Musical groups at Bryan College will present Kyrie Eleison, a concert featuring a variety of settings of the prayer Lord, Have Mercy, on Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. in Rudd Auditorium.
“Kyrie Eleison is a prayer that has been prayed by Christians since the very early days of the church,” said Sally Powell, director of the Bryan Community Youth Choir. “It is a part of the earliest liturgies in Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant traditions. A simple, earnest plea for God’s hand of mercy, the text has been set to music across the centuries.”
In addition to the Youth Choir, performers will include the Bryan College Women’s Chorus, the Community Children’s Choir, and college instrumental ensembles.
Settings of the Kyrie will range from an early chant to a 19th century requiem to modern interpretations including the 1985 pop hit by the group Mister Mister.
Although the concert is free, an offering will be taken to support the Women’s Care Center in Dayton and an international project coordinated by Samaritan’s Purse to provide clean water in third-world countries.
“My goal for these teens is to expose them to a broad range of choral music while demonstrating that the arts are a wonderful vehicle for community impact,” Mrs. Powell said. “Last year we used patriotic music to create an opportunity to honor and pray for our armed forces. This year we are taking the Kyrie Eleison theme and using it as an opportunity to raise funds for worthy ministries demonstrating God’s mercy.”