FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Anthem celebrates church's bicenntenial

The service begins a year-long celebration of the church's 1803 founding.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
WARREN -- A new musical work gives voice to the handful of settlers who founded a church 200 years ago and those who worship there today.
Ronald G. Hatch wrote the anthem and used different lines from Psalms to express the thoughts of the faithful.
The work, "Hear My Desire, O God" will be presented at 10 a.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 256 Mahoning Ave. N.W. The service begins the church's year-long celebration of its founding Nov. 19, 1803.
Hatch, a member of the church, spent three years working on the composition. Church officials had approached him and asked that the work be a testament to the church's founders.
Hatch, a retired worker at Delhi Packard Electric Systems, has always enjoyed music. He received a bachelor's degree in music from Youngstown State University and later studied at Indiana University.
He has written shorter works for the choir, but this is the longest work he has completed to date.
The church was founded by the Rev. Joseph Badger, an itinerant minister; four women; and two men.
The Rev. Mr. Badger served both Presbyterian, Congregational worshippers. "Mahoning Memories" states that, "Throughout the Valley as well as the entire Western Reserve, Presbyterian congregations typically were the first to be established, representing both the New England and Western Pennsylvania Ulster Irish origins of many of the early settlers."
Musical tribute
Hatch said he first researched the beginnings of the church and the rigors the early members faced. At some point, he thought he might use vocal ranges to distinguish the original seven.
The soprano and alto voices will represent the four women, a tenor will represent the two men and a bass voice will represent the minister.
The scheduled singers are Jennifer Jones, soprano, Pamela Root, mezzo-soprano/alto, Craig Raymaley, tenor, and Nelson Llewellyn, bass.
For the text, "I came up with a list of verses from the Bible," Hatch said. "They were verses that might represent their thoughts and emotions."
The words, such as "Listen to my prayers" and "Take me to a safe refuge" and "take me to your sanctuary" represent the hope and needs of the settlers, he said.
Hatch and Steve Adams, a spokesman for the church, are in the choir.
The anthem begins with organ music that re-creates the social and spiritual emptiness the settlers must have felt, according to Adams.
As the piece builds, the soloists will be joined by choir members, who will represent the voices of the past and present.
The lyrics in the last section are more praise music, Hatch said.
Finished work
As he worked on the piece, the composer realized that it was about 12 minutes long, much longer than he expected. But that presented no problem. The final work is about 20 minutes long. It will be presented in lieu of a sermon.
Hatch said he believed more attention was being given the music than was needed, adding that that the church has a long tradition of performing classical church music.
"The bicentennial is the main thing," he said,
But church members have raved about the beauty of his new work and his past musical contributions to the church.
Those who do not attend the service can hear it at noon Sunday at WKTX 830-AM.
wilkinson@vindy.com
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