56° F | Schenectady, NY
A very cool vespers
At the First Reformed Church of Schenectady, the beat drives an informal evening service. The church’s Jazz Vespers program has been attracting fans of faith and fellowship for the past two years.
“It’s a different offering, a different kind of worship that’s mostly listening to reflective music,” said the Rev. Bill Levering, First Reformed’s senior pastor and a jazz aficionado.
“The particular genre is jazz because it seems to be cross-cultural, cross-class, and it appeals to lots of different kinds of people. So in the church it functions for us pretty well. It’s relaxing.” Posted on February 19, 2012.
Nat Phipps of Guilderland on piano, Tom D’Andrea of Clifton Park on drums and Pete Toigo of Chatham on bass perform at Jazz Vespers at First Reformed Church of Schenectady in the Stockade.
Abby Norton-Levering, pastor of Glenmont Community Church reads a poem by Audre Lorde titled “Coal,” in honor of Black History Month at Jazz Vespers.
With chapel organ pipes in the background, pianist Peg Delaney performs at a recent Jazz Vespers at the First Reformed Church of Schenectady. Vespers are held in the church’s Poling Chapel. (photo: Jeff Wilkin/Gazette Reporter)
Two-year-old Vinay Lippmann of Niskayuna listens to the music.
“It’s a different offering, a different kind of worship that’s mostly listening to reflective music,” said the Rev. Bill Levering, First Reformed’s senior pastor and a jazz aficionado. “The particular genre is jazz because it seems to be cross-cultural, cross-class, and it appeals to lots of different kinds of people. So in the church it functions for us pretty well. It’s relaxing.”
