Season of Music brochure 2016 17

at First Presbyterian Church of Naples

2016-2017

A Season of Music First Presbyterian Church of Naples

I invite you to help continue the legacy of great music at First Presbyterian Church. Inside this brochure you will find an envelope to return with your support for A Season of Music. It is only through the generosity of people who love and support music that our church is able to provide such fine music that benefits both our church and the greater Naples community.

Please consider sending a donation today. If you are interested in underwriting one of our concerts, please contact me at the church.

It is my hope that you will be inspired to attend many of our concerts and that you will find them to be uplifting and meaningful. Through these concerts we will reach out to our community and beckon people into our beautiful church. Thank you in advance for your support and generosity.

Dr. Brice Gerlach We have another year of exciting concerts Director of Music Ministries planned for A Season of Music at First Presbyterian Church. We start the year off with an organ concert featuring Mary Joy Silmaro, who was our summer intern at the church and is my student at Ave Maria University. In collaboration with Artis—Naples, we present the Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus and Handel’s Messiah showcasing the Naples Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra. The Choirs of Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church will come together to celebrate Christmas in a special concert featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria. In the New Year, we will host the Voices of Naples, a community chorus that raises scholarship money for deserving music students.

There will also be an exciting concert by the Seraph Brass quintet and a cello concert given by a longtime friend of mine, Peter Seidenberg. The series will close the year with the Florida Gulf Coast University Chamber Choir under the direction of Trent Brown.

Mary Joy Silmaro, organ Sunday, October 30, 2016 4:00 p.m.

Mary Joy Silmaro is a student at Ave Maria University where she is in her senior year of organ studies with Dr. Brice Gerlach. Mary Joy began her music training at age 5 with piano lessons from her homeschooling mother. She embarked on formal piano studies at age 7, violin at age 8, and voice at age 9. After her family moved to Newark, CA, she transitioned to studying organ and Sacred Music under Sam Dorlaque, music director at St. Edward Catholic Church in Newark, CA. Mary Joy worked as organist and cantor in several churches in her teens, and has served as part-time organist at the Oratory in the town of Ave Maria, FL. This past summer, she was the music intern at First Presbyterian Church of Naples. She currently holds the position of music director and organist at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Lehigh Acres, FL. Having a deep interest and love for organ performance, Mary Joy has entered several organ competitions: she won second place in the 2015 Rodgers Classical Organ Competition, and was commended by the judges of the preliminary round of the 2016 Miami International Organ Competition as one of thirty-nine considered fine applicants for her “fantastic playing and high level of artistry.” Inspired by her music teachers, especially by Dr. Gerlach, for a commitment to excellence as a musician, she aspires to further her studies in organ performance, Sacred Music, and conducting in her future graduate studies.

The concert will feature works by Bach, Franck and Liszt as well as some Halloween themed organ duets with Brice Gerlach. You won’t want to miss this fantastic young artist in concert!

Philharmonic Youth Chorus Dr. James Cochran, director Dr. Brice Gerlach, assistant director Michele Byrd, singing skills instructor Sunday, November 6, 2016 4:00 p.m.

The Naples Philharmonic Youth Chorus, under the direction of Dr. James Cochran, presents a concert sure to uplift and inspire. The chorus is an auditioned choir of children ranging in age from 6 to 18. They rehearse weekly and perform annually at Holiday Pops and their Spring Recital at Artis—Naples. They also sing for community events and in concerts around the Naples area. They are the best young singers in our community.

The concert will feature pieces in many different languages, a medley of Disney songs, and patriotic pieces.

You will love seeing the joy that these children have while singing. Don’t miss the chance to hear 100 young musicians in this special concert.

Handel’s Messiah with the

A Choral Christmas

Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and the Naples Philharmonic Chorus

The Combined Choirs of First Presbyterian Church and Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church

Thursday, December 1, 2016 7:30 p.m.

Yaniv Segal, conductor James Cochran, chorus director Nathalie Paulin, soprano Abigail Nims, mezzo-soprano Lawrence Wiliford, tenor Stephen Hegedus, bass-baritone

Experience the power of the 100-voice Naples Philharmonic Chorus as they present Handel’s masterful oratorio. A commentary on the life of Jesus Christ, Messiah remains Handel's best-known work, with performances particularly popular during the Advent season.

To commemorate the holiday season — and the Naples Philharmonic Chorus’ 25th anniversary — the Chorus will perform the work they first performed together as an ensemble in 1991.

