A Jazz Christmas: Vespers in a Minor Key
From left to right: Brendan Vandepol (drums), Mikey Zahorak (piano), Randi Helmers (vocals), Rob Clutton (upright bass)
Becoming Bloor Street
from Bloor Street United Church’s weekly newsletter “Bloor Broadcast”
SETLIST
Christmas Time Is Here by Vince Guaraldi & Lee Mendelson (instrumental)
Memories of Tomorrow by Keith Jarrett (instrumental)
Solitude by Duke Ellington (instrumental)
HYMN — In the Bleak Midwinter
HYMN — What Child Is This (Jazz-Fusion)
Merry Christmas, Darling by Richard Carpenter & Frank Pooler
River by Joni Mitchell
HYMN — Still, Still, Still
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane
So, now we are following a thread here, and trying a rejig of the familiar Carols in a Minor Key Service (known in some churches as a Blue Christmas Service) when we recognize and make space for those who experience Christmas with less of the sparkle and the merriment, and more with an awareness of loss, or trauma, or difficulty. This year, on Saturday, December 21st at 7:00 p.m. we will be gathering in the sanctuary at St. Matthew’s for our Jazz Christmas Vespers in a Minor Key. Some familiar prayers and readings will be a part of it, as well as lighting of candles, and some carols. But there will also be a jazz combo led by Mikey Zahorak, with Rob Clutton on upright bass, with Brendan Vandepol returning on drums.
The thing is, finding Christmas carols in a minor key is actually rather difficult! So, we thought, this year why not go in a jazz and blues direction where there’s lots of great Christmas music in minor keys…
On December 21st, we’re giving it a try! If you come to see how this goes, you will hear Christmas Time Is Here by Vince Guaraldi from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and Solitude by Duke Ellington, and River by Joni Mitchell, as well as arrangements of carols including In the Bleak Midwinter and What Child Is This, and even Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
There will also be quiet time to be in community with others, who will also be there to support one another, and to listen.
And if it works, if it meets our need for some spiritual breathing room at Christmas in a new way… well, we might do it again next year!
Douglas duCharme