Atlanta, GA (November 19, 2019). Historic First Congregational Church, UCC presents another extraordinary holiday musical experience. The Holiday Jazz Vespers is a part of First Church’s remarkable calendar of downtown festivities of the season which includes “The Hanging of the Green,” the Service of Lessons and Carols, and the Children’s Christmas Play. The Holiday Jazz Vespers performances will take place on Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the church sanctuary. First Church is located at 105 Courtland Street at the corner of John Wesley Dobbs Avenue. The evening program offers a family friendly environment with something for everyone. Music lovers will delight in the opportunity to hear and sing the songs of the season set to the swinging spirit of jazz.
General admission to the Holiday Jazz Vespers is $30; advance tickets for sale online at Eventbrite. Student admission is $20 at the door with identification. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite at https://2019holidayjazzvespers.eventbrite.com.
Featured artists at the 2019 Holiday Jazz Vespers include Kathleen Bertrand, a popular three-octave song stylist and songwriter; Alex Latimore, a velvet baritone vocalist and songwriter often compared to Luther Vandross and Will Downing; and world-renown composer, arranger, pianist and producer Tyrone Jackson. The Atlanta Jazz Chorus add their special vocals to the music mix and The Third Sunday Band will provide instrumental reinforcement needed to complete the evening’s holiday mood.
The two nights of performance are co-hosted by the First Church Community Development Corporation (FCCDC), a non-profit organization which provides quality and affordable food to families in need and families with insecure households. The FCCDC also collaborates to sponsor youth music programs through the Atlanta Music Festival Conservatory After-School Program and Summer Camp.
The Atlanta Jazz Chorus (AJC), an integral part of the Jazz Vespers program, was originally formed in October 1997 as a collaboration of First Congregational Church, UCC, and the National Black Arts Festival. The AJC is made up of individuals who share a love of jazz and wish to preserve and perform the choral works of the jazz masters. The AJC has performed throughout Atlanta and toured in cities such as New York, Detroit, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. Open to all who wish to participate, rehearsals are held every first, third and fifth Tuesday evenings at First Church. The Atlanta Jazz Chorus is under the direction of Dr. Dwight Andrews.
The Third Sunday Band is one of the highlights of the Jazz Ministry at First Church. As the name implies, the band plays every third Sunday at the 11:00 AM Sunday service. The rhythm section consists of John Miller, piano; Joe Saulter, drums; and Kevin Smith, bass. The horn section includes Ralph Miles Jones, tenor sax; Will Scruggs, alto sax; Don McIntosh, trumpet; Angela Turk, clarinet, and, of course, the band leader Rev. Dwight Andrews, soprano sax. All the members of the Third Sunday Band have a combination of knowledge, skill, proficiency, plus talent to add to their collective efforts; and together they bring over 150 years of world-wide performance experience to the pulpit.
A special feature of the Holiday Jazz Vespers is the Holiday Extravaganza at First Congregational Church. This is a three-day holiday shopping experience featuring an eclectic mix of local vendors showcasing jewelry, fine art, literature décor, fashion, accessories, health/beauty, collector’s items and more. This popular activity takes place from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Dec 13 and 14; and on Sunday, Dec 15 from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
The Jazz Vespers program at First Church was created by Reverend Andrews during his tenure as Associate Minister in the early 1990s. Since its inception, noted artists such as Jean Carn, Anthony Davis, Jacques Lesure, Terreon Gully, Melvin Jones, Kenny Banks, Jay Hoggard, and Wycliffe Gordon, to name a few, have graced the Jazz Vespers stage.
Rev. Andrews, well known throughout Atlanta and beyond, is an accomplished musician and composer who is also a Professor of music at Emory University. He was the first Quincy Jones Visiting Professor of African American Music at Harvard University for 1996-1997. He was awarded the Yale Divinity School’s prestigious Lux et Veritas Award, and was the Distinguished Visiting Scholar of the Arts for 2015-2016 at Spelman College. As a musician, Dr. Andrews has appeared on over 25 jazz and ‘new music’ recordings. He provided the music direction for the Broadway revival production of A Raisin in the Sun, starring Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, and Sanaa Latham.
Free parking is available. For more information about the program, contact the church office at 404-659-6255 or visit online at www.firstchurchatl.org.