Murrysville Cantata Choir to present 2nd annual ‘Patriotic Thanksgiving’ concert
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The Murrysville Cantata Choir will present “A Patriotic Thanksgiving” concert Nov. 10 in First Presbyterian Church, Murrysville, and will also perform the concert a week later in Heinz Chapel in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.
“We were very pleased by the warm reception that last year’s concert received and we look forward to another wonderful opportunity to lead our community in an event to recognize and give thanks for the contributions and sacrifices of our veterans,” said First Presbyterian Pastor Ed Gray.
The choir, sponsored by First Presbyterian, is comprised of singers from churches throughout the Murrysville area that was formed in spring of 2018 to present the sacred cantata “Behold the Lamb” by Lloyd Larson for the Easter season.
Performing at First Presbyterian Church, the choir followed its debut with the initial “Patriotic Thanksgiving” concert in November 2018, and on Palm Sunday 2019 the group reunited for the Easter cantata “A Journey to Hope” by Joseph M. Martin.
This year’s event will include a new selection of sacred Thanksgiving anthems and patriotic songs that honor veterans of all branches of service in celebration of Veterans Day. Some of the selections to be performed are “Look at the World” by John Rutter, “Hymn of Grateful Praise” by Joel Raney and “Armed Forces — The Pride of America” by Greg Gilpin, which portrays all five of the armed services anthems as well as audience participation in recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and singing the national anthem.
“In addition to this Nov. 10 concert at First Presbyterian Church, our group is also very happy to have obtained a place on the Heinz Chapel calendar of events to present a second performance at the chapel in Oakland on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. as part of the Chapel’s Sunday afternoon concert series,” said choir director Ruth Poscich.
The Heinz Chapel concert is also free and open to the public, although donations are accepted.
Gray said the concert affords local veterans the recognition they deserve.
“The contributions of these brave men and women are too often forgotten by some in today’s culture and we believe that we are called to take a positive and meaningful step to show our appreciation,” Gray said.
“A Patriotic Thanksgiving” will be at 4 p.m., Nov. 10 at First Presbyterian, 3202 North Hills Road in Murrysville. The Heinz Chapel concert will be at 3 p.m., Nov. 17 at the chapel, on South Bellefield Avenue on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland.