WELCOME
Whether you are a first time visitor or a seasoned participant, this
website is designed to provide you important information on the musical
life of the Church of the Covenant.
You can find schedules, uploaded scores, MP3 recordings and more. Just click on the ensemble in which you are interested. The site is constantly being updated, so if you can't find what you need just send me an email. Our aim is to stay more in touch with you in order to create a more fulfilling musical experience for you at the Church of the Covenant! Jonathan W. Moyer Organist and Director of Music |
NEWS FLASH:
Download the music winter/sprint music schedule below. Check out the rehearsal recordings. Music Schedule 2012 (Winter-Spring)
Listen to our choir
Draw Us in the Spirit's Tether by Harold Friedell
From the Centennial Celebration, June 12, 2011 The Old Hundredth Psalm Tune by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Opening Hymn, September 18, 2011 for the rededication of the sanctuary Locus Iste by Anton Bruckner
September 18, 2011 Gratias agimus tibi from the Mass in B minor by J.S. Bach
September 18, 2011 |
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A Reflection on 100 Years of Music at the Church of the Covenant
by Jonathan Moyer, Sunday, June 12, 2011
The conclusion of this music season marks the third year of my tenure at the Church of the Covenant – yes, only three of the last 100 years of remarkable music in this place. One of the main reasons for which Kaori and I moved to Cleveland was the great legacy of music at the Church of the Covenant. Indeed it is a great honor to follow in the footsteps of such renown church musicians as Charles Rebstock, Henry Fusner, Haskell Thompson, Heywood Alexander, Karen Holtkamp, and Todd Wilson, and many others. The musicians that have graced this chancel have come from all over the world, representing renowned institutions of music and culture that surround this place, such as the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and numerous colleges and universities in northeast Ohio.
We (the musicians of the past 100 years) are the custodians of worship in this sacred space. Indeed, all of the present members and staff of this church are given the task to sustain and continue the mission that inspired the founders of this edifice a century ago; and the opportunities that still await us in this unique location are abundant; yet, they require of us the same creative vision and resolute purpose that made this place possible in the beginning.
A year ago when I began planning the music for this special occasion, I was delighted that our anniversary celebration coincided with Pentecost, the day on which we commemorate the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I was immediately drawn to J.S. Bach’s magnificent Cantata for Pentecost, a work that bears significance for both today’s liturgy and our special celebration.
The cantata’s text compares physical sacred space to spiritual sacred space. In other words, this magnificent sanctuary is a metaphor for the inmost sanctuary of our hearts. Tomorrow morning, we will commence with the renewal of this physical space - improved lighting, refurbished pews, enhanced acoustics, and eventually a new second organ. What if we took the opportunity to also renew our inward space – to allow the Spirit of Pentecost to revive our souls.
We conclude our program today with three very special pieces for our choir. Maurice Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas, sung every year on Maundy Thursday, reminds us that the greatest evidence of God’s presence is found in our love for one another. This message is continued in Harold Friedell’s Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether. The sacrament of service - caring, helping, giving – is the most compelling testament of our faith. Then as a final benediction to this remarkable day, and indeed to the past 100 years, we sing Peter Lutkin’s The Lord Bless You and Keep You.
I respectfully ask that we conclude our concert today not with applause, but with peaceful silence. Allow the beauty of these moments to fill you with gratitude for what God has done in this place, and let us leave here today renewed in our spirits to continue that message of love for another century.
We (the musicians of the past 100 years) are the custodians of worship in this sacred space. Indeed, all of the present members and staff of this church are given the task to sustain and continue the mission that inspired the founders of this edifice a century ago; and the opportunities that still await us in this unique location are abundant; yet, they require of us the same creative vision and resolute purpose that made this place possible in the beginning.
A year ago when I began planning the music for this special occasion, I was delighted that our anniversary celebration coincided with Pentecost, the day on which we commemorate the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I was immediately drawn to J.S. Bach’s magnificent Cantata for Pentecost, a work that bears significance for both today’s liturgy and our special celebration.
The cantata’s text compares physical sacred space to spiritual sacred space. In other words, this magnificent sanctuary is a metaphor for the inmost sanctuary of our hearts. Tomorrow morning, we will commence with the renewal of this physical space - improved lighting, refurbished pews, enhanced acoustics, and eventually a new second organ. What if we took the opportunity to also renew our inward space – to allow the Spirit of Pentecost to revive our souls.
We conclude our program today with three very special pieces for our choir. Maurice Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas, sung every year on Maundy Thursday, reminds us that the greatest evidence of God’s presence is found in our love for one another. This message is continued in Harold Friedell’s Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether. The sacrament of service - caring, helping, giving – is the most compelling testament of our faith. Then as a final benediction to this remarkable day, and indeed to the past 100 years, we sing Peter Lutkin’s The Lord Bless You and Keep You.
I respectfully ask that we conclude our concert today not with applause, but with peaceful silence. Allow the beauty of these moments to fill you with gratitude for what God has done in this place, and let us leave here today renewed in our spirits to continue that message of love for another century.
