Special Events and Announcements

Immanuel Lutheran Church
867 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002
Just north of the UMass School of Education

REGULAR (Fall-Winter-Spring) Sunday morning schedule (Beginning, September 10, 2006) :

• 8:30 AM: Early Service
  Eucharist - 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month.
  Service of the Word - 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays
  
  
• 9:15 AM: Parish Hour and Sunday School for all ages, pre-K through adult.
  
  
• 10:30 AM: Main Service
  Choir sings and child care is provided
  Eucharist - 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays
  Service of the Word - 2nd and 4th Sundays
  
  
• Coffee and Fellowship Hour: In the Fellowship hall, following the later service.

SUMMER Sunday morning schedule (Beginning June 17, 2007) :

• 9:30 AM: Morning Worship Service
  Eucharist - 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of the month
  Service of the Word - 2nd and 4th Sundays
  
• Coffee and Fellowship Hour: In the Fellowship hall, following the service.
  

Adult Forum

• Our Adult Forum meets every Sunday (September - June) from 9:30-10:15 am (during the Parish Hour between the two services ) Our topics vary a great deal. Here is an opportunity to discuss and wrestle with almost any matter of faith and concern. In short, the Adult Forum is for any who seek and struggle with the life of faith in the complexities and tensions of our world. If you already have all the answers, this is probably not the place for you.... which is why, of course, that it exactly the place for each of us on Sunday mornings... Coffee is served... Ideas are served and gratefully accepted!

Other Announcements

• Lectionary Bible Study Group Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Here's a chance to come together to look prayerfully and studiously at the lessons that will be used in the following Sunday services. All are very welcome!
  
  

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Special past events

• On September 7, 1997, there was a joyful choral Vesper Service of Installation of The Rev. Louis (Rudy) Beyer as the fourth Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church.
   
• On Sunday, November 23, 1997, the choir and soloists presented J.S. Bach's Cantata Nr. 131, "Out of Darkness, Lord, I Sing to Thee," with organ and instrumental accompaniment, again within the context of a traditional choral Evensong service.
   
• On Saturday afternoon, January 24, 1998, there was a Memorial Service for Martha Seelig, a long time member of Immanuel Lutheran Church. The service included Movements I, IV, V, and VII from the "German Requiem" of Johannes Brahms sung by the Immanuel Choir under the direction of Christopher Aspaas, with Kathryn Carlson, soprano, and with Matthew Cron at the organ. There were also instrumentalists on strings and winds. Liturgists were Rev. Alice Kerr Laird and Rev. Rudy Beyer, Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Remarks and remembrances of Martha Seelig and her life were given by Rev. Karl Donfried and the sermon was given by Rev. John Stendahl.
  
  
• On Sunday, February 8, 1998, Immanuel had a special service in honor of Black History Month. Our choir and congregation were led in special music of the South African tradition by Professor Mzamo P. Mangaliso of the University of Massachusetts. This was an inspirational and uplifting event and one that we will long remember.
  
  
• On Friday, April 10, 1998, (Good Friday) the Senior Choir sang the beautiful Seven Words From the Cross by the Norwegian composer Knut Nystedt interspersed with scripture and homily. The part of the Evangelist was sung by tenor, Robert Weaver.
  
  
• Reformation Sunday, October 25, 1998, at 10:30 am, the choir, organist, and soloists of Immanuel Lutheran Church and a small orchestra presented J. S. Bach's Cantata #79, "God, our Lord, is Sun and Shield." This cantata was performed as a part of the second morning service and highlighted our observance of Reformation Sunday in the Lutheran Church. The choir and orchestra were under the direction of Christopher Aspaas. Matthew Cron is the organist.
  
  
• On Good Friday, 1999, the choir presented the Heinrich Schutz "The Seven Words of Christ on the Cross" with Christopher Aspaas, Director, and vocal soloists Kathryn Carlson, Christopher Aspaas, and Bob Weaver, violinists Katie Wojcicki and Catherine Seelig; violist Chris Zoeller; and with Matthew Cron, Organist. Click here to see the text for this piece.
  
  
• On Sunday, May 2, 1999, our choir participated in the first Amherst Area Choral Festival in which choirs from our area sang for each other and then all sang together. It was a very fine event in which we each got to see and hear the choral traditions of the various religious communities in the area.
  
  
• On Sunday, November 7, 1999, our preacher was the Rev. Dr. Karl Donfried, a member of Immanuel and freshly returned from Augsburg, Germany, where he participated in the historic signing, on October 31, 1999, of the "Joint Declaration On the Doctrine of Justification" -- representing a significant milestone in the reconciliation of Lutherans and Roman Catholics. Our Pastor, Rudy Beyer, was the Celebrant for the Eucharist.
  
