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Messiah Lutheran Church Sunday April 9, 2017—3:00 pm

The

Seven

Last

Words

of

Christ

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Section One

Messiah Lutheran Church

Handbell Choir

Aria Arr. Michael Helman

You Raise Me Up Arr. Joel Raney

Will You Come and Follow Me Arr. Susan Nelson

On Eagle’s Wings Arr. Michael Helman

Offering A Free Will offering will be taken. Proceeds are used to benefit the

Messiah Lutheran Church Fine Arts Concert Series. We thank you for your generosity.

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Section Two

The Seven Last Words of Christ A Sacred Cantata for Soli, Chorus and Orchestra

Théodore Dubois

Introduction Soprano Solo

O ye who travel upon the highway, hearken to me, and behold me: was e’er sorrow like unto my sorrow? For the Lord Almighty hath dealt bitterly with me.

Call me now no more Naomi, from today call me Mara.

First Word Baritone and Tenor Soli, with Chorus

Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. And the people clamor’d: He is death-guilty, take him, take him, let us crucify him!

Be his blood on us, and on our children! Then they did crucify Jesus, and the two thieves, one at His right hand,

The other at His left hand.

Second Word Duet for Tenor and Baritone, with Chorus

Verily, thou shalt be in Paradise today with me. Amen, so I tell thee. Hear me, O Lord, and remember me, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.

Third Word Soli for Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, with Chorus.

See, O woman! Here behold thy Son beloved. See yon mother, bow’d in anguish, Who beside the cross doth languish,

Where on high her son is borne; Is there mortal, who not feeleth to behold her where she kneeleth,

So woeful, and all forlorn?

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Fourth Word Baritone Solo

God my Father, why hast Thou forsaken me? All those who were my friends, all have now forsaken me, and they that hate me do now

prevail against me: and he whom I have cherished, he hath betrayed me. Even the vine that I have chosen, and that I have planted: wherefore art thou now so

strangely turned into bitterness, that I by thee am crucified?

Fifth Word Chorus, and Soli for Tenor and Baritone

I am athirst! And the Jews then passing by him, all did rail upon him,

and wagging their heads at him, they said unto him: Ah! Thou wouldst fain destroy the temple; if thou be Jesus,

Son of the Father, now from the cross descend thou, that we behold it, and believe on thee when we behold it.

If thou art king over Israel, save thyself then.

Sixth Word Tenor Solo, and Chorus

Father, into Thy hands I commend my soul. For Thou art my God and my Father; Thou art my Saviour.

Into Thy hands I commend my soul.

Seventh Word Solo for Soprano, Tenor and Baritone, with Chorus

And with a loud voice Jesus cried, exclaiming: It is finished!

And He did bow His head, and rendered up His spirit. And it was about the sixth hour; and the sun was darkened, and darkness covered the earth, until about the ninth hour: and the veil of the temple was rent, and all the earth did quake:

and the rocks were rent, and all the graves were opened wide.

Prayer Christ, we do all adore Thee, and we do praise Thee for ever; for on the holy cross hast thou the world from sin redeemed.

