Catch on Fire
As the son of a Pentecostal preacher, no other memory stands out more than being a part of a “tarrying service”. The “tarry service”, usually on Friday nights, was for those members (mostly teenagers) who had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Parishioners would came to the altar and pray fervently to God by shouting or crying, “Jesus”, “Hallelujah” or “Thank you, Jesus” over and over again. The intent was to say one of these statements so many times that eventually one would reach such an enlightened state and begin to speak in a spiritual language or “unknown tongues”. This was evidence that you had truly received the gift of the Holy Spirit or the “Holy Ghost” as it is called.
This piece is meant to encapsulate this spiritual and otherworldly experience. Those who already had the Holy Spirit would help to invoke God’s presence by praying, coaching and singing call and response songs like Catch on Fire.
Perusal Score:
Catch on Fire
14 minutes
Saxophone Quartet (sop sax/a sax/ten sax/bar sax)
As the son of a Pentecostal preacher, no other memory stands out more than being a part of a “tarrying service”. The “tarry service”, usually on Friday nights, was for those members (mostly teenagers) who had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Parishioners would came to the altar and pray fervently to God by shouting or crying, “Jesus”, “Hallelujah” or “Thank you, Jesus” over and over again. The intent was to say one of these statements so many times that eventually one would reach such an enlightened state and begin to speak in a spiritual language or “unknown tongues”. This was evidence that you had truly received the gift of the Holy Spirit or the “Holy Ghost” as it is called.
This piece is meant to encapsulate this spiritual and otherworldly experience. Those who already had the Holy Spirit would help to invoke God’s presence by praying, coaching and singing call and response songs like Catch on Fire.
Perusal Score: