The psalmist said, Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the lute. (Psa 81:1,2 nkjv)

For two nights in May, the Pavilion was ringing with joyful and glorious sounds, as the Liturgi-kal choir, and Israel Chamber Orchestra, both conducted by veteran composer and director, David Loden presented concerts called, "Evening of Glory".

The concerts began with an overture by Bach, and then, the audience was treated to a first-time ever Hebrew performance of Vivaldi's "Gloria". Here is the English translation of what they sang:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise You, we bless You, we adore You, we glorify You, we give You thanks for Your great glory! Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord, You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen."

The choir, and the soloists sang their parts with excellence, precision, and conviction, and the audience received it with enthusiasm. After an intermission, some of the stringed instruments left the stage and were replaced by brass and percussion. The audience then was presented with the dynamic, more modern rendition of "Gloria", composed this century by John Rutter. This was also a premiere of this work in Israel, and as the brass instruments swelled, and the high moments were punctuated by tympani and crashing cymbals, the room truly rang with "Glory Sounds", followed by rousing applause and ovations.

Our vision is to continue these concerts of classical music that is rich in God's word, especially with translations into Hebrew. Several years ago, as the Pavilion was designed and built, we envisioned this sort of thing taking place in the facility. As exciting and fitting as it is, the two main challenges are 1) The expense - concerts of this nature always need to be sponsored, and 2) Advertising and filling the auditorium - we need momentum in this area. Pray for us in the days ahead as we seek God about the next concert series.

Soli Deo Gloria! (Glory be to God Alone)