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Soloists

Jennifer Renfroe—Soprano

William Renfroe—Tenor

Dave Downer—Baritone

Soprano

Edith Anderson

Glorianne Babcock

Be Engler

Debra Goodall

Kathy Johnson

Margot Reigle

Gayle Wilbanks

Judy Young

Tenor

Roy Engler

Scott Van Baaren

Bass

John Lester

John Luddington

Bob Reider

Jim Slater

Wayne Tappon

Alto

Marie Dravland

Carolyn Fleck

Diane Harmer

Christine LaCroix

Jaycine Lester

Karen Tappon

Jini Wydler

Messiah Lutheran Church Chancel Choir

John Renfroe, Director

Chris Adams

Edith Anderson

Bobbee Burkhard

Merry Fuson

Debra Goodall

Judith King

Sara Malloy

Jane Schroeder

Jim Slater

Pearl Slusher

Mary Wagner

Sharon Williams

Messiah Lutheran Church Handbell Choir

Judith King, Director

Guest Harpist

Sophia Secrest

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Jennifer (Jen) Renfroe has enjoyed a lifetime of music making and learning. She graduated in May of 2012 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Music Education from the University of South Florida in Tampa and has work completed towards a Bachelor’s of Music in Voice Performance. While at USF she studied with voice professors Ms. Annetta Monroe and Dr. Brad Diamond. Her solo repertoire includes works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, and Copeland. Jen performed with a wide variety of vocal and instrumental musical ensembles at USF including The USF Chamber Singers, USF Opera, The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, with whom she still sings, and The USF Herd of Thunder Marching Band. Since she was a teenager, she has performed as a soloist and cantor singing a variety of repertoire, both soloistic and liturgical, at many churches in the Tampa Bay Area, including Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Dunedin, Florida, where she currently is a cantor and has been a member of the Christmas and Easter Schola since 2007. She has sung and performed with her family's group The Renfroe Family Singers at Our Lady of Lourdes and on the road as close as Orlando, Florida and as far away as Eisenstadt, Austria. Since April, 2016, Jen has been teaching voice, piano, saxophone, violin, and music theory lessons at Westchase Music School in Tampa, Florida and enjoys jamming with her coworkers and practicing original compositions in her free time.

Mr. William Renfroe, a recently retired Pinellas County veteran teacher, has taught choral music for 40 years in Pinellas County, Florida with 30 years at Largo High School. During this tutelage, the choral program at Largo traveled four times to Europe, once winning the Bournmouth International Music Festival, performed in Washington D.C., and in New York’s Carnegie Hall with John Rutter, and the summer of 2013 Eisenstadt, Austria. LHS choirs have consistently been considered a choral benchmark for Pinellas County music education. Among his many solo performing credits, Mr. Renfroe has performed with Walt Disney World’s “Voices of Liberty”, The Florida Orchestra, The National Orchestra in D.C., has performed and recorded with The Atlanta Symphony Chorus, with Robert Shaw conducting, has sung in the joint Master Chorale/London Bach Choir with Sir David Willcocks and Sir Colin Davis. Mr. Renfroe has also performed with Rosemary Clooney, The Canadian Brass, Andy Williams, Richard Carpenter, and David Brubeck, and several others. Overseas, Mr. Renfroe has performed in England, France, Germany, Italy, Austria and Poland. Mr. Renfroe has performed as tenor soloist with the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria performing Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass” and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis” and the “Harmonie Masse” of Haydn in the Esterhausy Palace , and surrounding communities. In addition, Mr. Renfroe has performed numerous oratorio tenor roles such as Haydn’s “Creation” Handel’s “Messiah”, Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”, Verdi’s “Requiem”, many Bach Cantatas as well as many other assorted solo selections with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, and solo recital works. As a charter member of The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, William was assistant director, and tenor section leader to past directors Dr. Jo-Michael Schiebe and Dr. Richard Zielinski. Mr. Renfroe was a 2013 nominee for the Pinellas County “Teacher of the Year”, and is the past recipient of “Music Educator of the Year” for Pinellas County. Mr. Renfroe is listed multiple times in “Who’s Who Among Teachers”.

David Downer lives in Sarasota, Florida with his wife, three kids and their toy poodle and is quite active in the music and theater scene. Dave is a paid section leader for a local church there, has performed in praise bands and is a regular soloist. He is active in musical theater and was most recently seen in the Disney musical Beauty and the Beast at the Manatee Performing Arts Center performing as The Beast! Other favorite roles include Miles Gloriousus from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sir Robin from Spamalot, Kerchak from Disney’s Tarzan and Jud Fry from Oklahoma! Dave has also been a featured soloist for classical music works such as The Seven Last Words of Christ, Verdi’s Requiem and other fine pieces

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John L. Renfroe is the director of music and organist at Messiah Lutheran Church in Cape Coral, where he

directs the Chancel Choir and a variety of vocal ensembles. He also supervises the Christian Education

programs, Youth Ministries, and Visitations to the homebound. John graduated from Stetson University with

a degree in organ performance as a church music major. He has given organ concerts and lectures

throughout Florida and has received thirteen piano awards, including second place in the Chopin

competition for two years. He is a member of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) and the

National Pastoral Musicians. Presently John is the Dean to the SW chapter of the American Guild of

Organists (AGO). A rostered Minister of Word and Service (Deacon) in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of

America (ELCA) in the area of music ministry, he has published articles in The Lutheran, the magazine of the

ELCA, and he has also served on the liturgy planning committee for the Florida-Bahamas Synod.

