On November 26, 2023, the World Mission Society Church of God hosted its first “Sounds of Peace” concert in Floral Park, Long Island. The concert featured an ensemble of the New York Church of God Choir and Orchestra. They performed a variety of pieces to share peace and belonging with the audience. The world is enduring an unprecedented time of tension and uncertainty. The Church of God believes that inspiring peace in the community is now more important than ever before.
Songs of Faith, Hope and Love—the Recipe for Peace
Upon arriving at the church, attendees were welcomed to a delicious hibachi style Korean BBQ lunch. Afterwards, the concert commenced, beginning with the harmonious sounds of the a capella group. They sang the Church of God’s very own composition, “The Law of Father.” The psalms of King David inspired this song. He expressed his faith in saying that God’s law is sweeter than honey and more precious than pure gold.
Following the a capella performance, a flute duet treated the audience to the melodic sounds of the J.J. Quantz flute duet in C major. Next, the female quartet took the stage and performed “When You Believe.” This song is from the movie “The Prince of Egypt” – a late 90’s animated film about the Book of Exodus in the Bible. This song is all about having unwavering hope and believing during a time of trials.
Afterwards, the concert shifted gears from Old Testament times to New Testament times, as the mixed octet came out to perform the all-time classic “Amazing Grace.” However, this rendition had a slight twist—a soloist performed the first half of the song alone. As she sang in a soulful yet operatic voice, the remaining octet joined her at the climactic key change. The performance received a thunderous applause.
As if “Amazing Grace” wasn’t amazing enough, the Church of God’s very own Julliard pianist delivered an awe-inspiring performance. She played a magnificent piece from Mozart’s piano sonata in B flat. Lastly, the full ensemble performed the “Hallelujah Chorus” as the grand finale. As one of the most frequently performed works in western music history, most people are bound to recognize it right away. Yet, despite its familiarity, the Church of God Choir and Orchestra delivered a fresh and exciting performance, receiving a standing ovation.
Post Concert Reactions and Activities
Following the “Sounds of Peace” concert, Judge Phil Solages, who was in attendance, spoke a few words.
“Everything, down to the wardrobe, to the sound, to the instruments—it was really absolutely beautiful,” he said. “And I think that the name of the program, ‘Sounds of Peace,’ is such an amazing name. It’s so important for today, because in this world of conflict, peace is the most important factor that we need, not only in this country, but throughout the world.”
Moreover, many other distinguished guests expressed their admiration for the touching music and performances. Shortly after, attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and refreshments before heading into the final part of the program’s agenda—the Bible seminar.
The seminar, titled “The Law of Moses and the Law of Christ,” explored the laws of God in the Bible. The presenter explained how the Law of Christ differs from the Law of Moses in the Old Testament. The Law of Christ is also known as the Law of Life in the Bible. The seminar left listeners hopeful that as long as if we follow God’s law, there can be true peace in society.
To stay up to date on World Mission Society Church of God events, please visit your nearest Church of God location, or take a look at our news posts on Instagram or X.
5 Responses
Truly an amazing event! The concert was exceptional!
This event was so beautiful! I was blown away by the concert and loved learning more about the Church’s great deeds in the community.
The event was spectacular. It felt as though it was a performance from the New York Philharmonic. The orchestra and choir performed beautifully. All the guests enjoyed the performances as well as the grope that was more than delicious. Hopefully more of these events will happen soon so more people can visit and see how amazing the Church of God really is. The topic of the Bible that was shared was very relatable and very clear to understand. Overall, it was an amazing event and I can’t wait to join the next one!!
Correction : The food was so delicious.
What a beautiful event. I heard amazing things!! So glad for this summary article.
Also, the seminar topic is so unique- that as long as we follow the law of God there will be peace. Incredible! <3