Friday, November 8

Alzheimer's Stories - Sound & Spirit concert

Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Northminster Presbyterian Church

Northminster Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir and Chamber Orchestra present
Alzheimer’s Stories, 7:00 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 

A work of art can bring us to our darkest places and show us a light to illuminate our fears, ease our anxieties and heal our pain. American composer Robert Cohen’s Alzheimer’s Stories gives communal voice to those suffering with dementia and their caregivers. 

Soon after the Susquehanna Valley Chorale of Lewisburg, PA commissioned Cohen to compose the work in 2009, he asked his colleague and friend, Herschel Garfein,  to write the libretto. While researching, they were struck by evidence of music’s ability to awaken those with dementia and to dramatically ease symptoms of aggression and anxiety. With this as the basis, they created Alzheimer’s Stories.  Composed for 2 soloists, chamber orchestra, and chorus, the work is constructed in three movements – first focusing on the clinical aspects of the disease followed by stories of those suffering from dementia, and finally, presenting hope for the caregivers and victims.

Jake Runestad’s A Silence Haunts Me, allows the audience, through sound and silence, to experience Beethoven’s struggles to compose, despite his increasing deafness.   Composed in 2018, Todd Boss’s poetry and Runestad’s use of piano and voices invites listeners to empathize with the great composer, as he agonizes over the impending loss of the asset he holds most dear.   

The common denominator in these and other pieces on the Nov. 8th concert is faith and music, and how these can sustain us when nothing else can.  This is a special experience designed to bring people together around the struggles of those suffering and those caring for the suffering. 

On Sunday, November 10, at 9:00 and 11:00 am, the service will focus on the forgotten, those suffering from all forms of dementia and their caregivers.  The sermon is Caring for the Forgotten.  Chancel Choir and Chamber Orchestra will present a special piece called Alzheimer’s Stories.  If you have friends or family dealing with memory loss or caring for someone with it, please invite them to worship with us at 9 or 11 am.

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