Judith King is in her 11th year serving as director of handbell music at Messiah Lutheran Church. Originally

from Vermont, Judith is a member of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringing, has rung handbells for

over 30 years and was a charter member of the Southwest Florida Handbell Ensemble. In 2013 Judith

attended the International Handbell Symposium in Liverpool, Great Britain. While in England she

participated in ringing at a tower bell rehearsal at St. Michael's Anglican Church in Garston. Earlier this year

Judith traveled throughout Ireland and Scotland visiting several cathedrals, some with handbell choirs and/

or tower bell choirs. She had the privilege of accompanying the bell ringers in the tower at St. Patrick's

Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland to toll the bells for Sunday services. While in central Scotland she participated in

a handbell rehearsal in Dunkeld and attended the Dunblane Cathedral ringers handbell concert featuring

their three versatile advanced choirs. Judith plays tenor drum for the Harp and Thistle Bagpipe Band from

Naples, Florida, which placed first in the state of Florida 2015 Highland Games. Judith also plays mountain

dulcimer and is a member of the Southwest Florida Dulcimer club. Judith enjoys reading, English Country

dancing, Contra dancing and has achieved the three levels of the Florida Master Naturalist program.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER: François-Clément Théodore Dubois (24 August 1837 – 11

June 1924) was born in Rosnay in north-eastern France. He showed great interest in

music at an early age, and studied harmony, fugue and the organ at the Paris

Conservatoire, where he won several prizes, culminating in the Grand Prix de Rome

in 1861. From 1855 to 1858 he was organist at the Chapelle des Invalides, but on his

return from Rome he took up an appointment as maître de chapelle at Sainte-

Clotilde. He then occupied the same post at the Madeleine before he succeeded

Camille Saint-Saëns as organist there in 1877. At the same time he taught harmony

and composition at the Conservatoire and became director there from 1896 to

1905. As well as his famous Traité d’harmonie (1921), long considered a definitive

work, he also wrote a variety of vocal works, both sacred and secular, and numerous

orchestral and instrumental pieces. Dubois was an conscientious musician, and

considered to be representative of the classical school. He died in Paris in 1924.

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Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts

Full Symphony Orchestra

Students in the CLHS Center for the Arts Orchestra Program are among the most talented musicians in Lee County. Students in this program are treated as young professionals and held to high standards of excellence. They are given various opportunities for growth including, but not limited to, master classes, workshops, independent study, extra performances, concerts, field trip performances into the community, sectionals, class discussions, studio room rehearsals, and research. This program is structured to provide one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences for students by cultivating overall musicianship, life skills, versatility, friendships, and support that will last for a lifetime

Orchestra Director/Conductor: Kayla Lisa Kayla graduated from Radford University with a degree in music education and music therapy. She has

been the orchestra director at CLHS for 3 years and has doubled the strings program since accepting

the job. She has a passion for teaching music and hopes to continue to inspire other string students to

pursue music as well. If you would like to get in touch with her to inquire about the strings program,

please email her at kaylacl@leeschools.net.

Band Director: Marissa Kotzin

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Strings

Cat Arrigada—Violin

Ryan Anderson—Bass

Kylee Burger—Viola

Carly Fulcher—Cello

Ericka Gabrielli—Viola

Brant Harlacher—Cello

Larry Johnson—Cello

Skylar Key—Cello

Victoria O’Donnell—Violin

Megan Pearce—Violin

Christian Raimonde—Bass

Raphael Ruiz—Violin

Sophia Secrest—Harp

Woodwind

Abigail Lee—Oboe

Carter Popple—Flute

Ryan Sandru—Clarinet

Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts

Orchestra

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Band Director, Marissa Kotzin: Marissa Kotzin holds a bachelor’s

degree in music education from The Florida State University. During her

tenure at Florida State, Ms. Kotzin served as President of the Florida

chapter of the National Association for Music Education, and served on

the Florida Music Educators Association executive board as the colle-

giate representative. Ms. Kotzin has taught both middle school and high

school across the state and is now excited to call Fort Myers home! This

is Ms. Kotzin’s first year at Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts,

This concert brings to an end the 2016-2017 Messiah Lutheran Church

Fine Arts Concert Series, our 28th year of bringing music and the arts to North

Fort Myers and Cape Coral. How exciting it has been to scout far and wide to

bring to our concert audience another exciting variety of musical artistry and

inspiration.

