“Where Words Fail, Music Speaks”
“Where words fail, music speaks.” Danish author Hans Christian Andersen penned those words. It is this reality, the power of music, a universal language of mankind, that is the reason for the deep integration and interweaving of music in our liturgies. The rubrics instruct us to sing and respond to God’s Word and in our prayer with song and music. The extracurricular musical programing of the church is a response of similar reasoning and this Easter season, Emmanuel will offer many musical opportunities worth your time, attention, and attendance.
Mark your calendars and plan to attend the following events:
On Friday, April 17th at 12 Noon, the 4HANDS Piano Duo, featuring pianists Dr. Kristina Henckel and Dr. Amanda Virelles, will return to Emmanuel. Formed in 2019, and having given their first public performance at Emmanuel, the duo has now recorded three albums and are Honorable mention awardees of The American Prize. Most recently, they received a Grand Prize and were named Artist of the Year by the International Youth Music Competition, 2022. In 2023, they had their New York City debut at Carnegie Hall and at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music. The duo will perform works composed by women composers, including Cécile Chaminade, Amy Beach, and Madeleine Dring. The program will conclude with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s thoughtful Suite No. 1 – Fantasie Tableaux. The duo will perform on Emmanuel’s 2014 Steinway B and 1929 Chickering grand pianos.
On Friday, May 1st, at 12 Noon, the New Horizons Band and Swing Band will return to conclude our 2025-2026 Bach’s Lunch Season. The bands will offer a program of music celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Special guests, the Red Door Ringers, our resident handbell choir, will join the band for a spectacular music number. The New Horizons Band and Swing Band will have your toes tapping and your heart rejoicing.
On Thursday, May 7th at 7 P.M., the Nezhdanova-Placzek Duo will perform a program of works for piano and cello. The duo is a professional, critically acclaimed chamber music ensemble, formed in 2016 in part due to the invitation to the North Carolina Bach Festival. Cellist Dr. Roman Placzek and pianist Dr. Elena Nezhdanova are known for their beautiful performances. Below is a clip of Chopin’s Largo from the Duo’s concert in Dresden, Germany, to give you a sense of what they will offer to our community. I encourage you not to miss this stunning program.
On Tuesday, May 12th at 7 P.M., we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of our C.B. Fisk, Opus 145 pipe organ, with a concert offered by Dr. Kimberly Marshall. Dr. Marshall holds the Patricia and Leonard Goldman Endowed Professorship in Organ at Arizona State University. She will play a program themed around the “Te Deum Laudamus,” Latin for “Thee, O God, we praise,” one of the Church’s most ancient and beloved hymns of praise and thanksgiving, dating back to the 4th century.
On Sunday, May 17th at 5 P.M., the Emmanuel Choir and Choristers will present a service of Choral Evensong. The choir will premiere a set of new evening canticles by Australian composer June Nixon. The canticles will be published later this year by Encore Publications, based in the United Kingdom.
More details about this exciting series of musical programs will follow in the coming weeks.