Archive from the 2006 - 2007 Program Year

World-renowned organist and improviser Gerre Hancock will perform an organ recital in the sanctuary of Third Church as part of the Eastman School of Music's IMPROVFest, a week-long course in improvisation for organists. The recital is FREE and open to the public.

Dr. Hancock was for many years Organist and Choirmaster at New York's St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue, and since retiring from there in 2004, is serving with his wife on the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin. Come and hear this legendary musician perform!

Linda C. Loving will present Julian, a dramatic monologue based on the life and times of Julian of Norwich and her written work, Revelations of Divine Love. Mystic, writer, spiritual guide, Julian is the first-known English woman whose written work survives. In the midst of great turmoil, Julian spoke words of comfort, of hope, of forgiveness, of revelation. She speaks to our time as well.

Linda Loving is an actress, writer, and ordained Presbyterian minister. She brings to the role of Julian a combined background in theater and theology. She has given over sixty performances of “Julian of Norwich” around the country and at Julian’s Shrine in Norwich, England.

Miguel Serdoura, a native of Portugal, lives and teaches in Paris, and dedicates himself to the Baroque lute as well as the Renaissance lute.

He has studied the lute with Claire Antonini at the Department of Early Music of the Conservatory of Paris and with Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum in Basel.

We are pleased to present Mr. Serdoura in his first recital tour of the United States.

The Chancel Choir, soloists, and orchestra under the direction of Peter DuBois will present a concert of music that points our thoughts heavenward, in observance of All Saints’ Day, November 1. The centerpiece of the program will be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s powerful – but incomplete – Requiem. Anthems by Bainton, Hogan, Mechem, Parker, Proulx, Stanford and Villette will help us reflect on eternal life, and those who have gone before us.

This concert is made possible in large part through generous gifts given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Karen Holmes and George Jones.

Director of Music/Organist of Third Church for the past fifteen years, Peter DuBois will perform a recital of music by J. S. Bach, Marcel Dupré, Maurice Duruflé, César Franck and Paul Hindemith on the 4-manual Austin organ in the sanctuary.

Peter has performed extensively in the United States and abroad. In addition to his duties at Third Church, he serves on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music part time, as Assistant Professor of Sacred Music, and Director of the Sacred Music Diploma.

Ulrika Davidsson has concertized throughout Europe as well as in the U.S., and has presented recitals and lectures at several international conferences. She teaches keyboard technique at the Eastman School of Music, and is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in piano and early keyboards at the Eastman School of Music under Barry Snyder and William Porter.

This special post-Christmas performance will feature many of the pieces that Derrick, Herb, and Peter performed in their recent recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York.

The program features music by Bach and Handel, as well as carol and folk song settings by Alfred Burt, Jake Heggie, Philip Maue, and John Ness Beck. Also featured will be two pieces specially composed by Herb Smith, including the Rochester premiere of his “The 12 Tones of Christmas”.

Come and enjoy some post-holiday music making in the beauty of the Third Church sanctuary, following the 10:45 worship service that day.

This third concert in the 2006-2007 series gives us a wonderful opportunity to hear a program of music for viola da gamba and cello as Nika Zlataric and Manuel Minguillon perform a program of Spanish music composed for those instruments. Come and enjoy this lovely program in the candlelit beauty and acoustic splendor of the Third Presbyterian Church Chapel.

Nika, a native of Zagreb, holds degrees from the Zagreb Academy of Music, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and the Eastman School of Music.

Manuel, who helped found this series, comes from Madrid, Spain, where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in guitar performance with Gerardo Arriaga. He is currently pursuing the degree Doctor of Musical Arts at the Eastman School of Music, studying with renowned teacher, Paul O’Dette.

This Concert of Gospel Music will be a great celebration of faith through music, as the choir performs Robert Ray’s rousing Gospel Mass, as well as works by other gospel and spiritual composers, including L. L. Fleming, Keith Hampton, Moses Hogan and John W. Work. All ages will enjoy the concert, so invite family and friends to join you for this unique experience!

