Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Mass

The music ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa is presenting “Come Away to the Skies: A High Lonesome Mass,” by Dr. Tim Sharp and Wes Ramsay, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at Our Lady of Fatima Church.

Singers from Knoxville Catholic High School; Dr. Sharp, guest conductor; Dr. Christy Lee, OLOF director of music and liturgy; and Phil Holloway, director of choral activities at KCHS, will take part in the performance.

The composition is a contemporary musical setting of the Ordinary of the Mass created, composed, and arranged by Mr. Ramsay and Dr. Sharp. Written in 2011, the work is intended to be performed by choir, vocal soloists, and a bluegrass band. It contains traditional Mass parts incorporated into six movements: Introit, Kyrie Eleison, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

The work is approximately 30 minutes in duration. It has taken traditional chant settings of the Ordinary of the Roman Mass in Latin and combined them with American frontier spirituals, many of the musical tunes having their origins in the East Tennessee Appalachian region such as “Brethren We Have Met to Worship” and “What Wondrous Love.”

This event is free and open to the public.