The First Presbyterian Church of Fresno Choir, under the direction of Dr. Julie Carter, returned from a 10-day tour to “Luther Land”, where the choir performed in celebration of the life and contributions of Martin Luther. Each year, Music Celebrations is blessed to partner with several Church Choirs as they embark on a musical mission of faith formation and inspiration. Dr. Julie Carter writes:
“The tour was a wonderful tour and we had a great time! Thank you very much! My MCI Team was outstanding! Each person does their job very well and they’re very helpful, courteous, and nice!
Our local Tour Manager, Karel, did a fantastic job! We all loved him! He was organized, thoughtful, proactive, kind, flexible, and helped us as needed. My personal highlight was singing in the Berlin Dom under Helmuth Rilling’s direction, on the Bach and Mendelssohn. It was so exciting and glorious! A real high point! Being in such a beautiful and majestic church made it! Along with the fantastic orchestra, Helmuth Rilling, and the excellent music choices. My 2nd highlight was the experience singing in the small parish church the next day in Jühnsdorf/Blankenfelde, meeting the sweet, spirit-filled pastor, being welcomed so beautifully by the congregation, saying the Lord’s Prayer in German, singing the hymns in German, taking communion, singing our music, and then joining them in a delightful reception afterwards. This was extraordinarily special for our group. The pastor was wonderful and the congregation very welcoming! We loved participating in the service, they gave us gifts, and a lovely delicious lunch afterwards! We hope to remain in contact with the pastor! The recital in Thomaskirche (Bach’s church!) was another real highlight! The acoustics are fabulous, and since this was our final performance, it was our best musically. To be able to sing there was really wonderful.
I look forward to planning our next tour in 4 years!”
Dr. Julie Carter, Music Director
First Presbyterian Church of Fresno