Contact: Rev Craig Lindsey, Pastor, (315) 685-5048
Karen Hindenlang,
For immediate release
A WORLD PREMIERE “INVITATION”
The worship service at the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles on Sunday,
April 29 at 9:30 a.m. will include the premiere of a specially commissioned original
work written by one of the nation’s foremost composer of handbell music.
“Our congregation actively seeks to share music of enduring cultural and spiritual
value in both worship and community life,” says the Rev. Dr. Craig Lindsey,
pastor of the church. “During the past decade we’ve opened our facilities to local
performance groups, sponsored touring artists in concert, commissioned new music, accommodated student recitals, hosted the Skaneateles Festival, hired professionally trained experienced church musicians, installed a splendid new pipe organ, and more. The offering of this new musical creation in worship furthers that ongoing commitment.”
The creator of the piece, award winning composer Kevin McChesney of Colorado, has over 900 titles in print and is one of the few musicians in the world who succeeds in making handbells a full time vocation. Mr. McChesney was sent a poem by Thomas H. Troeger, the Professor of Christian Communication at Yale Divinity School, as possible inspiration for his commission after Dr. Lindsey read the text as a call to worship in a service at the church last fall.
The profound response it evoked in Mr. McChesney’s resulting composition, entitled Invitation, is “a joyous set of kaleidoscopic variations on a warm and welcoming theme,” according to Karen Hindenlang, the church’s new director of music. “The composer has really captured the spirit of this congregation and its ministry in the world.”
Susan Grady is the current Director of the handbell ensembles of the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles. She established the program in 1985. The bellringers began practicing Invitation in January, using two full three-octave sets of Schlumerich bells and three octaves of Malmark handchimes, all of which were given as special memorial or tribute gifts to the church. Seventeen ringers will participate in the premiere performance of Invitation on April 29th.
This is the third composition commissioned by the church through the generosity of the Spitzer Memorial Fund. After Margaret Spitzer passed away at the age of 95 in 1998, her children created an endowment to commission new music in honor of their mother’s abiding interest in the mission of the First Presbyterian Church and the musical life of Skaneateles. During her 50 years as a village resident, Mrs. Spitzer served as a church Elder and Sunday School teacher. She taught generations of piano students, and habitually sat in the front row for summer concerts at the gazebo in the park to help “conduct” the band.
Located at 97 East Genesee Street in the village of Skaneateles, the First Presbyterian Church is fully accessible and offers nursery care during Sunday services at 9:30. All are welcome. For more information, please visit www.skanpresby.org or call (315) 685-5048.
Two Photos above: Upper right: Members of the Chancel Bells and Fellowship Bells of the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles rehearse together under the direction of Susan Grady. Lower left: Four members of the Chancel Bells of the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles practicing for the world premiere of Invitation on April 29th, L to R: Priscilla Worral, Phyllis Clark, Brenda Davidson, Mary Bennett.
Rev 120416a