High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass
November 19, 5:30 p.m.—Followed by a concert by the Chuck Nation Band
November 20, 8:30, 9:45, and 11:15 a.m.
Aldersgate United Methodist Church
1301 Collingwood Road
Alexandria, VA 22308
A very special musical event is coming to Aldersgate when “Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass” will be performed at all services November 19 and 20. The Aldersgate choirs and guest singers will be accompanied by acclaimed bluegrass ensemble The Chuck Nation Band.
Created by Tim Sharp and Wes Ramsay, “Come Away to the Skies” is a winsome set of folk-hymn arrangements for choir and bluegrass band. The music originated in the mid-nineteenth century collections of the Sacred Harp and the Southern Harmony, and is organized around the liturgy of the Mass.
The Chuck Nation Band, which accompanied the premiere of the Mass at Carnegie Hall, will present a concert of popular music and bluegrass favorites following the Saturday service.
Here’s an excerpt from the Mass: