March is a full month for music here. The first Sunday, the St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir will sing “When I survey the wondrous cross,” at the 9:00 am service accompanied by Carmel Hodge. The second Sunday the St. Francis Choir will sing, and the third Sunday, the Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday, both the St. Cecelia St. Alban Choir and the Choir of Pohick will sing “Surely he hath borne our griefs,” from Handel’s Messiah.
            In the beginning of March, the Choir of Pohick will sing “If I got my ticket,” an arrangement of a spiritual; and “Jesus so lowly,” by Harold Friedell. In “If I got my ticket,” soloists Barb Lynn, Mo Faber, and Vern McHargue, and the choir will encourage us on the journey to heaven.
            “Jesus so lowly” could be considered a strophic American motet. Harold Friedell, 1905-1958, its composer, taught at New York City at Juilliard, the Guilmant Organ School, and Union Theological Seminary, where he taught composition. He succeeded his teacher David McK. Williams as Organist Choirmaster of St. Bartholomew’s in 1946. Each Sunday a paid choir of 70 sang the services at St. Bartholomew’s, and an oratorio was presented each Sunday afternoon!
            The text he chose is beautiful in its directness and simplicity. In it, the lowly Jesus is called to bring new birth; the lonely Jesus is called to teach that love makes glad; the broken Jesus is called to teach that love cannot fail; and the victorious Jesus is called to teach how glorious death is to be.
            During Holy Week, the Choir of Pohick will sing “O thou, who at thy first Eucharist didst pray,” on Maundy Thursday. On Easter Sunday, they will sing “Christ the Lord is risen again,” by John Rutter. The Easter services will also be accompanied by brass players.
            The Sunday after Easter the Pohick Bell Choir will ring at both services. One of the pieces they will play is “Percussive Praise,” a composition that is completely malleted. The bells are left on the table and struck with mallets of appropriate size and density for the size bell being struck. Many have commented on the beauty of the sound of the bells has been inspirational.
           Attend the 11:15 am service? Come sit in the choir loft to help lead the hymn singing on the first and second Sundays of the month. Come to the music room before the service at 10:50 am for information, and then come upstairs to sing. (Ask me for more information, if needed.)