Blessings through community
* The CHORAL GUILD of ATLANTA*
The Choral Guild of Atlanta is an organization with a long history of service and commitment to the cultural environment in the Atlanta area and beyond. In its 72nd year, the Choral Guild is a true community chorus, with membership open to anyone who meets musical qualifications. Their concert of May 6th, 2012 was titled “Georgia: The Past Meets the Present.” It featured choral settings of music from the Civil War era in the first half of the program and choral works by contemporary composers who have a connection to Georgia in the second program section. A few weeks before the concert, Travis was notified by Director Clair Maxwell that his anthem, “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” had been selected for inclusion in the second half of the program. Travis was also invited to attend the concert and to introduce the anthem, which was the first selection in the second half of the program.
Travis and I went to the May 6th afternoon concert without knowing exactly what to expect, although we did know that the chorus has a reputation for excellence. The concert was held in the Chapel of Northside Drive Baptist Church in Atlanta. It’s a great place for singing, with acoustics that enliven the sound without adding an echo. Our musical impressions were very favorable, and we really enjoyed the concert. Here is an excerpt from a post we placed on the Choral Guild’s facebook page so all of the membership could see it, thanking the group for the experience and for the honor of having one of Travis’ works performed:
“It was great to be able to join you for the afternoon concert. You sang (and conducted…and played) with sensitivity and artistry as you shared a variety of lyrical content. The emphasis on the value of various musical styles and genres was reflected in the eclectic nature of your program and in your attention to lyrical messages that were sometimes historical and sometimes literary or spiritual. My wife and I greatly enjoyed the concert, and I am honored that you chose to perform “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!’ and did so with excellence. We also enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk with many of you in person. Blessings to you all as you continue to use your God-given talents and sing together with your Atlanta Choral Guild family.
Sincerely, Travis L. Boyd”
Even though all of the Choral Guild’s repertoire was very well performed, musical excellence was not the only impression that has stayed with us from the concert and the reception that followed. Our primary observation about the group is that they are a community of musicians who share a love for choral music, with all of the depth of relationship that the word “community” implies. For example, the following elements of community were very evident in the conversations that we were able to join:
* A community is a group of people who care about one another.
It was obvious that many of the people in the Choral Guild have been members for a long time and have grown to love one another like an extended family.
* A community works together to accomplish common goals.
Whether rehearsing for a concert, recording a CD, or touring around the world, the Choral Guild has obviously been working together to promote and enjoy choral music for many years.
* A community welcomes opportunities for growth and for new community members.
Through the eclectic and historical nature of their program, the premiere of a new work, the inclusion of contemporary composers, the opportunity for composers to be invited to attend the concert and introduce their works and then spend time in conversation with chorus members, other composers, and guests, the Choral Guild of Atlanta has demonstrated a desire to embrace both historical and contemporary music as well as works in various styles and with both sacred and secular texts. Their website offers audition information for anyone wishing to become a member of the Atlanta Choral Guild. From our experience, I am sure that along with becoming a representative of the organization and a member of the chorus comes a membership that is of even higher importance: inclusion in a community of committed volunteers who are doing their part to see that choral music remains an important cultural force and a viable and valuable form of musical expression.
This photo of the Atlanta Choral Guild was taken at the concert described in this blog post.
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“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” SATB Choral Anthem written by Travis L. Boyd
Performed by The Choral Guild of Atlanta on May 6th, 2012, at Northside Baptist Church, Atlanta
The Choral Guild of Atlanta’s website: http://www.cgatl.org/
CGA’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Choral-Guild-of-Atlanta/124363076808#!/pages/Choral-Guild-of-Atlanta/116706391727663
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“Amazing Grace, Eternal Life!”
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” was published by the Lorenz Corporation’s Monarch Division. The anthem and Travis’ accompanying orchestration (as heard on the publisher’s studio demo) are still available at this link:
http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=10_3228M
To hear the original studio demo while viewing the music on the Lorenz product page link above, click the demo link (music notes), minimize immediately, and then click the sample pages link (Adobe icon).
A performance/accompaniment CD which features the full orchestration is also available.
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has been performed and recorded by over 700 musicians from the The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony at their “Foundations” concert, with the CD and DVD of the concert also being titled, “Foundations.”
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“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has also been performed and recorded by the Farrells of the Tom Farrell Evangelistic Ministries as the title song on one of their CDs. The CD is still widely available in many Christian bookstores.
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“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has been translated into the Mandarin language and printed in a choral book for Chinese choirs. Several performances of the anthem have been posted on youtube and other video hosting sites in Chinese, and we’ve found some postings of performance videos in English as well. For more information about the Mandarin version used in Chinese churches, contact Lorenz music, which holds the copyright. To view the lyrics in Mandarin and see a link to one of our favorite videos of the song in Mandarin, go to our Song Story post for “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” at this link: https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/song-story-amazing-grace-eternal-life/
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There are many more songs written by Travis L. Boyd
on our WorshipSounds Music website
Worshipful and affordable music for Choirs, Ensembles, Soloists, Orchestras, and Congregational praise
Inspiring music for School, University, or Community Choirs
Click photo above to go to our WorshipSounds website
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There are two additional posts about “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” on this blog.
They are:
Blessings through worshipping together (about the “Foundations” Concert and recordings, with The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Bill Green)
and Song Story: “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” (back story about how the anthem came to be written)
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This post was written by Cynthia A. Boyd
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