TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Duke Ellington, one of jazz’s greatest composers, believed his music had a higher purpose.
In the 1960s and ’70s, he created a bold and visionary series of Sacred Concerts—large-scale works that blended jazz orchestra, choir, soloists, and dance.
Ellington called them “the most important thing I have ever done.”
The Sacred Concerts include pieces like “Come Sunday,” “In the Beginning God,” and “Praise God and Dance.” They combine the spirit of worship with the infectious swing and sophistication of big-band jazz.
These concerts were performed in churches and cathedrals around the world, creating a new spiritual space where gospel, blues, and jazz could thrive together.
This has been Rapp On Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by Layman Publishing Partners, celebrating 50 years of expert content creation, authoritative information management, and standards-driven print and digital production.