  
• On Sunday, November 21, 1999, the choir sang the Coronation Anthem Nr. 2 of G. F. Handel in our observance of "Christ the King" Sunday.
  
  
• On Sunday afternoon, February 27, 2000, the choir, soloists and instrumentalists sang portions of J. S. Bach's Cantata Nr. 100, "Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan," within the context of a traditional Vesper Service attended by the Western Massachusetts Conference of the New England Synod.
   
• On Good Friday, April 21, 2000, the service at 7:30 PM included the presentation of Francois Couperin's "Troisieme Lecon De Tenebres" by vocal soloists Christopher Aspaas and Robert Weaver and organist Matthew Cron.
   
• On Sunday, June 4, 2000, The Choir of Immanuel, directed by Christopher Aspaas, with Matthew Cron, organist, and a small orchestra, presented Bach's Cantata Nr. 29 in its entirity at the beginning of the morning service. This cantata, "Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir," was written in 1731 for the occasion of the innauguration of the Church Council in Leipzig. Vocal soloists included Kathryn Carlson, Kristen Asplin, Christopher Aspaas, and Neville Crabb. The cantata was offered as a celebration of the Rite of Confirmation of several young people in our congregation as well as a celebration of the three years that our Choir Director, Chris Aspaas, had served at our church. We wish him well as he assumes the full-time choral position at Mount Holyoke College during the next year.    
  
  
• On Sunday, September 17, 2000, our choir joined two other choirs in the New England Synod in participating in the Installation of The Reverend Margaret G. Payne as Bishop of New England held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Worcester, MA. In addition to leading in the singing of the hymns and presenting several anthems, the choir joined the large congregation (of over 1000 people) in singing an arrangement of Psalm 16 that was composed by Anne Weaver of Immanuel (our choir co-director). Choir member, Robert Weaver, was the Worship Assistant for the installation service.
  
  
• On Sunday, October 29, 2000, the choir of Immanuel, directed by Thomas Kim, presented the main chorus of J. S. Bach's, Cantata Nr. 80, "Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott" as a part of the 10:30 service. Matthew Cron accompanied at the organ along with instrumentalists (oboes, horns, and timpani). This was offered by the choir as a part of the service marking what has traditionally been called "Reformation Sunday" and was also done in commemoration of the 250 anniversary of the death of the great Bach. Preaching for the service was The Rev. Dr. Karl Donfried, a member of Immanuel, who is a noted biblical scholar from Smith College. Also playing in the service was David Ertel, trumpet.
   
• On Sunday, December 16, 2001, the Senior Choir joined the young people of the church and the Junior Choir, directed by Nancy Simkins, in a spectacular and meaningful pagent for Christmas during the 10:30 service.

• On Sunday, February 10, 2002, the Senior Choir, directed by Anne Weaver, presented "Rejoice in the Lamb" by Benjamin Britten with soloists Kristin Asplin, Soprano, Janette Miller, Alto, Robert Weaver, Tenor, and Frederick Stenkiewicz, Bass.
   
• On Sunday, April 21, 2002, Jeanette Miller, soprano, gave an inspiring lecture-concert on The American Spiritual. She discussed this type of music and sang a number of spirituals from the African-American tradition. Jeanette was accompanied by Ruth Bass Green, of Mount Holyoke College.
   
• On Sunday, March 9, 2003, Jeanette Miller, soprano, led us in a service of spirituals from the Amrican-American tradition during our regular Sunday morning church service at 10:30.
   
• On Sunday, December 14, 2003, the choir, soloists, 7 brass players and timpani performed "The Christmas Story" by composer Ron Nelson, as a benefit for the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of Cooley Dickinson. This cantata, in the context of an evening candlelight service, was directed by Dr. Anne Weaver with organist Matthew Cron and narrator Dr. Deborah Smith. Soloists were Robert Weaver and Geert deVries.
  
  
• May, 2004, our organist, Matthew Cron, received his PhD in musicology from Brandeis University.
  
  

• On Sunday, October 24, 2004, we had an "open sing through" of Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi with Dr. Anne Weaver directing, Dr. Matthew Cron as the keyboard and a splendid small orchestra. Approximately 65 singers showed up for a wonderful sing-through of this great work.

• On Saturday, March 5, 2005, internationally acclaimed pianist, Estela Olevsky, played a brilliant piano recital in our church in dedication of the Kathleen M. Moser Memorial Piano. In addition to the piano recital, the evening's program included music by the Immanuel choir, directed by Dr. Anne Weaver and accompanied by Dr. Matthew Cron, and with special soloists, Kathryn Carlson, Neville Crabb, and Robert Weaver.

• On Sunday, May 8, 2005, the Immanuel Choir and a brass and woodwind orchestra presented three sections from J.S. Bach's Cantata 31, "Der Himmel lacht, die Erde jubilieret" as a part of the morning service. The choir was directed by Dr. Anne Weaver with Dr. Matthew Cron at the organ.
  
