Jazz Vespers for the Soul

December 2022 was the final Jazz Vespers at Geneva Presbyterian Church, and we thank Pastor Steven Marsh and his staff for hosting us and inviting you into this time of spirituality and jazz: a time to meet our friends and neighbors.

Vespers, one of the two main hours of the Church's Daily Office, has roots extending into the evening prayers of ancient Israel. Lucernarium (literally: Lamp lighting time) was another name for these periods of devotion which began at the rising of the evening star with a blessing prayer. The Book of Common Prayer preserves the evolution of these early forms of worship and prayer in a way that is faithful to our heritage and open to creating new traditions.

Jazz Vespers emerges as a synthesis of traditions, a blending of an age old liturgy with the unique musical language we call jazz. With a freshness that is open to God's Spirit, this musical tradition sounds the hopes, dreams, joys, frustrations and pain that expresses human experience, while exploring a musical vocabulary that transcends the limits of the written or spoken word.

A simple service at twilight uniting jazz and prayer.