Mezzo-soprano Crystal Jarrell Johnson and pianist/organist Seth Nelson have been planning something special for this Friday’s noontime concert at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Noting the concert falls on Nov. 1, she says, “We've created an interesting mixture of things from long ago and then all the way up to maybe 20th century that are either by saints or about saints or have something to do with saints.”
That means music by everyone from J.S. Bach, Samuel Barber, and Maurice Ravel, to early music by Hildegard von Bingen.
“One of the things that Dr. Jennifer Seighman, who's in charge of this First Friday series, had asked… is if we could include something by St. Hildegard, and so we're going to start out the program with something from her,” Jarrell says. “I actually haven't done a whole lot of that sort of chant, so I've been having a lot of fun. I'm learning the ins and outs of that sort of thing.”
The concert this Friday begins at noon, is free and open to the public, and will last about 35 to 45 minutes, followed by an optional lunch for a suggested donation of $10. Limited free parking is available in the church’s lot. St. John’s Lutheran is located adjacent to La Villita in downtown San Antonio, at 502 E. Nueva St. For more details, visit: https://stjohnssa.org/music/first-friday-concert-series/
