Organ Concert – Praise the Lord!

Name: Organ Concert – Praise the Lord!
Start: 2024-10-13T14:00:00-04:00
Location: 1200 John Fitch Highway, Fitchburg, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01420

Schedule

Sun Oct 13 2024 at 02:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

1200 John Fitch Highway, Fitchburg, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01420 | Fitchburg, MA

Mark your calendars for a special event at Emanuel!
On Sunday, October 13, at 2:00 PM, we invite you to join us for an inspiring organ concert titled, Laudate eum in psalterio… et choro…et organo – Praise him with psalter…and with choir…and with organ. This concert is a highlight of our Jubilee 2024 celebration, commemorating fifty years of faithful Christian community in our church building.
This is a free event for the community. Bring family and friends for an enjoybable afternoon of music!
Doors open at 1:30 PM.
We are honored to welcome back guest organist Chad Fothergill, a distinguished musicologist from Duke University, who previously graced Emanuel with his musical talents in January 2020. Mr. Fothergill will also serve as our guest organist during the 10:00 AM worship service on the same day, where we will once again reflect on the Jubilee 2024 theme as a prelude to the afternoon’s concert.
The program, inspired by the psalms, promises a rich and varied musical experience. As Mr. Fothergill notes, “The psalter ends with an enthusiastic musical exclamation and exhortation: Laudate eum. Praise God with voices and instruments in the holy temple for exceeding greatness.” The concert will feature organ music that draws from the depth and breadth of the psalms, showcasing both newly composed pieces and timeless melodies rooted in plainsong and Reformation-era tunes. The inventive treatments and diverse colors of the music aim to fully explore the resources of the organ, capturing the vibrant spirit of Psalm 150’s closing call: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah!”
This concert has been made possible by the Virginia Hanson Memorial Fund, through the generosity of her children, and we are deeply grateful for their support in bringing this special event to Emanuel. Following the concert, please join us for a reception with refreshments, where we can continue our celebration of this joyous occasion.
We look forward to seeing you there for an afternoon of exceptional music and fellowship as we continue to give thanks for fifty years of community at Emanuel.
From the organist…
The psalter ends with an enthusiastic musical exclamation and exhortation: Laudate eum. Praise God with voices and instruments in the holy temple for exceeding greatness.

Woven throughout the psalms—the church’s first songbook—are many musical expressions that encompass virtually every mood and feeling, both individually and communally.

This program presents a small sampling of organ music inspired by the psalms, whether freshly composed music inspired by psalm quotations or based on melodies associated with settings of psalm texts—plainsong melodies as well as Reformation-era tunes from both Lutheran and Reformed traditions.

The inventive treatments and colors seek to use the full resources of the instrument—hopefully the color and variety reflects the closing acclamation of Psalm 150: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah!”