Keith Hampton is Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago Community Chorus and is Director of Music Ministries at Park Manor Christian Church in Chicago. He has published many compositions and arrangements and is in frequent demand as a conductor and clinician.

A delightful concert of virtuoso baroque music for solo violin, solo cello, and violin/cello duo will conclude the second season of Chapel Concerts by Candlelight as two popular performers from last year’s series return.

Houghton College Choir
Thursday, March 29 at 7:30 pm

Sanctuary

The 75-voice Houghton College Choir, under the direction of Dr. Brandon Johnson, will mark the beginning of their Spring Tour of the east coast with this performance of varied repertoire spanning several centuries. Included will be works by Samuel Barber, Edvard Grieg, Keith Hampton, Antonio Lotti, Heinrich Schütz, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Eric Whitacre among others.

The choir was founded in 1931 by famed musician Wilfred C. Bain. Since its inception it has focused on sacred A’cappella literature and from the beginning enjoyed a reputation for performing with sensitivity and artistry.

A 40-member cast of youth will present the Rochester premiere of this new musical in TWO performances offered on Sunday, April 29, at 10:45 a.m. and at 7:00 p.m. Both performances are open to the public. Admission is free, though donations will be accepted.

The story of 10th and Luke is unique in that it was written BY youth, FOR youth to perform. It is a modern re-telling of the familiar New Testament story of The Good Samaritan, found in the tenth chapter of the Book of Luke. Here it is portrayed in a modern urban setting, with characters that we all recognize from our own lives and experience. The script and lyrics for the show were written by a team of youth and adult leaders from the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 2004. They then commissioned award-winning composer Andrew Bleckner to write music to give voice to their words, and to tie the story together. The result is, in the words of Peter DuBois, “a moving story with wonderfully written music to support it. 10th and Luke is a great addition to the somewhat limited repertoire of religiously-themed musicals available for youth performance. It has lasting value, and we are pleased to present these performances to the Greater Rochester community.”

10th and Luke received its world premiere at the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in April 2005, and the upcoming performances at Third Presbyterian Church will mark only its second full production. All roles are played by middle school and senior high youth of the church. The production is supported by a 7-piece instrumental ensemble, comprised of members and friends of the Third Church congregation.

As the final offering in this year's season of ThirdArts programs, our Chancel Choir will offer a Service of Choral Evensong in the sanctuary. The service will follow the pattern of Evensong as sung in English cathedrals and collegiate churches for centuries - a reflective time of prayer and scripture offered through music. Music by a variety of composers will be performed, including works by Orlando Gibbons, Aaron David Miller, Herbert Murrill and Richard Shephard.

Invite your friends to join you for this wonderful afternoon of devotional music, which will be followed by a reception in Johnston Hall.

The Chancel Choir will take a "mini tour" to New York City this summer, having been invited to sing at two of the city's most notable churches on Sunday, July 22, 2007.

The first stop on the trip will be to sing for the 11:00 am Service of Holy Eucharist at St. Thomas Church, on Fifth Ave at 53rd Street.   St. Thomas has one of the most remarkable music programs in the country, with an internationally renowned choir of men and boys.   John Scott, formerly Director of Music at London's St. Paul's Cathedral, is now Director at St. Thomas', and extended the invitation to our group to sing in New York.   Incidentally, this is also the church where former TPC Assistant Organist Chris Lane served for two years as Assistant Organist.

In the afternoon of July 22, the choir will move to St. Bartholomew's Church at Park Avenue and 51st Street, to sing a service of Choral Evensong at 5:00 pm.   St. Bart's also has a long tradition of some of the finest choral and organ music in New York, as well as creative and ambitious religious arts programming, and houses the largest pipe organ in the city.   It's architecture is stunning, and will provide a wonderful setting in which our choir will sing.

If you will be in the city on July 22, please come and hear the choir - or let friends and relatives in New York know of our choir's trip!.