Village Church Choir prepares for special tour with send-off concert in RSF July 21

Members of the Village Community Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir will be traveling to France on a concert tour that will commemorate the 75th Anniversary of “D-day” and is set to perform in some of the most historic churches in France.

Building on the themes of the “Lux Aeterna” (Light Eternal) by Morten Lauridsen – which the choir presented in March with members of the San Diego Symphony – and Paris, the “City of Lights,” the choir is presenting a program titled “Splendor of Eternal Light.” The musical selections will feature an assortment of favorite anthems on light, as well as a considerable collection of gospel music and spirituals from the African American tradition.

The choir will appear twice at The American Church in Paris, a historic congregation which dates back to 1814. They will be featured in worship on Sunday, July 28 and in a concert of their own that afternoon at the church. Later in the tour, the choir has been invited to a concert and reception at the American Embassy in Paris. The choir will then pay tribute at the American Cemetery in Normandy and commemorate the 75th anniversary of “D-Day.”

On their way back from Normandy, the choir from the Village Church will perform at Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l’Assomption de Rouen. Not to be confused with Notre-Dame in Paris, this historic church has roots that date back to the 4th century and was, for a brief time in the 19th century, the tallest building in the world. The culminating concert will be on Monday, Aug. 5 at L’église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, one of the most musically important churches in Paris which has been home to famed composers such as Gabriel Faúre and Camille Saint-Säens.

Members of the tour choir will be presenting a send-off concert on Sunday, July 21 at 4 p.m. and will be featuring their complete tour repertoire. The concert will be held at The Village Church campus located at 6225 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe. There is no cost for admission, a free-will offering will be taken. Visit villagechurch.org for more information on The Village Church Music Ministry. Follow The Village Church and keep up with the choir members on tour @VillageChurchRSF.