In State's Churches, Celebrating Easter With Alleluias - The New ...

In State's Churches, Celebrating Easter With Alleluias
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ONE of the great sacred works frequently performed during Holy Week is Bach's ''St. John Passion.'' Excerpts from it will be heard in church services around the state, but the entire work will be presented twice at The Bushnell in Hartford, on Saturday at 8 P.M. and on Easter Sunday at 4 P.M.
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Lankester, will be joined by Concora (the Connecticut Choral Artists), directed by Richard Coffey, with the tenor Frank Patterson, as the Evangelist, the baritone Daniel Lichti, as Jesus, and Anne Todd Howarth, soprano; Janis Taylor, mezzo-soprano, and John Mack, tenor.
Bach, who was born in 1685, conducted the work at St. Thomas's Church in Leipzig in 1723, clinching his appointment as cantor and organist, a post that he had been denied previously; once installed he remained for the rest of his life. During that time he composed 250 cantatas, the ''St. Matthew Passion,'' the Mass in B Minor, the Christmas Oratorio, ''Goldberg Variations'' and many more works, including the unfinished ''Art of Fugue.'' During his final 10 years his eyesight grew progressively worse, leaving him almost totally blind. Bach was regarded as testy, often in conflict with the church hierarchy, and, during his lifetime, overshadowed in the musical world by Telemann. It was not until Mendelssohn conducted the ''St. Matthew Passion'' in Berlin in 1829 that Bach's work began to receive recognition, and by 1850 the first centenary of his death was observed.
ESSEX -- First Congregational Church, 33 Prospect St. Today, 10 A.M., ''Lift Up Your Heads'' by Handel, with choirs. At 7:30 P.M., ''When He Rode Into Jerusalem'' by Deal. Fri., 7 P.M., ''A Scarlet Robe'' by Larson, ''Thirty Pieces of Silver'' by Beal-Carter, ''Even the Heavens Are Weeping'' by Martin, ''I'm Thirsty'' by Rojahn-Dengler, with choir. Next Sun., 9 and 11 A.M., ''Worthy Is the Lamb'' and ''Hallelujah,'' with choir. Barry Asch, organist.
FAIRFIELD -- Black Rock Congregational Church, 3685 Black Rock Tpke. Today, 9:30 A.M., ''Then Will the Very Rocks Cry Out'' by McSpadden, George, Thompson and Scruggs, ''Psalm 150'' by Lewankowski, with choir and organ. At 11 A.M., contemporary service with vocal and band ensemble. Next Sun., 8 and 9:30 A.M., ''He Is Alive'' by Wilkinson and Clydesdale, ''Jesus Is Alive'' by Kenoly, ''Hallelujah,'' with choir and organ. At 11 A.M., contemporary service, vocal and band ensemble. James P. Marshall, minister of music.
MILFORD -- First United Church of Christ, 34 W. Main St. Thur., 7:30 P.M., ''Deal Gently, Lord, With Thy Servants'' (Anonymous), ''Bread of the World'' by John Abdenour, ''The Lord Is My Shepherd'' from John Rutter's Requiem, with choir and organ. Fri., noon, ''Adoramus Te Christe'' by Palestrina, Chants on Psalm 22 by Wesley and Bairstow, ''Drop, Drop Slow Tears'' by Orlando Gibbons, with boys' and girls' choirs. Next Sun., 9 and 11 A.M., Dutch carol ''This Joyful Eastertide,'' ''Christ Is Our Passover'' by Abdenour, ''Hallelujah'' from Handel's Messiah, with choirs, brass quintet, drums and cymbals. John Abdenour, music director.
NEW BRITAIN -- South Church, 90 Main St. Today, 10:30 A.M., ''O Vos Omnes'' by Pablo Casals, ''Lift Up Your Heads'' by Francis Jackson, Harold Darke's ''Communion Service in F Major,'' ''O Sacred Head'' by David Hurd, with choir. Thur., 7:30 P.M., ''Thy Perfect Love'' by John Rutter, ''I See His Blood Upon the Rose'' by Hugh Robertson, ''Abide With Me'' by Harrison Millard, with choir. Next Sun., Dupre's ''Cortege and Litany'' with Jubilant Ringers Bell Choir, ''Fanfare'' for organ by John Cook, ''Christ Hath Triumphed'' by W. Glen Darst, Randall Thompson's ''Alleluia,'' ''Alleluia'' from Mozart's ''Exultate Jubilate,'' with Christine Laird, soprano. Richard Coffey, organist and music director.
NEW HAVEN -- United Church on the Green. Today, 10:30 A.M., ''Thy Saviour Comes, Jerusalem'' by David H. Williams, ''Hosanna to the Son of David'' by Thomas Weelkes, ''God So Loved the World'' by Stainer, with choir. ''Cortege and Litanie'' by Dupre, ''Improvisation'' by Camille Saint-Saens, for organ. Next Sun., 10:30 A.M., ''The Glory of Christ: by K. Lee Scott, ''Hilariter'' by Richard Dirksen, ''O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?'' ''But Thanks Be to God'' and ''Hallellujah,'' with choir. ''Gaudeamus'' by Richard Proulx, ''Prelude and Fugue on the Name Alain'' by Durufle, with choir, soloists, Colonial Brass Quintet and timpani, ''Toccata'' from Widor's Symphony No. 5. Dr. Mark Brombaugh, music director.
NORWALK -- First Congregational Church on the Green. Today, 10:30 A.M., ''Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord'' by Charles Gounod, ''Ride On in Majesty'' by T. Frederick Candlyn, ''March Pontifical'' from Symphony No. 1 by Widor. Next Sun., 11 A.M., ''Jesus Christ Is Risen Again'' by Eric Thiman, ''My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord'' by Tertius Noble, ''He Is Risen'' by Joachim Leander, and ''Toccata'' from the Symphony No. 5 by Widor. Soloists Grace Kane, soprano; Meredith Fischer, mezzo-soprano, and William Bray, baritone. Joseph MacFarland, organist and music director.
RIDGEFIELD -- First Congregational Church, 103 Main St. Today, 4 P.M. Handel's Messiah, Parts I and II, with orchestra and soloists. Next Sun., 8 A.M., Traditional hymns by the Hand Bell Choir, organ prelude by Bach, and ''Toccata'' from Widor's Symphony No. 5 for Organ. At 9:30 and 11 A.M., ''Hallelujah'' and other excerpts from the Messiah, with multiple choirs and brass, ''Toccata'' by Widor. Jane Wilmot, music director.
STAMFORD -- First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bedford St. Fri., 8, Brahms's Requiem, two pianos, soloists, choir and the Wilton Singers. Offering. Next Sun., 9 and 11 A.M., works by Bach, Charpentier, Leo Sowerby and Eric Thiman, with the New York Brass Quintet, choir and organ. James D. Wetherald, music director.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section CN, Page 14 of the National edition with the headline: In State's Churches, Celebrating Easter With Alleluias. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe