Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys - Spring Concert

The concert will open with two stunning unaccompanied anthems from the English Renaissance: Thomas Tallis' Hear the Voice and Prayer followed by Orlando Gibbons' Almighty and Everlasting God. Strings and continuo organ will next join the choir in two of Henry Purcell's great extended verse anthems: Rejoice in the Lord Alway (the Bell Anthem) and O, Sing Unto the Lord.

The choir then moves forward a couple centuries to perform John Ireland's Greater Love, followed by John Rutter's extended anthem O Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me Out and Known Me. Kathleen Gomez will be featured here in Rutter's haunting English Horn accompaniment. By request of our choir, we will also bring back a new anthem titled The Call which opened our 34th season back in October. It is a setting of the poem by George Herbert set to music by Mack Willberg.

The concert concludes with the return of our string players to perform George Frederik Handel's ceiling raising anthem Zadok the Priest, one of four grand anthems which Handel wrote for the Coronation of King George II in 1727. This is Handel's writing at his most exciting and ranks as nearly every British (and American) chorister's very favorite anthem to sing.

What a joyous way to spring into summer, Walking the Path of Praise with the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys.

Join us Saturday, May 18 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, May 19 at 3:00 pm at Mayflower Congregational Church, 2345 Robinson Rd, SE Grand Rapids for this uplifting free concert.