The Church of the Redeemer invites the community to attend Solemn Evensong on Sunday, 15 January at 5:15 p.m. The Anthem will be Beatus Vir by Claudio Monteverdi; Service is Pelham Humphrey’s Service in e minor.
On Christmas Eve, beginning at 9:30 p.m., Redeemer’s late-evening “Midnight Mass” is preceded by a joyous musical celebration of organ and brass with Bradenton organist Michael Stuart performing with two festival trumpets — played by world-renowned trumpeter Daniel Mendelow, first trumpet for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; and well-known local trumpeter Andy Kemp. At 10 p.m., the choir of Redeemer will sing anthems and carols for thirty minutes, heralding the High Solemn Mass (Rite I with incense) which begins at 10:30 p.m.
Complimentary parking is available at the M&I Bank Garage on McAnsh on Christmas Eve day beginning at 3 p.m., and ending at 1 a.m.
The entire community is invited to join the Church of the Redeemer on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m., in its annual tradition of the “Messiah Sing-Along” – a joyous singing of Georg Friedrich Handel’s Christmas Messiah – one of the best-known, most-beloved, and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.
This festive, family-friendly event features members of the choirs of Redeemer singing along with the congregation, accompanied by a Chamber Orchestra and organist Ann Stephenson-Moe, under the direction of Conductor Daniel Cartlidge.
A $10 goodwill donation for tickets will be gratefully collected, and advance donations may be made via PayPal (see “Add to Cart” button below), or by calling the parish office at 941.955.4263.
Complimentary parking will be available at the M&I Bank Parking Garage on McAnsh Square between 6 and 10 p.m.
The Church of the Redeemer is located at 222 S. Palm Ave., in downtown Sarasota.
A gift for the community!
Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols, Sunday, December 11 at 5:15 p.m.; featuring the Redeemer Children’s, Youth, and Adult choirs.
This special service is a festive event in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Christ by recounting history in scripture readings from the Fall of Man, through the prophets, to the Annunciation of the Savior’s birth to Mary, with singing of many well-loved carols of Advent.
Community reception follows in Gillespie Hall (wine, punch, light snacks).
Complimentary parking for this service is available at the M&I Bank Parking Garage on McAnsh Street. For more information, call the Parish Office at 955.4263.
The Church of the Redeemer will present a half-hour Mid-Day Advent Organ Recital on 7 December featuring Guest Organist Margaret Harris Smith. The recital begins shortly after noon at 12:10, end sat 12:40 p.m., and is free and open to the public. For more information, call 941.955.4263.
A concert in celebration of Franz Liszt, presented by the Artist Concerts Series of Sarasota. Redeemer Choirmaster/Organist Ann Stephenson-Moe will perform on organ. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
“The world knows what an incredible pianist, Franz Liszt was,” says Stephenson-Moe, “but what many people don’t know is that he was just as fine an organist as he was a pianist. In fact, he wrote some of the world’s finest organ literature.”
Stephenson-Moe, who performed all of the major and minor works of Liszt for her Masters thesis says, “Liszt’s works are fantastically romantic. They range from sweet and beautiful to thundering and heart-pounding, and they all require a large organ with many colorful stops.
Redeemer’s organ has so many variations of color; it’s perfectly suited to the work of Franz Liszt. The powerful Nichols & Simpson organ has a console constructed of oak with a burl eucalyptus interior of burl eucalyptus. The pipe shades draw their inspiration from the chapel’s wrought iron screening.
Suggested Ticket Donation: $25. Click on the PayPal icon below to purchase your tickets online (read the guidelines and restrictions at the top of the Music Program page above). Tickets may also be purchased through the Parish Office (955.4263) or the day of the performance, subject to availability.
The Church of the Redeemer will begin its Advent Season of half-hour Mid-Day Advent Organ Recitals on November 30. Each Wednesday throughout Advent, guest organists and musicians from throughout the area will come to Redeemer to provide the audience with a mid-day respite from the busy holiday season.
The recitals begin Wednesday, November 30, with Guest Harpsichordist Julane Rodgers, and continue weekly through December 21. Recitals begin shortly after noon at 12:10, end at 12:40 p.m., and are free and open to the public. For more information, call 941.955.4263.
Upcoming guest musicians:
December 7: Margaret Harris Smith
December 14: Dr. Richard Benedum
December 21: Michael Stuart
Sunday, 27 November, at 7:30 p.m., the Church of the Redeemer will host the Bach Festival of Central Florida — one of the oldest Bach Festivals in the state of Florida. This special festival will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible by featuring a special rendition of Georg Friedrich Handel’s Christmas Messiah – one of the best-known, most-beloved, and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.
Virginia Davidson, a founding member of the Bach Festival of Central Florida, will conduct a baroque orchestra, accompanied by Redeemer Organist/Choirmaster Ann Stephenson-Moe on organ. The Redeemer choir will be joined by four outstanding soloist talents: Dr. Anthony Offerle, baritone; Bryce Westervelt, tenor; Adelaide Boedecker, soprano; and Reba Evans, mezzo-soprano.
