adam Lay Ybounden” by Steven Darsey, scored for choir, organ and viola, played by ASO Associate Principal Violist, Paul Murphy. Kristin Holladay, senior in our Chapel Choir, sang “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree,” and Magdalena Wór sang “But Who May Abide” from Handel’s Messiah. Everyone sang the great hymns of Advent, including Charles Wesley’s majestic, “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending.”  Click here to view pictures of the Lessons and Carols Service.  To view a video of the Service, click here.

The Christmas Carol Sing and Children’s Nativity Pageant was held on December 15th.  Steven Darsey led our annual Carol Sing, and our Cherub Choir, directed by Mary Lindsey Lewis, portrayed the Nativity of Jesus.

Other opportunities for singing included the Youth and Alumni Choir, Women’s and Men’s Choruses on December 19th and the Laity Choir during the 5:00 service on Christmas Eve.

The Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service was held at 11:00.  Haunting music for chamber choir, guitar and organ introduced and enhanced this service of word, music and sacrament.
 
 

Paideia, Agnes Scott and Georgia Tech Sing at Glenn

The Paideia School Choruses performed in our sanctuary on October 27, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Under the faithful leadership of Katherine Murray, Paideia has developed one of the outstanding choral programs in the country. Their choruses, including some 200 singers, performed Beethoven's Ode to Joy, Mendelssohn's Grant us Thy Peace, Faure's Requiem as well as folk, pop and spiritual selections.  We are grateful to Paideia, their directors Kate Murray and Scott Morris, and these young people for learning and sharing the great literature and traditions of our faith and culture. On February 13, 2011 the Georgia Tech Men’s Glee Club, and on February 20, the Collegiate Chorale of Agnes Scott sang for our worship. Along with our Choral Scholars and our new relationship with the Emory Symphony Orchestra, these guest choirs bring a youthful vitality and promise to our worship: “Let them ever sing for joy.”
 
 

Glenn Choral Scholars

Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church has established a Choral Scholar program. Participation is open to undergraduate students by competitive audition and provides stipends of up to $1000 per academic year to successful candidates. Students selected this year include Ruth Reveal from Agnes Scott College, Rebecca Ryan, Janice Kuo, Susanna Kim and Keshav Venkat from Emory University and Joseph Battle, Mark Magwood and Jeremy Simmons from Clark Atlanta University.
 
Choral Scholars sing with the Glenn Chancel Choir for their Thursday evening rehearsals and 11:00 AM Sunday services during the academic year. They serve as section leaders, apprenticed to the Glenn artist singing staff.  Choral Scholars receive vocal coaching from the artist staff and sing solos for the 8:30 and 11:00 AM services on designated occasions.

The Chancel Choir, composed of volunteers and professionals, offers the finest sacred literature with professional performance standards.  With Todd Skrabanek, pianist, Timothy Albrecht organist, artist level soloists, and Steven Darsey as Music Director, the Glenn Choir offers a rich learning, performing, and worship experience for all singers.

Click here to download the announcement flyer.

 

Praise God with the Sound of Trumpets
Easter Sunday Music

On Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010, for both the 8:30 and 11:00 AM services, we celebrated the resurrection of Christ with music for trumpets, timpani, organ and choir. Christopher Martin, principal trumpet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, was joined this year by his brother, Michael, a senior at Northwestern, who recently won the national collegiate competition for trumpet, and who, upon graduation, will join the brass section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. We are grateful that these brothers want to return to their home town and play for our Easter celebration. Timothy Albrecht, our Organist Laureate, led from the organ and our Chancel Choir sang, “Blessing and Honor, Glory and Power Be unto Him Forever” from Handel’s Messiah.  Everyone was invited to join our traditional benedictory Hallelujah Chorus. We are grateful for donors to our Music Fund who make possible these special presentations in our worship life.  
 