Tickets are available for purchase through the Artis—Naples Box Office at 239.597.1900 or online at www.artisnaples.org.

Tickets will also be available at the door the evening of the concert. Adult $35, Student $15.

Dr. Brice Gerlach and Dr. James Cochran, conductors Sunday, December 4, 2016 4:00 p.m.

Christmas time is filled with great traditions and many of them center on the music of the season. We continue that tradition of celebrating Christmas in song by presenting “A Choral Christmas”. The choirs of First Presbyterian Church and Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church come together to celebrate the joy of Christmas with an uplifting concert!

The program will feature the famous Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi accompanied by a chamber orchestra, some Christmas spirituals as well as an audience sing-a-long of well-known carols.

Come and enjoy the music of Christmas! Mark your calendar now for this yuletide afternoon.

“With a Voice of Singing”

Peter Seidenberg, cello Hu-Mei Lin, piano

Dr. Douglas Renfroe, conductor

“Short Stories”

The Voices of Naples Sunday, January 29, 2017 4:00 p.m.

Voices of Naples was formed in 2002 to provide an opportunity for singers in Naples and Collier County to study and perform a variety of choral music. Members are selected by referral and audition, studying an eclectic repertoire ranging from classical to pop. Voices of Naples also has the mission of providing scholarships to deserving high school seniors in Collier and Lee Counties who wish to study vocal music and related studies in college.

Sunday, February 19, 2017 4:00 p.m.

Peter Seidenberg has played in major halls throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. He made his solo debut with the Chicago Symphony, and has since appeared as soloist with many orchestras including Century Orchestra of Osaka, New American Chamber Orchestra, De Paul Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Soloists, and the Eastman-Rochester Philharmonic.

For four years he served as principal cellist with the Century Orchestra of Osaka. He was founding member of the critically acclaimed Elements Quartet which created groundbreaking commissioning projects involving over 30 composers. He has collaborated with members of In August of 2014 members participated in an the Cleveland, Tokyo, Juilliard and Emerson International Chamber Organ and Choral Festival Quartets and has participated in the Marlboro, in Quebec City under the direction of Dr. Douglas Aspen, Caramoor, Casals and Norfolk festivals.

Renfroe. They had the opportunity to sing at The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, completed in 1804 Currently, Peter Seidenberg is the cellist for the where Dr. Renfroe is Artist-in-Residence Oracle Trio, the Queen’s Chamber Band, and the throughout the summer. In 2016 some members New York Chamber Soloists. Peter also concertizes joined the choir of The Cathedral of the Holy frequently in collaboration with pianist Hui-Mei Trinity in an International Chamber Organ and Lin. The duo have performed together Choral Festival in Quebec City led by Dr. Renfroe. throughout the U.S. to much acclaim.

This concert will feature music from the late Peter lives in Hastings on Hudson, NY with his Renaissance and early Baroque to contemporary wife, violinist April Johnson, and two daughters, Americana. In addition to With a Voice of Singing Beatrice and Olivia.

by Martin Shaw, the choir will also perform This concert will feature rarely heard works for Gabrielli's In Ecclesiis, a lovely arrangement of Homeward Bound. The concert will also include cello and piano that have an evocative narrative.

Some of the composers highlighted in the concert a few Spirituals and lighter fare. include Bach, Chopin, Dvorak and Schumann.

Seraph Brass

The Chamber Choir

Sunday, March 12, 2017 4:00 p.m.

Florida Gulf Coast University

Seraph Brass is dynamic brass quintet drawing from a roster of America’s top female brass players. Committed to engaging audiences with captivating programming, Seraph Brass presents a diverse body of repertoire that includes original transcriptions, newly commissioned works, and well-known classics. Recently, Seraph commissioned and premiered “Wolf” for solo soprano and brass quintet from Philadelphiabased composer, Joseph Hallman and has had several arrangements made by trumpeter Jeff Luke and composer Thomas Oltarzewski.

The concert will include arrangements of works

by Albeniz, Grieg, Debussy, Mozart, and Liszt.

Specific works to be included are Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Debussy's Clair de lune, and Mozart's Queen of the Night Aria.

Dr. Trent Brown, conductor Sunday, April 2, 2017 4:00 p.m.

The Chamber Choir is an auditioned ensemble open to all students regardless of major at FGCU. In 2014 the choir toured internationally and sang as the featured ensemble at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.