Dr. Anthony Offerle is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida – School of Music where he teaches studio voice, directs the opera program; during the summer months, he serves on the voice faculty of the prestigious Operafestival di Roma in Italy. Offerle’s credits include performances with the OperaEstate in Rome, The Cincinnati Opera, International Chamber Orchestra, Dayton Opera, Wyoming Opera, Charleston Symphony, Savannah Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. He is a two-time Metropolitan Opera auditions district winner and regional finalist, a national winner of the Federation of Music Clubs vocal competition, and one of only ten Americans selected to compete in the quadrennial Marian Anderson International Vocal Competition.
Bryce Westervelt, tenor, is sought after as a soloist with opera companies, orchestras and choral groups across the USA, performing in venues such as the Washington National Cathedral, The National Building Museum, The German Embassy, and the Smithsonian.
Redeemer's own Adelaide Boedecker will perform.
Mezzo-Soprano Reba Evans
The Church of the Redeemer is located at 222 S. Palm Ave., in downtown Sarasota. Suggested ticket donation is $15; students $12. Advance ticket purchase is recommended for this highly-anticipated performance; remaining tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the door on the day of the performance. To purchase tickets in advance, click on the PayPal option below to buy them online, or call the Redeemer Parish office at 941.955.4263.
Members of Redeemer’s all-girl Canterbury Choir. Back row (left to right): Katherine Koach, Scotlyn Srodes, Kristine Leung, Samantha Wulfsohn, Elinor Garlington, Caroline Devitt. Front row (left to right): Courtney Pollard, Carroll Forbes, Organist/Choirmaster Ann Stephenson-Moe, Jane Lindsay, Paige Lindsay, Alex Fox.
Sunday, November 20, at 5:15 p.m., the Church of the Redeemer will offer a Solemn Evensong honoring and celebrating Sarasota’s young people. This special Evensong will feature a percussion, string, and bass orchestra quartet from the Sarasota Youth Symphony. The Anthem will be Dixit Dominus by G. Galuppi with Berkshire service. This Evensong will feature Redeemer’s all-girl Canterbury Choir, which includes students from Sarasota middle and high schools as well as St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton.
In addition to learning to read music, the girls who participate in Canterbury Choir become acquainted with classical choral literature and learn to sing in Latin, French, Spanish, German and Russian. Throughout the year during Sunday morning masses at Redeemer, this special choir sings anthems specifically written for female voices.
Redeemer Organist/Choirmaster Dr. Ann Stephenson-Moe says, “Youth choirs throughout our community provide the opportunity for young people to receive not just a religious education, but a broad exposure to choral literature, language, and context for a lifelong appreciation of and involvement in history and the arts”
“Youth Evensong is Redeemer’s expression of profound gratitude for the youth of our parish and the community,” adds Stephenson-Moe, “as well as for the blessings of music.”
For many years, the Church of the Redeemer has nourished and supported an active Youth and Children’s music program, which is one of the most important outreach programs of the parish. The music education program for children and young people takes them from kindergarten through high school, beginning with the Cherubim Choir; the Westminster Choir for girls, grades 2-5; Redeemer Knights for boys, grades 2-5; and the audition-only Canterbury Choir, for girls aged 11 through high school senior year.
The fourth annual Sarasota-Manatee Bach Festival is designed to highlight Baroque music and Bach in particular.
Under the direction of Ann Stephenson-Moe and Richard Benedum the concert will include orchestral, keyboard, and choral music by J. S. Bach and his son, Johann Christian Bach. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
Stephenson-Moe on harpsichord will perform the “Concerto in E-Flat” by Johann Christian Bach. She said the festival’s mission is “to keep the music of the Baroque period alive, including the music of Bach. We also aim to provide access to Baroque music for young musicians and hope to see many young faces at these concerts.”
Her co-director said that the music for the concert will “show the great variety in Bach’s repertoire.”
“The ‘Double Violin Concerto’ is among his most popular works, and the ‘Chromatic Fantasy’ is among the most dramatic of all Bach’s keyboard music,” Benedum said. “The rest of the music showcases other sides of Bach’s amazingly varied musical output. We’ll close with one of Bach’s most joyous compositions, taken from his ‘Christmas Oratorio.’”
Jennifer Best and Christopher Takeda, principal violinists in the Sarasota Orchestra, will perform Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor.” Isabelle Besançon, cello, will perform Bach’s “Suite No. 4″ for unaccompanied cello.
The Bach festival chorus will sing Bach’s “Cantata 104, Du Hirte Israel,” and a selection from Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” with soloists Alan Brunton and David Verdoni, tenors; and Daniel Cartlidge, baritone.
Julane Rodgers will perform Bach’s well-known “Chromatic Fantasy” for solo harpsichord, and alto Rachel Assi will join Jennifer Best on “Erbarme dich” from Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion.”
This same concert is also presented Friday November 4 at 7:30 p.m., at Christ Church in Bradenton.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $7 for students — purchase now online using the PayPal option below.
