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Folksinger Bob Franke (pictured above with Reggie Harris during a rehearsal of the Good Friday cantata) has been artist-in-residence at St. Andrew’s since 1979. While a parishioner at St. Andrew’s, he has written two beloved cantatas, Star in the West for Epiphany and Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, traditionally performed on Good Friday. A light-hearted cantata, Star in the West is performed by the choir in early January as part of the regular Sunday service. Beginning with "Straw against the Chill," the Epiphany cantata also features the amusing kazoo-accompanied "Herod’s Tango," imagines Mary and Joseph as befuddled parents singing that "the Savior needs a cuddle," and poignantly evokes human yearning for the messiah with "Star in the West," about a star that brings a hope that "seems like a miracle to me." Better known to the public is Bob’s a href="goodfridaycantata.html">Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which was first performed at St. Andrew’s on Good Friday 1980. In this "Good Friday cantata," Bob and the choir are joined by vocal and instrumental performers from throughout New England and beyond in their singing of the story of Christ’s Passion. Both performers and listeners are moved by the powerful words and music, from "Roll Away the Waters" to Jesus’s song ("Peace is my last gift to you") to Peter’s song ("No! No! No!") to the songs about contemporary people who have faced figurative crucifixion. About the cantata, Bob has written, "Although the story we retell here is at the core of Christianity, it is not necessarily about being a Christian: it’s about being human in the presence of the Divine, and it’s about the presence of Redemption in the midst of the most horrific and tragic dimensions of the human condition." He adds that the cantata is "both music and prayer, both art and witness." In recent years, the cantata has been performed at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Good Friday. Anyone interested in participating can join the choir at rehearsals about one month before the performance; for more information, contact music director Janet Fitch Parker via the parish office. 135 Lafayette Street / Marblehead, Massachusetts 01945 781-631-4951 / Fax: 781-639-7937 / officestandrews@verizon.net Comments or suggestions: webmaster@standrewsmhd.org. |