The ensemble has performed at the Florida Music Educators Association annual conference and at the Florida State Music Teachers Association conference and the Florida Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association conference. They collaborate regularly with community ensembles including Opera Naples, Gulfshore Opera and with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. In May of 2017 they will perform in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, including a performance as a festival opening headliner for Kaunas Cantat international choral festival in Lithuania.

The concert program will contain a variety of repertoire that includes choral standards from the Western canon, selections by composers of the Baltic States, and music of American composers including folk songs and Spirituals. The ensemble will preview for you the music they will sing on their 2017 performance tour. Selections include motets by Mendelssohn, Bach's Jesu, meine Freude, music of Ēriks Ešenvalds and other Baltic composers, and Spirituals by William Dawson and Moses Hogan.

Lenten Organ Concerts Wednesdays March 8, 15, 22, 29 2017 April 5, 12, 2017 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.

The spectacular Ruffatti pipe organ is featured in six Lenten organ recitals offered by our Director of Music, Brice Gerlach. In these informal concerts Brice takes the time to explain some of the mechanical workings of the organ and offers some musical insights about the pieces on the program.

Each concert opens with a piece that highlights the magnificent horizontal trumpets protruding from the front of the organ case. A work by J. S. Bach is always featured and arrangements of Lenten hymn tunes are presented, allowing for some of the diverse solo stops and softer sounds of the organ to be heard. The concerts will end with a rousing toccata, allowing the audience to hear the full power of the organ.

After the recital, the audience is invited up to the console to ask questions and to see the beautiful woodwork and craftsmanship of the Ruffatti. Tours of the pipe chambers are also offered each week.

Special Events Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans Sunday, October 30, 2016 at 9:30 a.m.

This service celebrates the Scottish heritage of the Presbyterian Church and its roots in Reformed Theology.

We will be joined by the Saint Andrew’s Society of Southwest Florida and The Harp and Thistle Pipe Band will provide special music for this service.

Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 24, 2016 at 11:30 a.m.

Blue Christmas Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at 5:30 p.m.

There is a growing attentiveness to the needs of people who are blue at Christmas. Join us for a service of comfort, hope, wholeness and renewal.

Christmas Eve Saturday, December 24, 2016 5:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Our Family Service at 5:00 p.m. is an interactive service for families with young children. The service at 7:00 p.m. is a traditional candlelight service with readings and carols. The candlelight service will also feature special music from our soloists and choir beginning 30 minutes prior to worship.

Ash Wednesday Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 12:00 p.m.

Maundy Thursday Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

Come hear beautiful organ music during Lent.

Don't miss these special opportunities for personal reflection, meditation, and celebration Good Friday of this holy season.

Friday, April 14, 2017 at 12:00 p.m.

Easter Sunday Sunday, April 16, 2017 7:30 a.m. Courtyard Service 8:30 a.m. & 10:15 a.m.

We will celebrate Easter with special music provided by the Naples Chamber Brass Quintet at all of our services.

Come join in singing Christ the Lord Is Risen Today and hear the magnificent Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. You will be uplifted by the glorious music of Easter!

First Presbyterian Church of Naples

Non-Profit Org. Postage PAID Naples, FL 34102

250 Sixth Street South Naples, FL 34102 239.262.1311 www.fpcnaples.org

Permit No. 8

Musical Year at a Glance at First Presbyterian Church of Naples Kirkin’ O’ the Tartans Sunday, October 30, 2016 9:30 a.m.

Christmas Concert Sunday, December 4, 2016 4:00 p.m.

Ash Wednesday Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12 p.m.

Mary Joy Silmaro, organ Sunday, October 30, 2016 4:00 p.m.

Blue Christmas Wednesday, December 21, 2016 5:30 p.m.

Philharmonic Youth Chorus Sunday, November 6, 2016 4:00 p.m.

Christmas Eve Saturday, December 24, 2016 5:00 & 7:00 p.m.

Seraph Brass Sunday, March 12, 2017 4:00 p.m.

FGCU Chamber Choir Sunday, April 2, 2017 4:00 p.m.

Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 24, 2016 11:30 a.m.

The Voices of Naples Sunday, January 29, 2017 4:00 p.m.

Handel's Messiah Thursday, December 1, 2016 7:30 p.m.

Peter Seidenberg, cello Sunday, February 19, 2017 4:00 p.m.

Maundy Thursday Thursday, April 13, 2017 7:00 p.m.

Good Friday Friday, April 14, 2017 12 p.m.

Easter Sunday Sunday, April 16, 2017 7:30, 8:30 & 10:15 a.m.