ROCO Orchestra performs at The Church of St.

The event was attended by many and had a theme of 'family, friends, fortune, and future.' (Photo by Manuel Nägeli on Unsplash)

The ROCO Orchestra recently held a concert at The Church of St. John the Divine. The event was attended by many and had a theme of 'family, friends, fortune, and future.'

F-Word

According to the Houston Press, the event took place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the church premises.

The concert reportedly marked the debut of Conductor Delyana Lazarova who led the orchestra through the performances.

It featured William Bolcom's Dedication, Judah Adashi's The Sun Begins To Fade, and Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 100, to name a few.

The military undertones of the event are a way for the orchestra to show their support to American heroes for Veteran's weekend.

In the article, it said that Lazarova is a capable conductor.

He recently won the inaugural Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition in February 2020.

St. John the Divine

The church page says that it is a congregation that accepts everyone regardless of their life. They also welcome any spiritual journey in the church.

St. John says that it is the mission of the church to be one that worships God without ceasing. It also connects, continues to grow, and serves the community.

Self-growth and Bible education are important factors of the church, and it provides multiple classes for people of all ages and levels.

Currently, the church has a program for Adult Sunday School, a family class, and even a Christianity history class.

There are also several classes for children, youth, young adults, and adults.

Further, the church puts importance on volunteer opportunities. With these, people are given a chance to serve the church and/or the community.

It has programs for the congregation, mentorships, and outreach programs for the people in need in Texas. They also have English as a Second Language classes by the church.

The church also has partnerships and connections with SEARCH Homeless Services and Yellowstone Academy. They also partnered with Open Door Mission, Loving Lamar, and Mission on Yahweh, to name a few.

Leadership of St. John the Divine

Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill is the current rector of the church.

A Virginia native, he graduated from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. He also holds a master of Divinity Degree from the University of the South School of Theology.

Further, he holds a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto.

Prior to his work with St. John, he served as the assistant rector of the St. James's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia.

ROCO

Formerly known as the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, the ROCO is an organization that started in 2005 through the efforts of Julliard's own Alecia Lawyer. Lawyer created the orchestra to make it a model that would provide authentic connections between musicians and audiences.

Today, it is 'one of the most prolific commissioning organizations in the US.' It also says on its page that it is the '#1 ensemble in the US performing works by women and #2 for composers of color,' according to the Institute for Composer Diversity study in 2019.