Good Friday – Stainer’s “The Crucifixion”

On Good Friday, a service of worship is held at 12:15 p.m. in the sanctuary to remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. For 97 years at The Brick Church, this service has been centered on the singing of Sir John Stainer’s beloved oratorio, The Crucifixion by our Chancel Choir. Premiered in London in 1887, Stainer’s oratorio quickly became a much anticipated Good Friday tradition in England and still holds such a place today. Tuneful and approachable yet powerfully dramatic, this hour long choral work vividly retells the events leading up to Christ’s crucifixion. The congregation joins the choir in singing several fine hymns composed by Stainer especially for this work. As in years past at Brick Church, the tenor and bass soloists for this service are drawn from the ranks of the major American opera houses. The service lasts 75 minutes.