  
• On Sunday, December 11, 2005, our Choir together with vocal soloists and a small orchestra presented the complete Cantata 140 by J. S. Bach, "Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme" as parts of the Advent liturgy of the morning service.
  
  
• On Sunday evening, February 26, 2006, a joyful "Hymni Gras" (hymn sing) took place in our church followed by a very fine pot-luck supper. This was a joint effort by our congregation and that of Wesley Methodist Church and it included a large group of singers. This was our musical recognition of the last days before the penetential season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, March 1.
  
  
• On Sunday, March 12, 2006, the Immanuel Choir, instrumentalists, and vocal soloists presented the complete "Te Deum Laudamus" by Henry Purcell as a part of the liturgy for the 10:30 service. Instrumentalists included Eric Dewar and Karl Schultz, trumpets; Catalina Arrubla and Lauren Kapalka, oboes; and Greta Rosen, basoon. Vocal Soloists include William H. Albritton, Randall Bausor, Sarah Boy, Cynthia Caporaso, Helen Drake, Christine Gentes, Yvonne Nicholson, Susan Wall, Robert Weaver, and Lauren Wilfong. All of the vocal soloists are voice students of Lois Sayres Smith. The Director was Dr. Anne Weaver and Dr. Matthew Cron was at the organ.
  
  
• On Sunday, May 6, 2006, we were treated to a Hymn Festival led by Dr. John Weaver. John Weaver has recently retired as Director of Music of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church of New York City and as Chair of the Organ Departments of both the Juilliard School of New York and the Curtis Institute of Music of Philadelphia. We were very pleased at the wonderful singing and enjoyable musical fellowship that that evening brought to Immanuel!
  
  
• On June 11, 2006, the liturgical parts of our morning worship service consisted of the Mozart Missa Brevis, K. 129. The choir of Immanuel under the direction of Dr. Anne Weaver was accompanied by instrumentalists, vocal soloists, and organist, Dr. Matthew Cron.
  
  
• On February 25, 2007, during the 10:30 service, we had a presentation of Benjamin Britten's musical Canticle, "Abraham and Isaac". Directed by Lois Sayers Smith, the parts of Isaac and Abraham were sung by Susan Wall and Bob Weaver, with Dr. Matthew Cron at the piano. This is a dramatic presentation of that most moving event in the life of Abraham where he, in obedience to God's command, nearly sacrifices his beloved son, Isaac. Britten's stirring music and text, adapted from a medieval Chester Miracle Play and inspired by Genesis 22, brings to light the Lenten theme of sacrifice, reflected in the morning's lessons for that day. Also, it meaningfully has led us into the Lenten time in our Church Year in which we reflect on God's sacrifice and the ultimate redemption for us all as shown in God's sparing of the life of Isaac.
  
  
• In the week of April 23, 2007, Dr John Weaver was celebrated on the Public Radio program "Pipedreams" on the occasion of his 70th birthday. John has long been a friend of this congregation as the brother of choir member Bob Weaver and brother-in-law of our Choir Director, Anne Weaver. John played the dedicatory recital for our organ in 1974 and last spring led us in a wonderful Hymn Festival. He has recently retired as Chair of the organ departments of both the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia (1971-2003) and the Juilliard School of Music in New York (1987-2004). He was Minister of Music at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York for 35 years until 2005. Also in 2005, John Weaver was named "International Performer of the Year" by the New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. You can hear the entire Public Radio Program -- an interview interspersed with his music -- at the address http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/listings/2007/0717.
  
  
• On Sunday, May 6, 2007, during the 10:30 service, our choir, soloists, and instrumentalists presented the entire Magnificat in D by J.S. Bach. The work was directed by Dr. Anne Weaver with Dr. Matthew Cron at the organ. The Magnificat, Mary's response to Gabriel's announcement that she would bear God's son (My soul magnifies the Lord...), was the framework for the 10:30 service on May 6. This beautiful and stirring - truly magnificent - work was presented by the choir accompanied by a small orchestra. Bach uses all sorts of musical devices to make the text come alive: breaking into full orchestra and chorus for the word "all"; using the old-fashioned strict fugue form for the Old Testament reference to Abraham and his seed; using triplets, three notes in one beat, for the Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; repeating the opening music at the end for "as it was in the beginning." Bach's music was written for the church and he always signed it "To the glory of God;" it was meant to enhance worship. Vocal soloists for the Magnificat were Kathryn Carlson, soprano, Mary Carlson, alto, Susan Wall, alto, Robert Weaver, tenor, and Brit Albritten, Bass.
  

This page developed for Immanuel by Bob Weaver. Please click here ( Web Comments) if you have comments or questions. Thank You.