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‘Sacred Concerts’ featured at St. Luke’s
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| Legendary jazz composer Duke Ellington’s spiritual nature is reflected in his Sacred Concerts. Courtesy photo |
By Sonya Ellingboe
“Mood Indigo,” “Take the A Train,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got that Swing...” the list of more than 2000 works could fill pages. Jazz genius Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington composed music for particular groups and musicians he was recording with, ranging from small groups to symphonic orchestras.
The first African American to conduct a jazz concert in Carnegie Hall (1943), he had a annual jazz concert series for 12 years, with new large-scale works. such as “Black, Brown and Beige.” He appeared widely in the United States and Europe before WWII and around the world after the war, especially after an appearance in 1956 at the Newport Jazz Festival brought added notice.
Always a devout Christian, later in his life, Ellington composed sacred music, with the first Sacred Concert commissioned for the dedication of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in 1965. Some writers say it was built on “Black, Brown and Beige.” Three years later, the Second Sacred Concert, was written for St. John The Divine in New York and the third, in 1973, was for Westminster Abbey in London. The concerts include Gospel, jazz and
Performances are infrequent since the works require sophisticated musicians who play both classical and jazz styles and the works are lengthy.
Local jazz fans are fortunate. Jim Ramsey, the energetic music director at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, has gathered his Chancel Choir, the 10 year old Ministers of Swing Jazz Band, tap dancer Alexis Dear (a dancer is specified by the composer for the First Sacred Concert) and several soloists to perform “The Best of Sacred Concerts by Duke Ellington” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.
Ellington wrote the three somewhat controversial Sacred Concerts, fusing jazz with sacred music in the last decade of his life, calling them “the most important thing I have ever done,” according to St. Luke’s writer Katie Newall.
If you go:
“The Best of Sacred Concerts by Duke Ellington” performed at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 8817 S. Broadway, Highlands Ranch. Admission by donation and the concert is open to the community. For information, call Jim Ramsey, director of music and arts at St. Luke’s, 303-791-0659 x 23.
The first African American to conduct a jazz concert in Carnegie Hall (1943), he had a annual jazz concert series for 12 years, with new large-scale works. such as “Black, Brown and Beige.” He appeared widely in the United States and Europe before WWII and around the world after the war, especially after an appearance in 1956 at the Newport Jazz Festival brought added notice.
Always a devout Christian, later in his life, Ellington composed sacred music, with the first Sacred Concert commissioned for the dedication of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in 1965. Some writers say it was built on “Black, Brown and Beige.” Three years later, the Second Sacred Concert, was written for St. John The Divine in New York and the third, in 1973, was for Westminster Abbey in London. The concerts include Gospel, jazz and
Performances are infrequent since the works require sophisticated musicians who play both classical and jazz styles and the works are lengthy.
Local jazz fans are fortunate. Jim Ramsey, the energetic music director at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch, has gathered his Chancel Choir, the 10 year old Ministers of Swing Jazz Band, tap dancer Alexis Dear (a dancer is specified by the composer for the First Sacred Concert) and several soloists to perform “The Best of Sacred Concerts by Duke Ellington” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.
Ellington wrote the three somewhat controversial Sacred Concerts, fusing jazz with sacred music in the last decade of his life, calling them “the most important thing I have ever done,” according to St. Luke’s writer Katie Newall.
If you go:
“The Best of Sacred Concerts by Duke Ellington” performed at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 8817 S. Broadway, Highlands Ranch. Admission by donation and the concert is open to the community. For information, call Jim Ramsey, director of music and arts at St. Luke’s, 303-791-0659 x 23.
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