Country/Bluegrass Concert - Fall of 2006
With four concerts advertised citywide, and with full house audiences behind them: C/Bs '04, & '05; Sing In America (spring of '05), and the Palm Sunday Concert (spring of '06), the Immanuel Singers are more than ready for a multi-idiomatic concert with a dizzying array of styles not often attempted by a resident church choir. There were three medleys in this concert: "The Glory Opener;" "Old Timey Hymns;" and the shocker of the evening, the "Classic Rock Medley." Never has so much funky music been covered by a psalm-singin' church choir. See below their results.
Glory Opener (arr. MR) - This medley features some unusual old revival hymns and folk gospel. In the medley: "Train to Glory" (music and words, MR); "In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin':" "Poor Way Faring Stranger:" "We'll Understand it Better By and By." The medley concludes with a rousing and
complex quodlibet, with all four songs being sounded simultaneously. Diane Maltby is at the piano; Karen and Mark Richason are on string bass and 5-string banjo; Alison Northup is on fiddle; Dean Vellenga is providing percussion; and MR is lead singer and the acoustic guitarist. There is a version of this from a choir rehearsal recording session (not live concert) on the main Immanuel page. This in-concert version is even better, with fuller instrumentation.
Turn Your Radio On (Alfred E. Brumley, 1937, arr. MR): It used to be that rural folk who lived way up in the mountains had only their RCA console radios to keep in contact with the outside world. This old mountain radio gospel song speaks of that era. This is a vocal group culled from the Immanuel Singers: Beverley Murdock & Claudia Springer sing soprano; Jan is the alto singer & soloist; John Flynt & Chris Moore, the tenors; MR is singing the bass and playing guitar.
Beverly Hillbillies Theme: MR introduced this as a rare, unknown folk song that was saved from extinction by the field work of musicologists: a scam he later used with the Gilligan's Island theme, which was introduced as a rare sea chantey that was barely saved for posterity by those same
indefatigable musicologists. As the song starts, the audience realizes instantly that they have been had, of course. The title in the program said "Unknown," and had these alternate titles, which were very stealthy clues the audience did not grasp until they heard the first strains of this song: "The Ballad of Jedediah," and "Clampin' Down the Banjo," if glued together reveals the "Ballad of Jed Clampett." Mark Richason deftly plays the famous theme with his wife, Karen on string bass. MR plays guitar and sings the low pitched solo made famous by Lester Flatt, who with the immortal Earl Scruggs, performed the original theme song.
Classic Rock Medley (Arr. MR) - For both the Immanuel Singers and the RCC Choir before them, the challenge of doing quite un-choir-like music has always been a pursuit in excellence. This medley of classic rock songs from bands in the '60's and '70's (that emphasized vocals) is just one excursion
to the outer limits of choral possibilities. No matter the style, the choral arts do not change: only the interpretation does, and a highly trained choir, with well-written idiomatic arrangements, and the requisite instrumentation can sing songs originally performed by the Mamas and Papas; The Eagles; Crosby, Stills & Nash; The Beach Boys; America; The Beatles; and the Fifth Dimension, all vocal rock bands. Listen to a resident church choir sing vocal rock band classics from the golden age.
God's Heroes (words/music MR) - This song's lyrics are based on the famous faith chapter of Heb. 11. These four are featured: Daniel, Moses, Samson, and Noah.
All of God's Critters Got a Place in the Choir (Bill Staines; arr. MR) - This was the closing song for this 2004 concert, the first of the seven citywide-advertised events during the four years before a new administration came in and canceled the choir director, the accompanist, the choir, and the concert series. We believe this broke a Guinness world record for "Best Choir Ever to be Traded in for a P&W Program," which is like trading a classic Chevy Stingray for a Yugo.