At 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, July 6, 2008, Tyrone Presbyterians will host hometown musician Kris Laird for an Independence weekend service that will feature both instrumental and vocal Solos, congregational carols, an organ voluntary by a Tyrone composer, and a pastoral message intended to encourage both rest and work, as well as contemplation and action.
\nHometown citizen Kris Laird, the youngest son of Luther and Roselyn Markel Laird, will present both instrumental and vocal solos with a patriotic theme, on this Independence weekend. A graduate of both Penn State and Pittsburgh\u2019s Duquesne University, and presently Director of Instrumental Music at Hollidaysburg Junior High, Mr. Laird will open worship on the euphonium with \u201cA Salute To The Armed Forces\u201d by Derric Johnson. Later in this patriotic service, Laird will sing a musical paraphrase of Katherine Lee Bates beloved carol composed in 1893 and entitled \u201cAmerica, The Beautiful.\u201d Mr. Laird and his pharmacist wife Julia Ellenberger Laird reside in a new home in Sinking Valley, with their new daughter Bella Laird.
\nAfter hearing Mr. Laird sing, the audience will lift their voices in six patriotic carols intended to tell the story of America from 1832 to 1918. Dorothy Liller, who serves as Friday night cantor at Altoona\u2019s Jewish Temple, will serve as song leader. She will commence with Baptist preacher Samuel Smith\u2019s 1832 carol called \u201cMy Country \u2018Tis Of Thee.\u201d From the Civil War era, the audience will sing Professor\u00a0 Samuel Addington\u2019s 1860 sailor song entitled \u201cEternal Father Strong To Save,\u201d as well as Julia Ward Howe\u2019s 1862 soldier song called \u201cThe Battle Hymn Of The Republic.\u201d
\nThe congregation also will recall the country\u2019s one hundredth anniversary when they sing Episcopal priest Daniel Robert\u2019s 1876 national hymn entitled \u201cGod Of Our Fathers,\u201d with its distinctive trumpet fanfares which guest musician Kris Laird will provide. With a burst of patriotic pride, the audience will embrace George Cohen\u2019s 1906 tribute to the flag christened \u201cYou\u2019re A Grand Old Flag, You\u2019re A High-Flying Flag,\u201d as well as Russian Jew Irving Berlin\u2019s 1918 masterpiece called \u201cGod Bless America! Land That I Love!\u201d Soprano Kate Smith immortalized Berlin\u2019s \u201cGod Bless America!\u201d during World War II, and certainly Berlin\u2019s lyrics have regained popularity since the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.
\nAt the offertory, Presbyterian organist Richard Merryman will recall a 1902 patriotic march by Tyrone composer and music store owner Charles Zerbe, the father of long-time Tyrone citizen Burley Zerbe.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Some officers in the Tyrone Historical Society suggest that Tyrone\u2019s Benedict Club used Zerbe\u2019s\u00a0 \u201cMarch And Two-Step\u201d for one of their earliest Summer Gala Balls, around 1905. Since the Zerbe march evolved just before the dramatic era of silent movies, when Tyrone\u2019s Wilson Theatre boasted a Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, Merryman will utilize some of the orchestral resources of the church\u2019s 1998 Allen Digital Computer Organ to recreate the patriotic spirit of Zerbe\u2019s march.
\nFinally, Presbyterian preaching pastor and Epworth Manor chaplain Mark Liller will offer a summer message entitled \u201cIt\u2019s time for rest and for action.\u201d In his homily delivered on this early summer Sunday, Reverend Liller will explore the need for faithful Christians to find fulfillment, both in rest and in work for the Lord, as well as in contemplation and in action for God\u2019s kingdom. Reverend Liller will invite the audience to spend the remainder of summer both in \u201cin sitting and in stirring for God.
\nOn this 232nd anniversary of America\u2019s 1776 Independence Day, as people all across this nation reflect on the blessings of the land, Tyrone Presbyterians encourage the citizens of Tyrone to join them at 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, July 6, 2008 for a patriotic worship, where the spirit of the day will find eloquent utterance in this responsive prayer of confession, echoing the words of Lincoln\u2019s Gettysburg Address: \u201cIn the long and honored history of America\/There are names that shine like beacons in the night\/The patriots whose vision gave us meaning\/Who kept the lamp of freedom burning bright\/In the long and honored history of America\/There are those who paid the last and final price\/Who were called upon by chance, or desperate circumstance, to make the ultimate sacrifice\/Our grateful nation bows its head in sorrow\/And in thanks for guaranteeing our tomorrow\/The last full measure of devotion, beyond the call of duty were their deeds\/The last full measure of devotion, they gave themselves to serve the greater need\/And for those who did survive, who came back home alive\/We join in praise of comrades who were slain\/And highly resolve, yes highly resolve\/That these died shall not have died in vain.\u201d
\nAs summer unfolds, why not highly resolve to join Tyrone Presbyterians for 10:30 worship this Sunday, July 6, 2008?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At 10:30 a.m. this Sunday, July 6, 2008, Tyrone Presbyterians will host hometown musician Kris Laird for an Independence weekend service that will feature both instrumental and vocal Solos, congregational carols, an organ voluntary by a Tyrone composer, and a pastoral message intended to encourage both rest and work, as well as contemplation and action. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news-in-the-tyrone-pennsylvania-area","category-excerpts-from-the-tyrone-daily-herald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tyronepa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}