The concert series has benefited greatly from the generous support of

benefactors, patrons, sponsors, and friends, as well as the love offerings

received at each concert. We thank you most sincerely and honor our

commitment to schedule concerts of the finest quality. Your continued support

of the concert series will be sincerely appreciated. Please use the enclosed

envelope for your convenience.

Each year a number of the concerts involve the choir, motet, handbell

ringers, and instrumentalists of Messiah as they present the spirit and ministry

of the host congregation. We thank each and every member of these

ensembles for their dedication throughout the year.

Thank You…. For Another Great Year of Music ! ! !

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Our thanks to the following people whose generous

contributions help to make this year’s Concert Series possible.

(Listing as of April 4, 2017)

Presto! Benefactors ($100+)

Elaine Alexander

Dennis and Edna Allen

Richard and Velma Bethel

Bea Botterbusch

Dorothy Bethel Conley

MJ Congilio

Ron and Janet Corliss

Cheryl Dempster

Wesley Drexler

Philip and Susan Fabry

The Florida-Bahamas Synod

Carlyle and Ruth Gilbertson

Warren and Susan Hillbish

Norm and Norma Klemz

Dr. Peter and Barbara Koch

Roy and LaVerne Koski

Rev. Gary and Christine LaCroix

Erv and Linda LaFave

John and Jaycine Lester

Sandra Lignell

Bill and Betty Mosgrove

Lois Newkirk

Joanne O’Brien

Bob Reider

Richard Reciniello

L. David Samuel

Carl and Jane Schroeder

Pearl Slusher

John and Darlene Renfroe

Rev. Richard and

Mary Ann Spengler

Tom and Stevie Walsh

Richard and Claudia Weiss

Doug and Carol Woodard

Buddy and Judy Young:

In memory of Penny Kaye

and Betty Palmatier

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Evelyn Brandt Evelyn Reciniello

Allegro! Patrons ($75-$99)

Largo! Friends ($25-$49)

Edith Anderson

Bak Family

John and Betsy Baskin

Colleen Biggs

Louis Conti

Betty Donlan

Carolyn Fleck

Tom and Diane Harmer

Kathy Johnson

Judith King

Lee Matson

Linda Morrison and

Norman Frick

Milan and Zel Tomaska

Virginia Wydler

Because of these generous contributions by people like you we can continue to

offer these fine programs. We invite you to join in supporting the Concert

Series by becoming a sponsor. A variety of sponsorship levels are available to

suit every budget. Concert Series envelopes can be found in the pew racks.

Andante! Sponsors ($50-$74)

Will and Jan Altman

Virginia Calaguas

Carl Hauser

Nancy Noren

Linda Siracusa

Keith and Joyce Stich

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FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

www.facebook.com/messiahnfm

Kid’s Connection Daycare Director, Carmen Orozco

Phone: 239-656-3536

Messiah Church Staff Members Disciples, all members of Messiah Lutheran Church

Interim Pastor, Rev. Gary LaCroix Director of Music/Organist, John Renfroe, ELCA Deacon

Office Support Staff, Scott Van Baaren Custodian, Bill Miller

Handbell Director, Judy King Dance Director, Dot Conley

Messiah Church Council Members President: Cheryl Dempster Vice President: Lee Matson

Secretary: Phil Fabry Treasurer: Susan Hillbish

Financial Secretary: Donna Kelley Council Members: Kenrick Goerz, Debra Goodall,

Milton Keene, Linda Siracusa

Messiah Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

2691 NE Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, Florida 33909 Phone 239-995-0133 -- Fax 239-995-2720

Church Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 9AM-12N & 1PM-4PM Website: www.messiahnfm.org E-Mail: office@messiahnfm.org

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Maundy Thursday - April 13, 2017

11:00am and 6:30pm

Worship with Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar

Good Friday - April 14, 2017

12:00 noon and 6:30pm

Good Friday Services

Easter Vigil - April 15, 2017

8:00pm Worship with Holy Communion

Blessing of Fire and Easter Candle and Vigil of the Word

Easter Sunday - April 16, 2017

Worship with Holy Communion

7:00am; 9:00am and 11:00am

Scouts Easter Breakfast

7:00am to 11:00am Joi

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