John Stainer's 'The Crucifixion:' 100 Years at The Brick Church
Free
- Jeffrey Taveras, tenor
- Malcolm J. Merriweather, baritone
- Raymond Nagem, conductor
For 100 years, Brick Church has performed John Stainer's The Crucifixion on Good Friday. To mark the occasion, the Chancel Choir will present Barry Rose's orchestration of the oratorio with soloists Jeffrey Taveras and Malcolm Merriweather. Stainer's music tells the story of Jesus' sacrifice and humanity’s redemption with dramatic solos, choruses, and hymns sung by the entire congregation. Its enduring popularity testifies to Stainer's skill in painting the text, most famously in his sublime unaccompanied setting of God So Loved The World.
About Worship & Arts at Brick Presbyterian Church
Brick Church’s concert series, Worship & Arts, welcomes all to experience the joyous, uplifting power of the performing arts. Worship & Arts offers concerts and special worship services throughout the year, featuring Brick’s superb Chancel Choir, recitals on the church’s magnificent Casavant organ, as well as performances by extraordinary guest artists and ensembles from New York City’s vibrant artistic scene. Now in its second season, the program has grown to become an important part of the Brick congregation’s offerings, and a valued part of the New York City arts community.
https://www.brickchurch.org/ministry-of-musicAbout Malcolm J. Merriweather, baritone
About Raymond Nagem, conductor
Raymond Nagem is Minister of Music at The Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City, and a member of the organ faculty at Manhattan School of Music, where he teaches organ literature, service playing, and improvisation. He completed his D.M.A. at The Juilliard School in 2016, where he was a student of Paul Jacobs.
A native of Medford, Mass., Dr. Nagem attended the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School and began organ lessons there with John Dunn. He earned his B.A. from Yale University in 2009, studying the organ with Thomas Murray, and his M.A. in 2011 from Juilliard.
Prior to his appointment at Brick, he served for eleven years at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, where he was Associate Director of Music and Organist. His album Divine Splendor, recorded on the Great Organ of St. John the Divine, is available on the Pro Organo label. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring of 2020, Dr. Nagem began a weekly online recital series from the cathedral, “Tuesdays at 6,” featuring a diverse range of music spanning the entire organ repertoire.