One of the best-known marches of John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) “America’s March King”, the Washington Post March has opened every one of our “Old Fashioned Fourth” concerts at Holy Spirit – including this one. (from 2019)

Gordon Balch Nevin (1892-1943) was an American composer, primarily living and working in western Pennsylvania. In folklore, a “will o’ the wisp” is a strange ghostly light often seen by travelers late at night and often has sinister implications. Modern science is more likely to explain it as bioluminescence or chemiluminescence – the famous “Marfa…

Original Rags and The Entertainer Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was the first famous black American composer and is best remembered for his contribution to ragtime. Here are two of his most famous rags – while they were written for the piano, they translate well to the organ. (from 2015)

The hymn “How Great Thou Art”, derived from a Swedish folk tune and hymn text, is a great favorite among many churchgoers. Dale Wood (1934-2003) gives us a beautiful lush setting that shows of some of the quieter sounds of the organ. (from 2015). Prelude on How Great Thou Art © 1993 The Sacred Music Press Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE…

Dan Miller (b. 1954) is a well-known figure amongst American church musicians. He has served as the organist at several major American churches and now is the tonal director for Rodgers Instruments, one of the leading builders of digital organs. Here he takes an old Gospel hymn and has great fun doing some surprising things to it. (from 2015) Count…

Armed Forces Medley, arr. Stephen J. Morris (b. 1956) Every “Old Fashioned Fourth” concert at Holy Spirit has featured this medley of Armed Forces tunes. In concert, we invite those with ties to each branch of the service to stand when that music is played. You don’t need to at home, but you can if you want! (from 2019)…

American composer Van Denman Thompson (1890-1969)penned this serious piece in 1919 as a tribute to the American soldiers who fought in “The War to End all Wars”. (from 2019)

In 1896, a passenger agent for the M, K & T Railroad presciently named George Crush decided that a good way to drum up business for the railroad was to create a spectacle and crash two trains into one another head on! So he had a little temporary depot with 4 miles of tracks, a bandstand, and viewing stands constructed just north of Waco, Texas, an…

Each “Old Fashioned Fourth” concert has featured a sing-along and this one is no different. There is a song sheet posted on this website and you are invited to join the 2019 audience in singing (and clapping) along. (from 2019)

One of the most favorite pieces of classical music is Antonín Dvorák's (1841-1904) New World Symphony, loosely based on spirituals and Native American (along with some Czech folk tunes from his native country). He wrote the piece shortly after arriving in America to serve as director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York in 1…

The Stars and Stripes Forever has closed each “Old Fashioned Fourth Concert”, as it will today. It is by far the most famous of John Philip Sousa’s many marches, and in 1987, an act of Congress made it officially the national march of the United States. Less well-known is that Sousa wrote the piece to promote national unity, which was much threaten…

Surrexit Christus Hodieby Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612) Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2018 Arranged by Stephen J. Morris for: 4 trombones, timpani, and organ Originally a choral work for 11 voice parts. The text is the basis for our hymn “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”

Praise the Lord with Drums and Cymbalsby Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933) Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2003 Arranged by Donald Rotermund for: 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, and organ

Grand Choeur Dialoguéby Eugène Gigout (1844-1925) Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2003 Arranged by Stephen J. Morris for: 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, and organ. Originally a work for organ. Gigout served as the organist at the Church of Saint-Augustin in Paris for 62 years.

Carillon-Sortieby Henri Mulet (1878-1967) Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2018 Arranged by Stephen J. Morris for: 4 trombones, timpani, and organ Originally a work for organ. “Carillon” piece were popular in late-19th and early 20th-century France. The main objective was to imitate the tolling of bells, which can be clearly heard in this …

Victimae Paschali Laudes by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611) Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2015 The traditional sequence for Easter.

Christo Resurgent by François Couperin (1668-1733) Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2018 Performed by members of the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church Choir, Julia Engel, Meredith Morse, Austin Dean, and Joseph Roberts Motet for Easter

Hymn 182 Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2018

Hymn 180 He Is Risen, He Is Risen! Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2005

Hymn 174 At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2005

Hymn 208 Alleluia! The Strife Is O’er Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2018

Hymn 205 Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2018

Hymn 207 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today Recorded at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 2018