Join us in worship to hear a special select chamber choir of UUMC singers and friends bringing you "Heavenly Home: Three American Songs" by Shawn Kirchner, a love letter to Americana music. You won't want to miss this special choral presentation, hear the full work spread throughout the service on August 2nd, at 11 AM.

“Hallelujah,” the opening movement of Heavenly Home, is a six-part a cappella setting of a beloved Sacred Harp tune with text by Charles Wesley. Extensive composed material is used as interlude and accompaniment throughout, with “hallelujah’s” leaping, plunging, and circling to the lilting 6/8 rhythms. The austere Sacred Harp harmonization is used with only slight modifications on each refrain, providing homophonic contrast to the mostly polyphonic verses.

“Angel Band,” the second movement and emotional heart of Heavenly Home, is an eight-part a cappella setting of the beloved William Bradbury tune (set to Jefferson Hascal’s text in 1862.) Simple, soaring descants, countermelodies, and rich harmonic textures give symphonic breadth to this arrangement that encompasses the full four-octave range of the “choral instrument.” Treble and Tenor/Bass choruses take turns at the first two verses before combining forces on the grand final verse.

“Unclouded Day” is the bright, final movement of Heavenly Home. A straight-forward first verse and chorus are followed by two verses in which traditional bluegrass vocal stylings combine with counterpoint and fugue in a crescendo of excitement that peaks in the roof-raising phrase “in the city that is made of gold.”