 

"I Will Sing of Your Mercy" - Schütz, Bach, Vaughan Williams - Pilgrim's Progress

The Chancel Choir, Choral Scholars and soloists presented a concert, Sunday, March 7, 2010, at 4:00 PM in our sanctuary.   The hour long concert began with vocal works by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1682), who was the principal court and church musician in Dresden. One of the greatest composers in history, virtually all of his output is sacred. These pieces, intended for smaller vocal forces, were sung by a chamber choir of Chancel Choir members. They comprise four early Passion meditations and one from the psalms. Schütz set these in a motet cycle with a musical-theological progression. While challenging to learn, they are beautiful and inspiring to sing and hear. These were followed by Timothy Albrecht playing preludes and fugues of father Bach (1685-1750) on our mighty Casavant.

The concert concluded with the cantata, Pilgrim’s Journey by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). Scored for soloists, semi-chorus, chorus, strings and piano, this work is a distillation of V. Williams’ monumental opera on John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.  The string orchestra was led by Emory’s resident Vega Quartet. The child of a pastor, Vaughan Williams wrote much sacred music, including our beloved “For All the Saints.” Soloists included our own Stephen Ozcomert and Wesley Morgan, as well as guest soprano, Wanda Yang Temko.
 

 

Paideia Chamber Choir and Glenn Youth Choir Combine for Worship

Paideia Chamber Choir
 
Glenn Youth Choir

Sunday, March 14, 2010, the Chamber Choir of the Paideia School, directed by Katherine Murray, joined our youth choirs, directed by Associate Music Director, Wes Griffin. They provided the vocal music for our 11:00 AM service. Each choir sang an anthem on their own, and then combined for the great spiritual “Set Down Servant.” We were honored to welcome these singers from the Paideia School and are proud of our youth who sang with them.
 

 

 


 

 

Young Harris College Choir Sings at Glenn

Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church welcomed the 62 voice Young Harris College Choir as they sang during the 11:00 a.m. service on November 8, 2009.  The College Choir is a non-auditioned group dedicated to high musical standards as an integral part of the liberal arts experience.  Comprised of both music and non-music majors, the College Choir historically embodies nearly ten percent of the total student body, representing all academic areas of the College.  Repertoire for the College Choir ranges from choral masterworks such as the Vivaldi Magnificat, Rutter Requiem, Schutz Christmas Oratorio, to Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, PDQ Bach and standard vocal jazz selections.  The Choir performs regularly throughout the region and is considered a cultural keystone in the North Georgia area.

The College Choir is directed by Jeffrey Bauman, the Director of Choral/Vocal Studies at Young Harris.  Cynthia DeFoor serves as the accompanist.

 

The Chancel Choir Performs at Spivey Hall

 
The Georgia Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association selected the Glenn Chancel Choir to be one of three choirs state-wide to perform during their conference at Spivey Hall on July 12, 2008  The choir sang a 15 minute set and then joined a mass choir anthem under the direction of distinguished conductor Rodney Eichenberger. 

The ADCA in Georgia has a membership of over 450 choral directors.  Their mission is to advance the art of choral music in schools, colleges, communities and churches throughout the state.  Being chosen as one of the featured choirs to sing for the conference is an honor for both a choir and its conductor. 
 

Chancel Choir Sings for Eucharistic Congress

 
The Chancel Choir was given the signal honor of singing for the annual Eucharistic Congress of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta.  The Congress was held on Friday and Saturday, June 20-21, 2008, at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.  The choir sang for the closing service Saturday evening.

The invitation came via Reverend Theodore Book, SLL, Director of the Office of Divine Worship, who, as the son of congregants Judy and Wayne Book, grew up partly in Glenn before going to Rome to study for the priesthood.  The Chancel Choir sang a broad array of repertoire from chant, to Renaissance mass movements, to folk hymns, spirituals, and tunes from South Africa, Korea and the contemporary Taize community of France – most of which were heard in our own worship services.  About 30,000 people attended the two day event.