Music at Grace

As we shelter in place and find ways to stay connected, we look back at some of the incredible musicians that have performed here. SIMRIT is one of them, and held concerts here in September 2017 and October 2018. Her breathtaking voice, melodic brilliance and unique songwriting are in a category of her own. She recalls the performances in the cathedral, and is eager to return to Grace.

“Playing at Grace Cathedral was a dream of mine. The immaculate cathedral space filled with marble and wood made me feel like a tiny speck of dust compared to the size of the columns and the cathedral itself. I loved that feeling. It took my breath away each time…all day long while I was in there. It was truly a dream playing in there two years in a row.”

Watch Guru Ram Das below. You can also view Just A Glance and Aad Such. All three performances were filmed in inside Grace Cathedral.

“My band’s music is so etheric and reverberant, and the cathedral really lends itself to this kind of music. The natural live sound/reverb in the venue is stunning, and the scenery from the stage looking out at the audience and the huge columns…never ceased to amaze me. The view from the audience to the stage and beyond the stage…is beyond beautiful. It’s breathtaking. The energy inside of Grace Cathedral is nothing less than magical. I’m so grateful that my band and I had the opportunity to play there twice. I hope to play there again some time in the future.” ⁠

Vocalist and songwriter SIMRIT, born in Athens, Greece and adopted and raised in the American South, is influenced by roots reggae, The Grateful Dead, Mazzy Star and Led Zeppelin among others, including the traditional Greek music she was steeped in.

Find SIMRIT on her website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Our musicians are keeping their skills up while we all shelter in place by learning new music! Today, we’re sharing another piece that Christopher Keady, our Assistant Director of Music, has learned during this time at home.

He says, “I’m going to play for you a piece by Francis Poulenc, a 20th century French composer. We often sing his four motets at Grace Cathedral. He wrote in many different forms, but you can often detect a little bit of irony as well as a lot of romanticism in his music, and you can even detect those two things in this short piece. This is his ‘Novelette in C Major.’” Enjoy Christopher’s playing, and share it with someone you think could use some music to brighten their life right now.

Join us on Thursdays at 5:15pm for Choral Evensong, and hear music on the instrument Christopher usually plays, our remarkable Aeolian-Skinner organ.

 

As we move into May, the cathedral musicians continue to rehearse and learn the music that makes our worship and arts experiences so beautiful and moving.

Today, we’re sharing a piece that Christopher Keady, the Assistant Director of Music, has learned during this time at home. He says,

“Here is a piece that reminds me of this nice warm weather we’ve been having. It’s an impressionistic piece by Claude Debussy and the title is ‘Voiles,’ which translates to sails.”

Enjoy this lovely piece of music, and consider sharing it with someone you think could use some music to brighten their life right now. Join us on Thursdays at 5:15 pm for Choral Evensong to hear the instrument Christopher usually plays, our remarkable Aeolian-Skinner organ — and stay tuned for more musical offerings from the musicians of Grace Cathedral.