‘Concerts in a County Church’ returns

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The fifth season of the “Concerts in a Country Church” series will return to St. Colman Catholic Church in Washington Court House this Sunday.

The performance will be at 3 p.m. at the church, located at 219 S. North St. Admission at the door is $20.

“Since it is the fifth anniversary, we made a special effort to do something really special,” Craig Jaynes, music director of the “Concerts in a Country Church” series, said. “We have done a lot of choral works, we have done choral and organ, and we have done organ and small instrumental ensembles, but we have never used an orchestra this size. There are six violins, two violas, two cellos, a string bass, two clarinets, two bassoons, two trumpets, three trombones, and a timpani.”

The group will be joined by four professional soloists and additional instruments to comprise a musical force of 21 instrumentalists and 29 singers total.

“If you want to hear something like this you have to go to the big city,” Jaynes said. “So here it is in our own backyard and that is what we are trying to do. We are trying to bring serious music to our doorstep so we should not have to go to the city to get this level. If you have never heard anything like this before, I can guarantee you will never forget it.”

The “Requiem,” one of the pieces to be performed, is one of the most famous and best-loved of all serious choral works, and has been the featured music at the funerals of the late President John F. Kennedy, Napoleon, and numerous other notable public figures and composers beginning with a commemorative service for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself (in 1792). The Requiem was the last thing he wrote.

“Nearly all the members are choir members and most of our performers are local,” Jaynes said. “Some of the instrumentalists were drawn in from Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, but we have a lot of local folks in the groups. It is just people enjoying these performers and some of the greatest music ever written.”

The concert is about an hour long with a brief mini-lecture from Jaynes about the “Requiem” by Mozart. Jaynes said he hopes the community will take time to enjoy some classic music by one of the great composers.

Craig Jaynes, music director of the “Concerts in a Country Church” series, which is in its fifth season at St. Colman Church in Washington Court House, is shown here rehearsing the chorus and orchestra for a one-time performance of the “Requiem” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The concert will be held this Sunday at 3 p.m. with admission for $20.
http://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2017/10/web1_CraigJaynesConcertsinacountryChurchTry2.jpgCraig Jaynes, music director of the “Concerts in a Country Church” series, which is in its fifth season at St. Colman Church in Washington Court House, is shown here rehearsing the chorus and orchestra for a one-time performance of the “Requiem” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The concert will be held this Sunday at 3 p.m. with admission for $20.

By Martin Graham

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Reach Martin Graham at (740) 313-0351 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy

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