WELCOME TO THE CTK MUSIC AND ARTS SERIES!

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There is no charge for admission for our concerts, 
a free-will offering will be taken at each performance.

A light reception with refreshments will take place in the 
​Fireside Lounge following each performance.

Join our facebook page to stay up-to-date on events: www.facebook.com/lifeatctk/
Thank you for your support, we look forward to seeing you there!

​Mission Statement

The Music & Arts Series furthers the mission of Christ the King Lutheran Church by celebrating the arts, inviting people to connect with one another and with our community, growing closer together through meaningful and quality musical performances and artist events. This ministry of the church would not be possible without the generous support of the Christ the King Foundation.

​Staff

CtK Worship Director, Nate Crary, and Cantor, Megan Crosby, 
are the curators of the CtK Music & Arts Series.

Bells of the Lakes Handbell Concert
​"Shall We Dance!"

Sunday, March 27, 2022 - 4:00 p.m.   -Completed
Bells of the Lakes is a community handbell ensemble representing the Twin Cities of Minnesota and is directed by William H. Mathis, a nationally known conductor and arranger of handbell and choral music. Bells of the Lakes maintains a membership in the Handbell Musicians of America and supports the work and activities of  Area VII.

An Afternoon of Organ and Piano Music with Dr. Leonard Danek

Sunday, May 3, 2020 - 4:00 p.m.         ---POSTPONED---
​Dr. Leonard Danek studied composition with Dr. Paul Fetler at the University of Minnesota and piano with Jeaneane Dowis in New York. A prolific composer of over 400 works, including two piano concertos, numerous sonatas for organ and piano, and over 60 chorale preludes for organ, he has received many commissions with works performed in recital locally, by the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and at an annual meeting of the College Music Society in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 
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Danek has given many solo recitals on both piano and organ throughout the upper Midwest to critical acclaim. He has played over 60 solo recitals on both piano and organ throughout the Midwest and has presented at the University of Indiana, Concordia College in St. Paul, and Winona State University. As a composer, his organ works have been featured on American Public Radio's Pipedreams. He has composed over 400 works, mainly for organ, and recorded several CDs.

PopUp Choir presents "Songs from the Heart" with Dr. Lynne Gackle

 Saturday, August 15, 2020 - 7:30 p.m. ---POSTPONED---
PopUp Choir brings together accomplished singers from across the highly 'vertical' choral world to foster relationships, collaboration and community. Working with both established and aspiring conductors from MN, the U.S. and the world, they connect musicians and audiences to one another in meaningful ways through compelling programs and performances. Drawing on the abundant breadth, depth and passion of talented choral singers in MN and throughout the U.S., each PopUp Choir prepares itself in advance to gather, rehearse and perform during a single week. PopUp Choir has performed in projects at venues ranging from the sublime St. Mary's Chapel to Hotel340's grand lobby, Flat Earth Brewery, a men's homeless shelter, the U of MN's Centennial Showboat, the oldest church in the City-of-London, the Guthrie Theater stage, and for Her Majesty the Queen of England in Aberdeen, Scotland. 

​Join Artistic Director Dr. Lynne Gackle of Baylor University and the PopUp Choir of MN for an evening of stunning music centered on attitudes of the heart reflected in "Songs from the Heart".
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The Fremont Trio

Sunday, October 4, 2020 - 4:00 p.m.            ---POSTPONED---
Brian DeYoung (piano), Andrea Myers (flute) and Grace Heatherington-Tilka (cello) are the professional musicians that make up the Fremont Trio.  This fantastic chamber ensemble is a unique combination of flute, cello, and piano that focuses on exposing  audiences to rarely heard works, bringing chamber music to a wide audience. We hope you can attend this extraordinary concert!

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Past Music and Arts Series Events

Advent Rejoice! Worship at CtK

Sunday, December 12, 2021 -Completed
This festival worship combines what has been the Sunday School Pageant and the Christmas Concert, offering everyone an amazing, intergenerational opportunity to tell the story of Jesus' birth. Happening on the third Sunday of Advent, we will suspend the expectant liturgical spirit of the season of Advent in order to celebrate God coming to us through the birth of Christ, right now! Join singers and instrumentalists, artists and actors, and children, youth and adults in this celebration as we gather on this journey to Bethlehem with us around the manger to see how God comes to us once again.

An Evening of New Songs, With Bret Hesla

​Monday, January 13, 2020 
Bret is a songwriter and a songleader based in Minnesota. He writes songs and hymns for groups of ordinary folks to sing together, with lyrics that reflect a commitment to community, peace, care of the earth, social justice. Bret leads singing for community sings, church groups, school groups, and social change movements. He also leads workshops on community singing, songwriting, and songleading. Bret has helped lead worship music at Christ the King during the summer a few years back. 

He has recently written some new songs that he’s interested in sharing with us at CtK. Bret will be on hand with some of this new music—reflecting themes of peace, justice, ecology, inclusion, and shared abundance. Many are pieces that we might consider using in worship; others are just plain fun to sing (he recently wrote a “rouser,” based on the new mission statement of his home congregation, Our Saviour’s in Minneapolis). Come learn some new songs to sing in community! No particular experience or expertise necessary!

2020 CtK Youth Musical: "Hills & Valleys"

Regional Tour
Galilee Lutheran (Milwaukee, WI) // Friday, Feb. 14 – Sunday, Feb. 16
 
Home Performances
Christ the King Lutheran // Sunday, Feb. 23 

The youth of Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Brighton, MN have a long tradition of producing musicals for more than 30 years. Students in grades 6-12 from all area school districts are welcome to participate.


​Additional Happenings at Christ the King

Chorus Polaris

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Sunday, March 1, 2020  -POSTPONED-

If Music Be the Food of Love is a collection of 12 pieces about how music is very near the essence of each and every one of us. The repertoire comes from the 16th through 21st centuries, from a romantic madrigal to a rousing gospel song.