Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts - Concert of Sacred Music

Concert of Sacred Music

A Concert of Sacred Music
Live album by Duke Ellington
Released 1966
Recorded December 26, 1965
Genre Jazz
Label RCA
Duke Ellington chronology
Ella at Duke's Place
(1965)
A Concert of Sacred Music
(1965)
The Stockholm Concert, 1966
(1966)

As early as October 1962, the Reverend John S. Yaryan approached Ellington about performing at the new Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The cathedral was due to open in three to four years and all sorts of cultural events were to occur there in its first year. It was not until two years later that things such as the date and program were finalized.

The concert premiered on September 16, 1965, and was recorded for Public Television. The performance was released on CD as A Concert of Sacred Music Live from Grace Cathedral and on DVD as Love You Madly/A Concert of Sacred Music at Grace Cathedral. The official album on RCA, A Concert of Sacred Music, was recorded at two concerts at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York on December 26, 1965. Additional material from these concerts, not found on the original album, can be found on the 24-CD box set The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973). This concert is the only one to have compositions not specifically written for it. "New World A-Commin" and "Come Sunday" from Black Brown and Beige and "Heritage (My Mother, My Father)" from the show My People were performed in it. The song "In the Beginning God" was awarded a Grammy Award in 1967.

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