The Gospel + Music = Gospel Music
Our worship brings many different kinds of music that people can relate to ...
- Traditional, modern, pop, classical, gospel, jazz, blues, ... Musical expression is gift !
Congregational Choir
- Like music in general today, our Congregational Choir defies categorization.
- The inherent message that guides our music selections is the view that the grace of God can be experienced through music in its many forms. God can be experienced in:
- a fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach
- traditional hymns by George Frideric Handel or Felix Mendelssohn
- an old English Christmas carol, like "I Saw Three Ships"
- "Blue Rondo a la Turk" by Dave Brubeck
- "Imagine" by John Lennon
- improvisational Latin-rhythm drumming
- the fusion jazz of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke or Herbie Hancock
- The Congregational Choir typically sings every 3rd Sunday.
- Our church embraces all kinds of musical expressions as gifts of God.
Gospel Choir
- Gospel music grew from the lives of kidnapped Africans who were enslaved in America.
- It keenly affirms that people, with the help of God, can overcome even the worst.
- Gospel is a vibrant meld of African rhythms, traditional hymns, traditional and native instruments, the stories of the Bible and the experiences of American slaves.
- Jazz, rhythm & blues and country music have their origins in gospel music.
- Gospel is an important part the overall symphony of musical expressions at our church.
- Music expression is an important component of our worship services.
- For example, when Fred Fisher plays the piano, or when Cheryl Brag or Krystal Ali sing, they may not play/sing the in keys written in our hymnals or play or sind the notes simply as they were written. Instead, they give themselves over to the music, relying on the Spirit and improvisation in the joyous freedom of expression.
- As Fred says: "The written music is only a template into which we pour our musical interpretations."
- Come feel the power - and the blowing wind of the Spirit!