Unbeknownst to many Penn students, there's a religious concert venue in Philadelphia other than the First Unitarian Church. St. Agatha St. James, located on 38th and Chestnut streets, hosts concerts every Saturday night and Sunday mornings.
This past Sunday, the Newman Center Choir took to the stage for yet another faith-affirming performance. The church was filled to capacity as the Choir kicked things off with an energetic take on "City of God." The lead singer's vocals soared to heaven, the guitarist's acoustic rock rattled the stained glass windows, but the random tambourine accompaniment was awkward and distracting.
Instead of an opening act the Choir decided to share the spotlight with Fr. Chuck Pfeffer. Pfeffer's spoken word performance was interspersed with the music of the Newman Choir. During the Choir's performance of "Amazing Grace," however, Pfeffer provided additional vocal accompaniment to the Choir's rendition, making the performance that much more amazing.
The show took a turn to the surreal when Pfeffer invited everyone up to the stage for bread and wine, but the Choir's melodic tunes remained strong. With a skilled organist and old fashioned rock tunes at their disposal, the Newman Center Choir brought the house down this past Sunday morning. More performances like this will make St. Agatha St. James the place to be for a good Philly rock show.
