Dear Friends,

Greetings from your friendly neighborhood music director! Martin Luther once wrote: "Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise." While we certainly aren't Lutheran here at Trinity (although we do count a number of former Lutherans among our congregation), we are proud to be a part of a religious tradition that holds up music as a higher form of prayer and communication, and that has worked to nurture high quality music-making since its inception. Did you know that Henry VIII himself was a composer and poet?!

It is, therefore, with great excitement that I invite all of you to two upcoming performances being given by our music ministry department here at Trinity, each of a very different nature.

Music at Trinity: Two Trumpets and an Organ

This coming Friday, January 30th, at 7:00 PM, I am pleased to invite you all to an evening of music for trumpet and organ, featuring yours truly on the organ. Our trumpet players for the concert are second to none: Dr. Brad Ulrich is Professor of Music at Western Carolina University, a position he has held for over 30 years, and is one of the finest trumpet players in the region. Joining Brad and myself is Paul Merkelo, a truly world class player. Paul plays principal trumpet for the Montreal Symphony in Canada, and is world renowned as one of the finest trumpet players of his generation. He has recently premiered trumpet concertos by Wynton Marsalis and Gabriela Ortiz, among others, and has recorded six solo albums, released on the Naxos and Sony labels. Together we will present a program featuring music by Vivaldi, Handel, Bach, Debussy, and Daniel Pinkham, among others. This is a unique opportunity to hear some truly world-class music-making, FREE of charge, in Western North Carolina!

The Annual Music Revue and Dinner

The following Wednesday, February 4th, we will offer a performance of an entirely different nature at our annual Music Revue and Dinner. Our Trinitarian musicians have been preparing performances of a lighter nature: Barbershop, Musical Theatre, and Bluegrass will all make an appearance. Come and enjoy a delicious dinner with a variety of beverages (including beer, wine, and spirits), and stay for a wonderful program showcasing our home-grown talent here at Trinity. I will be serving as emcee and there MAY be a return of last year's (mostly bad) jokes! This is always a wonderful evening of fun and music, and this year will noy be any different. This event does require registration (see the event announcement below for more details) and about 90 of 122 available spots have already been claimed. Register yourself today!

These two events, less than a week apart, highlight the two sides of our music program: We take our music very seriously at Trinity, but we take our fun equally seriously! It would be wonderful to see you all at both.

In Christ,

Dr. Kevin Seal, Director of Music and Organist