WFDD Triad Arts Archive: First Presbyterian Church Turns 150

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First Presbyterian Church Turns 150

October 3, 2012

Way back in 1861, when the First Presbyterian Church property in Winston-Salem, was originally purchased at the corner of Cherry and Third Streets, there was some concern over where Third Street would go if it needed to one day be extended further west. The town fathers scratched their heads and determined that there would never be a need for Third Street to go further west than where it was. My how times have changed!

But the church’s great commitment to our community has not changed, and this year it turns 150! In celebration of its Sesquicentennial, First Presbyterian will hold a worship service on Sunday morning, October 7, at 10:30am. The service is titled "Faithful through Generations" and it will be held in the church's new worship center. The orchestral prelude begins at 10:15am, and those in attendance will hear the first movement of Rhapsody and Song of the Sea. It’s a new work by First Presbyterian’s choral director Michael Dodds, and it’ll be performed by full orchestra, festival choir and featured tenor soloist Glen Siebert.

First Presbyterian planning committee member Mac Smyth, and conductor/composer Michael Dodds recently stopped by WFDD to chat about the work.