Music: Sun Feb 26

Our musical commemoration of Black History Month at CUUC concludes this Sunday with solo piano works by African-American composers featured during the Prelude. First up is a charming appeal for an early spring by the Canadian-born R. Nathaniel Dett’s Cinnamon Grove. Rags by Scott Joplin and Artie Matthews follow. The theme of Mercy is embodied in the morning’s Offertory, a tender Intermezzo from Johannes Brahms’s late years. Like the Ballade performed at last week’s service, this work is inspired by traditional Scottish poetry translated into German by the philosopher Johann Gottfried von Herder (See below for the full text of the epigraph). In this case, Brahms was moved by a sorrowful lullaby, entitled “Lady Ann Bothwell’s Lament” in the original Scottish version.

The CUUC Choir is also on hand with festive, celebratory works by contemporary composers Cynthia Gray and Mary Lynn Lightfoot. Read on for programming details.

Prelude: Adam Kent, piano

From Cinnamon Grove

            IV. Allegretto: “Oh, the winter’ll soon be over, children, Yes, my Lord.”

                                    R. Nathaniel Dett

The Sycamore

                                                Scott Joplin

Pastime Rag No. 3

                                                Artie Matthews

Anthem: CUUC Choir directed by Lisa N. Meyer and accompanied by Georgianna Pappas
'Tis You That Are The Music  

Cynthia Gray

Offertory:

Intermezzo in Eb Major, Op. 117, No. 1*
                                    Johannes Brahms

*Sleep gently, my child, sleep gently and sweet!
It pains me so, to see thee weep!

(Scottish lullaby)

Anthem:

A Festive Alleluia

 Mary Lynn Lightfoot