Second Sacred Concert – June 2025
The Second Sacred Concert took place in June at the American International Church in Tottenham Court Road. I was told about the event a few weeks earlier as the organisers wanted singers to join the choir and ideally wanted singers from URC congregations.
Duke Ellington composed three Sacred Concerts and he felt they were the most important compositions he’d ever created. The Second Sacred Concert premiered at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City, on 19 January 1968. Unlike the first concert all the pieces were newly composed. In the London 2025 performance the Director of Music for the American Church, Scott Stroman, had arranged the music to give the choir more of a role. The choir was accompanied by a professional jazz band (16 players consisting of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, double bass, piano and drum kit) and the result was a dance-making piece of praise!
I have wanted to sing with a choir for a while and this seemed an ideal opportunity. My only reservation was that, due to my work commitments, I could only attend one out of the three rehearsals. However, due to my professional musical experience the conductor agreed for me to join.
I was rather apprehensive before my first rehearsal but pleased to find that the standard was high and that most of the choir had already sung the Sacred Concert on a previous occasion, so although it was totally new to me I felt very supported.
The concert itself was exhilarating. The evening also consisted of some solo jazz numbers, prayers and a short reflection from Revd Jared Jaggers.
The church was full and we all left feeling very much ‘on a high’.
If the event is repeated I will definitely sing again and hope one or two members of St. Andrew’s will join me!
Kaye Knowles
