Videos from the Sacred Choral Masterworks Concert

Here are video clips from the Sacred Choral Masterworks Concert

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

The Heavens are Telling

And the Glory of the Lord

The Best of Rooms

Hallelujah from Christ on the Mount of Olives

The Mind of Christ

Hallelujah Chorus

Solo Auditions

One of the pieces we are performing as part of the Sacred Choral Masterworks concert on May 3rd is Haydn’s “The Heavens Are Telling.”  There are 3 soloists in this work and all of the soloists will come from the Chapel Choir.  We will hold auditions for the solos on Sunday, March 29th during Chapel Choir Rehearsal.  You must be prepared to sing your solo that afternoon.  You will be expected to know your music ahead of time and be prepared to sing along with the rest of the Chapel Choir during rehearsal.  If you would like help learning the solos, contact David to set up a rehearsal time.  You can message him on facebook or email him at dtoledo@fbckeller.org

The solo parts are as follows:
Gabriel: Soprano
Uriel: Alto or Tenor
Raphael: Baritone or Bass

You can listen to a recording of the song by clicking the link below.
 The Heavens Are Telling

Messiah

Messiah, by Georg Frideric Handel, is arguably the most beloved sacred choral work in history.  For over 250 years, musical organizations, churches, and symphonies have presented this oratorio to millions of listeners.   Handel composed Messiah in twenty-four days in the late summer of 1741, beginning on August 22 and completing the work on September 14.  The work traces the story of Christ throughout both the Old and New Testaments and is made up of three parts.  The first contains the Old Testament prophecies of God’s plan of redemption through the coming Messiah.  The second part details the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  And the last deals with the ultimate defeat of death and the final redemption and resurrection of all believers.

For our Sacred Choral Masterworks concert, we will perform two choruses from Messiah: “And the Glory” and “Hallelujah.”  

“And the Glory” is one of the earliest movements in the work and is found in Part One detailing the prophecies of the Messiah.  It’s text is drawn from Isaiah 40:1-5.

Isaiah 40:1-5
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.

 A voice cries: 
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The “Hallelujah” Chorus is perhaps the most well-known choral piece throughout the world.  This triumphant chorus ends the Second Part of Messiah by quoting Revelation 19:6; 11:15: and 19:16.   Tradition has it that during one of the first performances, the English King George II rose to his feet as the chorus began.  Social customs dictated that whenever the monarch stood, everyone else in his or her presence should stand as well.  Thus, the tradition of standing during the performance of the “Hallelujah” Chorus was born. 

Revelation 19:6
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.

Revelation 11:15
 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 19:16
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace

 One of the most import figures in Christian history was Francis of Assisi (1182 – 1226).  Francis was born into a wealthy merchant family in what is now Northern Italy.  After living a reckless youth spent on pleasures and materialism, Francis experienced a spiritual transformation that would have lasting impact on Christian believers from his time to the present.

God began working in his life as Francis spent considerable time in prayer and meditation.  During this process, he developed a great compassion for the poor and neglected members of society.  This heart for the poor would be the ministry call of his life.  He later established the religious order that would eventually bear his name, “The Franciscans.”  Through his efforts, Christians throughout the world became known for their acts of compassion and care for the neglected and downtrodden.

 His poem, “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace,” is a perfect synopsis of his life of Christian service.  It is a challenging prayer asking God to use the believer to transform the world by displaying the radical love and commitment that Jesus taught and demonstrated throughout his earthly ministry.  It reminds us all that we are to respond to the world differently then unbelievers.

 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you,  Do not resist the one who is evil. But a if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,  let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38 – 42, ESV)

“And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38-39)

“Lord, Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace”

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace:
Where there is hatred, let me bring love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light:
Where there is sadness, joy;
And all for thy mercies sake.

O divine master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Sacred Choral Masterworks

On Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 5:30 p.m., the Chapel Choir will join the FBC Keller Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra in presenting Sacred Choral Masterworks, the 16th annual installment of the FBC Keller Guest Composer Concerts.  Over the past fifteen years, FBC Keller has celebrated the music of such composers as Mark Hayes, Tom Fettke, Camp Kirkland, Moses Hogan, and Lloyd Larson.  This year we will perform sacred choral works that form the foundation of our Christian musical heritage, including works from Handel, Haydn, and Beethoven.  This tremendous time of musical celebration will feature over 150 singers and 30 instrumentalists!

Concert Program

Helig - Felix Mendelssohn
“The Heavens are Telling” from The Creation - Franz Josef Haydn
“And the Glory of the Lord” from Messiah - George Friedrich Handel
The Best of Rooms - Randall Thompson
“Hallelujah” from Christ on the Mount of Olives - Ludwig van Beethoven
Lord, Make Me an Instrument - John Rutter
The Mind of Christ - Mark Hayes
“Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah - George Friedrich Handel