The 11:00 pm Service of Lessons and Carols was broadcast live again this year on WXXI 91.5 FM, thanks to generous support from Valley Manor and Seniorsfirst.

Listen to the Johann Franz von Herbeck: Pueri Concinite with Robert Swensen, tenor, and The Chancel Choir, from the 2002 Service of Lessons and Carols. (MP3 file)

Throughout the world, societies both modern and traditional celebrate our journey through life with astonishing rites of passage. These images capture the beauty, warmth, shock, and even danger of rituals which distill the wisdom of the ages into comprehensible dramas. These dramas in turn address nothing less than the meaning of birth, adolescence, marriage, aging, and death.

After a several year hiatus, the Boar's Head Festival will return and again be the culmination of our celebration of Christmas and Epiphany. Dating back to 14th century England, this festival procession includes much pageantry, thrilling music by the choir, and much carol singing by choir and audience, accompanied by organ and instruments.

The two performances will each be followed by a reception hosted by the royal court, and full of goodies which include plenty of mince tarts, plum pudding, and a wassail bowl! It is an event to which we invite the entire Rochester community, so spread the word, and invite your friends and neighbors to join you for this beautiful and fun festival.

Two special musical events in worship during March will provide significant steps in our journey through Lent toward Easter.

The first, on Sunday, March 7 in the 10:45am service, will feature Third Church member and renowned tenor Robert Swensen and his son Matthew (alto) in a performance of a twentieth century masterpiece by English composer Benjamin Britten. The piece, Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac is among the most moving and beautiful vocal music of the twentieth century. It takes its text from a medieval Chester Miracle Play and portrays the intense and deeply emotional story of Abraham, his dialogue with God, and willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The service that morning will center on themes of sacrifice, with the Britten piece serving as a catalyst for further reflection. We are most grateful to Bob and Matthew for this generous gift of music.

Two weeks later, on Sunday, March 21 in the 10:45am service, the Chancel Choir, soloists and orchestra, directed by Peter DuBois, will present Johann Sebastian Bach’s enduring musical monument, Cantata #4, Christ Lag in Todesbanden (Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Grasp). This cantata, which is based on the Easter hymn of the same name by Martin Luther, presents the stirring and affirming hope of the Resurrection as we move closer to Easter Day. March 21 also happens to be Bach’s 319th birthday. A special offering will be received that day to support the expenses of this and future special music presentations.

Plan to be present for worship throughout Lent, but make a special effort not to miss these unique and profound experiences - and invite your friends, neighbors and co-workers to join you.

ThirdArts will present The Mansfield University Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Peggy Dettwiler, in concert in our Sanctuary. This group, which has toured and recorded both in the US and abroad, has achieved a reputation of excellence on the regional, state, national, and international level, and has been invited to perform for the last 11 years for various choral and music conventions.

The program includes a wide variety of works from the Renaissance to the 20th Century and genres ranging from motets to spirituals. Some of the pieces to be performed include “Cantemus!” by Lajos Bardos, “Ich scheid von dir” by Hans Leo Hassler, “Gloria” from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G, James Erb’s beautiful setting of “Shenandoah,” “This Little Light of Mine” arranged by Moses Hogan, Leonard Bernstein’s stirring “Somewhere” from West Side Story, and several movements from Johann Sebastian Bach’s masterpiece, the Mass in B minor.

Also included on the program are The Mansfieldians, a 12-voice auditioned chamber and vocal jazz ensemble, directed by both Dr. Dettwiler and Dr. Sheryl Monkelien.

Third Church member Joyce Wunderlich was for a number of years a professor and Chair of the Music Department at Mansfield University, and Peggy Dettwiler is also no stranger to Rochester. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the Eastman School of Music, and is married to long-time Eastman musicologist Jürgen Thym. Invite your friends and neighbors to join you in attending this wonderful concert! A free-will offering will be received to support expenses.

Do you remember all the fun stories...
... told by the people that went on the Chancel Choir Tour of England in 2001? You won't want to miss out on the next tour - which will "take off" in the summer of 2005!

The committee organizing the CHOIR TOUR 2005 is holding an informational meeting and dinner on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm, in Johnston Hall. Whether you're a member of the Chancel Choir or not, you're invited to come, learn about the details of the tour, and ask questions. (No commitment is required at this meeting!) There is room for singers and non-singers alike on the tour, and we especially invite congregation members to join us !

You can purchase a fish & chips dinner for $5.00, bring your own snack, or just come to the meeting and listen.

Please let us know if you are coming - and if you want dinner - by signing up at coffee hour on Sundays, or by calling the church office for a reservation. Reservations are due by Sunday, April 25th.

Third Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir

Unleashed and Unsupervised

Friday, April 30, 2004
The German House

The Chancel Choir is hosting an evening of short performances-music, dance, comedy, prose, etc.-at The German House, 315 Gregory Street, on Friday, April 30, 2004. Refreshments, Hors d'oeuvres, and Silent Auction begin at 7:00 pm. Entertainment and dessert begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets ($30 per person / $50 per couple) are available during the Coffee Hour on Sunday morings, from any choir member, or by calling the church office. Proceeds support the Chancel Choir's 2005 trip to England.

Third Church’s three youth musical ensembles will present a concert in the sanctuary on Friday, May 7 at 7:00pm. The program, including performances by the Junior High Bell Choir, Covenant Ringers and Covenant Singers, will feature many of the pieces that the groups have performed during the current program year, and will provide an opportunity for congregation members and friends to enjoy the wonderful talents of our youth! The concert will be followed by a reception in Johnston Hall.

Also that evening, a display of artwork created by children and youth of Third Church will be on exhibit in the Third Church Gallery, and continuing throughout the summer. The works have all been completed in recent weeks, and center around the theme, “The whole world in God’s hands…”

Join us for a wonderful evening sharing in the artistic and musical gifts of our children and youth. No admission will be charged, but we ask that you bring a gift of a non-perishable food item for the Third Church Food Pantry.

ThirdArts will close this season of music and arts events with a Choral Evensong presented by the Chancel Choir on Sunday, June 6 at 4:00pm in the sanctuary. It is patterned after the services sung daily in English cathedrals and collegiate churches, and will give a taste of what the choir will be preparing for as they travel to serve as choir-in-residence at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, in July 2005.

This reflective liturgy, full of music, scripture, and prayer will be a fitting close to a full and diverse season of music and arts events at Third Church. Choral music will include works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Paul Halley, Herbert Howells, and Edgar Bainton. The service will be followed by a splendid tea in Johnston Hall. Please join us for this wonderful service. It is free and open to the public.