Top Celtic musicians to perform at St. Patrick's Day service at Christ Church Downers Grove
Bagpipes aside, on St. Patrick's Day it may be normal to hear live musicians playing a fiddle, banjo or beating a bodhran. But hearing all of these instruments performing traditional Irish music during a church service may not be the first place you would expect.
Christ Church Downers Grove is getting in on the lucky day celebration by adding some traditional Irish music to their professional worship band.
Several of Chicago area's top Irish musicians will join the church's 10:45 a.m. service Sunday, March 17 at 3500 Lacey Road in Downers Grove.
Jackie Moran (banjo and bodhran) immigrated to Chicago from Tipperary, Ireland, at age 10 and became a fixture and featured percussionist in the Chicago Irish music scene. He has performed with the "Riverdance" show and Trinity Irish Dance Company.
Sean Cleland (fiddle), is an Irish music teacher and executive director of the Irish Music School of Chicago. Other musicians include Jessie Langen (guitar) and James Reilly (flute and whistles). Both are on staff at the Irish Music School of Chicago. The performance is free and open to the public.
"Music is a large part of our worship services and it brings people together in a unique way. We are always looking for opportunities to invite the larger community to join us for experiences that bring joy and build fellowship," said the Rev. Eric Camfield, campus pastor at the Downers Grove location.
Downers Grove is the newest location of Christ Church in Oak Brook, which was established in 1965 as a nondenominational community church and has grown to more than 6,000 members. The Oak Brook location offers both contemporary and classic worship styles.
Christ Church also seeks to reach those who cannot come to services through its online media library, livestream services twice Sunday morning, as well as its broadcast ministry on radio and television. For more information about Christ Church, please visit ChristChurch.us.
Founded in 1965, Christ Church is a multisite, nondenominational church in the Chicago suburbs with more than 6,000 members. Christ Church features a variety of inspiring worship options including traditional, classic communion and contemporary services. All people are offered the opportunity to build life-changing relationships with God and one another with a rich range of spiritual growth resources, and a selection of service ministries aimed at creating positive change in the world. Weekend services are held at the Oak Brook and Downers Grove locations, as well as via livestream at ChristChurch.us/online.
The "Love Changes Life" broadcast program is on WPWR TV, WFLD TV, and WGN AM 720. For more information, visit ChristChurch.us.