BY MARY KAY SWEIKAR
DANVILLE — The public will have the rare opportunity to attend a free concert at 5 p.m. Sunday, presented by the Danville Symphony Orchestra and area choirs in commemoration of the Passion of Christ and the Easter season.
The 40-minute work “Passion: Seven Lasting Words,” will be performed at St. James United Methodist Church, 504 N. Vermilion St. The church’s Haworth Endowment is sponsoring the concert.
DSO Maestro Jeremy Swerling will conduct the orchestra. The symphony will be joined by singers from Danville and two church choirs, including Champaign’s First Presbyterian Church, directed by Joe Grant, and Urbana’s Wesley United Methodist Church, directed by Barrington Coleman.
Also participating will be the St. James children’s choir, conducted by Robin Marlatt, and the Central Illinois children’s choir, conducted by Andrea Solya.
Directed by Grant, the performance will be repeated at 5 p.m. March 28 at Wesley United Methodist Church in Urbana.
John Priddy, director of music at the First United Methodist Church of Denton, Texas, composed the work. He worked for almost a decade in Europe as a conductor and stage director. Priddy also spent two years in Branson, Mo., as an arranger, music director, producer and musician with several Branson celebrities.
Swerling said, “John Priddy’s music is wonderfully accessible to all audiences. When I presented a recording of the piece to a selection of church leaders two years ago, everyone was very moved by his work. This tonal piece, written in 2007, is sung in English and Latin. It infuses classical, operatic, pop, jazz, Broadway and modern religious genres, and people will absolutely love it.”
Priddy’s composition in seven movements calls for a large mixed choir, soloists, children’s choir, and a 14-instrument ensemble including piano, organ, harp, double bass, percussion, flute, clarinet and brass.
The text of “Passion: Seven Lasting Words” features selections from the New Testament and the “Stabat Mater,” a 13th-century hymn about the suffering of Mary (Jesus Christ’s mother) during his crucifixion.
The multi-church concert was organized by Swerling and the DSO as a result of his friendship with the composer. Swerling said, “I’ve known John since our days at Indiana University in 1985. He is a multi-talented musician with a unique ability to communicate through a totally accessible and fresh musical vocabulary. I believe he has the potential to develop a major career as an American composer.”
Priddy’s composition inspired Swerling to reach out to Marlatt at St. James, and to their other colleagues. “I’m grateful to Barrington Coleman of Wesley United Methodist Church and Joe Grant of First Presbyterian Church for their tremendous support and collaboration,” he said.
Marlatt, who directs the Haworth concert series at St. James, said, “We simply want people to come and enjoy this beautiful work.”
COMING UP
“Passion: Seven Lasting Words” will be presented at 5 p.m. Sunday at St. James United Methodist Church, 504 N. Vermilion St.
