Sophie Haigney Photo
“I’ve always wanted to appear on a program with Curtis Mayfield and Duke Ellington,” joked Rev. Frederick Streets joked from the pulpit.
In fact, he was sharing his church with those prophets, or at least the music they left behind.
Streets made the remarks during his reflections at Dixwell Avenue Congregational United Church of Christ this past Sunday. The occasion was the church’s first ever Sacred Jazz Worship Service, a celebratory occasion that blended scripture and saxophones.
The mood was festive and the pews were nearly full as a processional entered to a lively version of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” clapping and dancing.
Up front, a jazz ensemble — featuring a drummer, bassist, pianist, saxophonist, and trumpeter — played near the pulpit. Light flooded in through wide windows.
Jazz isn’t new to services at Dixwell Avenue Congregational, the oldest African-American congregational UCC church in the world. Selections of jazz, especially sacred jazz, are sometimes played during normal Sunday services. But last Sunday’s events were something totally new.
“This is part of a larger mission,” said Sharyn Esdaile, who curated the musical program. “Jazz as a medium is so important because jazz is truly an art form of African-American origins. We want to keep a connection and understanding alive, especially for young people, who aren’t aware of a great body of sacred works.” The church works in partnership with the Institute of Sacred Music at the Yale Divinity School to compile, preserve, and educate about traditions of black sacred music, including jazz.
This service was a chance to animate this tradition for the congregation. It was the congregation’s annual “homecoming service,” which marks the shift in season and generally draws a big crowd. It was also an excited crowd when congregation member Lisa Fluker took the microphone and launched into a powerful, slow soprano version of Duke Ellington’s spiritual “Come Sunday.” Her voice filled the space.
“Duke Ellington has a large body of spiritual work that a lot of people don’t know about,” Esdaile said.
As the service got underway, it moved through more traditional selections — like Bobby Winters playing a slow, tremulous “Amazing Grace” on the saxophone — and some surprising ones. The ensemble did a jazz rendition of the English melody “Greensleeves” with long improvised solos. The teen ensemble sang Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” a gospel inspired by the March on Washington.
“The hope was to have variety of repertoire, of course, in the way that you want variety in any musical program, but also to draw from various traditions,” Esdaile said. “We wanted to include pieces that were spirituals, gospels, hymns, in all their nuances.”
For more than two hours, the service moved fluidly between musical selections and words. Reverend Streets reflected on the role of music in his own upbringing. “I was raised on gospel music and the three B’s on the South Side of Chicago,” Streets said. “That’s the Bible, blues, and barbecue.” People laughed and cheered.
Many of the readings — Psalm 150, Isaiah 42:10 – 12, Psalm 98 — touched on themes of music as worship. A group of children read, “Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet.” Shortly thereafter, William Fluker played; married to Lisa, he is a longtime member of the congregation and teaches music to kids in the church. He’s also a killer trumpet and flugelhorn player.
Toward the end of the service (which featured a total of 16 musical numbers) some audience members were standing up and moving to the music. Throughout, people clapped along and laughed. During Lisa Fluker’s second song, “Safe in His Arms” by Darius Brooks, more than one person started to cry.
Before the recessional — an even more energetic version “When the Saints Go Marching In” to a standing ovation — Rev. Streets invited everyone in the congregation downstairs for music and food.
Then he smiled. “When Charles Warner came to me and said, ‘How about a jazz service?’ I said, how about every Sunday?”