The Power of Spirituals - Spire Series event

Dr. Eileen Guenther, guest conductor and distinguished lecturer

Please join us for this special program commemorating the importance of the spiritual, woven together with thoughtful narratives, choral, organ and solo arrangements of beloved spirituals.

The Towson Presbyterian Church Choir,
Christopher Schroeder, director & organist
The First and Franklin Street Presbyterian Church Choir,
Jason Kissel, director & organist

$5 students/$15 general; tickets may be ordered in advance on the website through PayPal (www.firstfranklin.org; click Music; Spire Series, or at the door.

Dr. Eileen Guenther leads a diverse career as a church musician, teacher, concert organist, conductor and author. Alongside her position as Associate Professor of Church Music at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, Dr. Guenther is the National President of the American Guild of Organists. Dr. Guenther has served as guest faculty at Africa University in Zimbabwe, and has taken part in global praise teams teaching music and worship in Uganda and the Ivory Coast. South Africa holds a special place in her heart and she has led six groups of students from Wesley Seminary on immersion trips there. Much of her life's work is devoted to researching and presenting spirituals, and the compelling program she has designed for The Spire Series is based upon her forthcoming book, The Power of Spirituals: In Their Own Words. In 2007, Dr. Guenther concluded a distinguished career at Foundry Methodist Church in Washington, DC; she was minister of music for more than 30 years and designed the church's 60-rank Casavant sanctuary organ in 1984. Under her leadership, the Foundry Choir appeared at United Methodist General Conference twice and sang at the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference on many occasions. The Foundry Choir also sang at the White House numerous times and was described in a review by The Washington Post as "one of Washington's best choruses." With repertoire ranging from Bach to Vaughan Williams, these singers presented an annual Concert for Life, raising more than $600,000 for organizations serving those living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa and in the Washington area.