Great Easter Concerts - 1972 and 1973
Michael met Jan, who was to become his wife, in 1970 at the First United Methodist Church of South Miami, where all the "Great" concerts happened in the '70's: these were The Great Easter Concerts and The Great Christmas Concerts. Jan and Michael immediately began singing with Bob and Glenda Cupp at this church, where Michael was bass-baritone artist-in-residence, and Bob and Glenda were youth leaders.
This first and founding version of The Michael Roy Singers were together a little over a year before Bob and Glenda relocated up the FL Gold Coast. The concerts in 1972 and 1973, were the very first of a series of "Greats" in the '70's that brought in excellent singers Michael knew from the University of Miami Music School.
This quartet featured Sherry Overholt singing lead, Jan at alto, Mike Barry (RIP) at tenor, Michael Roy singing bass-baritone; Bruce Oelker was on the Hammond B-2 organ. In 1973, Dan Gettinger sang the tenor.
The sanctuary of the First Unit. Meth. Church was one of the finest acoustic chambers in So. Florida, and was used by the U of Miami Music School as a concert hall, being right on the southern edge of the campus. In that Michael was a church staff member, this excellent venue was available to him and the singers. The sanctuary seated more than a thousand, all in heavy wooden padded pews, and there was also an ample balcony. On these nights in '72 and '73, the audiences were counted at about 1000. It is literally a godsend that recordings were made at all in the day, but many do survive, taped on consumer-level equipment, off of the large sound system that Michael Roy assembled, which featured two 250-lb. Voice of the Theater speakers. The concerts were advertised citywide, and the Miami Herald ran several stories about them.
Walk In Jerusalem - (arr. MR) - This classic Early American spiritual was here arranged for quartet, but was sang as a duet by Michael and Jan for their entire church concertizing career. The quartet, however, sounds amazing on this, with Sherry displaying the exquisite skills of a
consummate lead singer, that is, the top voice that leads the vocal group in interpretation, vocal figures, etc. She soars up to her high G's effortlessly, and in fact, she could sing a high D (and higher!). She was a winner of the "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair" contest in the early '70's, which requires a spectacular singing voice to go along with beauty.
Easter Morn - (arr. MR) - 1973 -
We Didn't Have the Room - (Words & Music: MR) - 1973
Ivory Palaces - (arr. MR) - 1972 -
On Which Side of the Cross Are You? - (arr. MR) - 1972
Oh Happy Day - (arr. MR) - 1972 - Jan, Michael: soloists
I Don't Know How to Love Him - (Weber/Rice from "Jesus Christ, Superstar"- arr. MR) - 1973 - Sherry Overholt - MR on Guitar; Bruce Oelker on organ. Michael Roy says: "This may seem a peculiar selection for a sacred Christian concert, in that "Superstar" gets so many things wrong
about Christ that it was banned in England, called sacrilegious by both the English and American press, and was labeled "almost blasphemous" by Billy Graham, and Rev. Graham was kind even at that. The idea that Mary Magdalene saw Christ in a boyfriend-girlfriend sexual context is, of course, total drivel: there is zero scriptural proof text for anyone relating to Christ sexually, including Mary Magdalene, the forgiven and redeemed former prostitute. In fact, there was no sexual aspect in Christ's physical appearance as the God-man: note scripture's sole physical description of Christ: "...he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him" (Isa. 53:2b). From this passage, it is strongly inferred by Holy Writ, and certified by numerous biblical commentators that God actively and miraculously prevented Christ, in his incarnation as a man, to be seen, thought of, or desired as a sexual entity. Thus this song is anti-scriptural, vulgar, and as Billy Graham said, close to blasphemy. "Jesus Christ, Superstar" was roundly and rightly criticized by the Christian community the world over. Billy Graham also pointed out that Superstar, while reveling in sexual innuendo between Mary and Jesus, never once mentions the resurrection of Christ. Evidently, the lyricist, Tim Rice, considered sexual suggestions involving the Son of God to be more salient than the resurrection of the Son of God, which is the bedrock belief of Christianity. Paul says: "If Christ be not risen from the dead, our faith is worthless and we are still in our sins." But, here the song is, in both the '72 and '73 "Great Easter Concerts." Why? That's a good question, and if I had a time machine, I might go back and undo it. Nevertheless, it is now a part of our musical posterity, and taken, not theologically but musically, Sherry sings it very well. But rest assured, Mary Magdalene is never recorded in Holy Writ as seeing Christ for anything other than who He was: the Word become flesh and dwelling among us. Mary was looking at the second person of the Godhead, who was "with God in the beginning, and was God," not a sexual male figure. So enjoy the music and put the lyrics where they belong: in non-scriptural fantasy-land. Don't worry, I'm preaching to myself more than you: I naively arranged the thing and put it in the concerts, and played the guitar for it. It's absolutely my fault. The only reason it is on this page is: it's good music and a chance to set the theological record straight."
Jesus Man - words & music - MR - This story song tells the life of Christ to His death and resurrection; singing are Sherry Overholt, soprano; Jan, alto; Dan Gettinger, tenor; and bass-baritone, Michael Roy. Ignore that shattered attempt at a high G on MR's part on the last chord. Also try to not hear half of the string bass notes. Bad notes happen. This was in-concert in the early '70's. Don't worry; the packed house audience of 1,000+ got their money's worth: the concert was free.