Michael Daves Brings A Touch of Bluegrass To Our Good Friday Service

Michael Daves, Jen Larson, Jennifer Nelson and guests accompany Old First’s Bluegrass Good Friday service, April 2017. Photo by Jeff Chu

The idea of incorporating bluegrass music into our Good Friday service is not as original as it sounds.

“There is a tremendous amount of gospel music within the bluegrass tradition,” says Old First member and musician Michael Daves. “A lot of it draws from old Scots-Irish ballads, shape note singing, American rural hymnody, and some more recently composed work.”

Michael helped bring bluegrass performance to Old First. He also introduced it to our 2010 Good Friday service in the Upper Hall. It returned annually due to popular demand, featuring 18th and 19th century hymns.

Originally, Michael didn’t have a large repertoire of Good-Friday-appropriate music. Pastor Meeter provided a set of hymns that we all sing as a congregation, which is a combination of shape note and other American hymns.

“Then we added to it,” Michael says.

Michael was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia; his mom and dad played fiddle and banjo. Although he’s explored many other musical styles, he has become part of the burgeoning bluegrass scene in New York, performing live and even recording an album featuring bluegrass.

Michael Daves and Jen Larson

A highlight of the service  is a song written especially for the event by member Jen Larson: Garden of Gethsemane.

“It’s a beautiful, striking, gorgeous bluegrass gospel-type song that she knocked right out of the park,” Michael says.

Also joining in the tradition is Old First member Jennifer Nelson (read more about Jennifer here) and various contributors from year to year. Mixed in with the hymns are bluegrass songs from The Stanley Brothers as well as material from Gillian Welch.

On the horizon: a possible recording of the bluegrass songs and hymns used in the service (we’ll keep you posted!).

“It’s a nice little thing that all of us look forward to,” Michael says about the event. “We have our own arrangements of it. It’s music that we’re all getting pretty familiar with by now.”  

Be sure to attend our Good Friday service on Friday March 30 – more details and RSVP on Facebook.

Click here for more information on this and all of our Holy Week events.

Click here to learn more about Michael’s musical backstory.

Check out Michael’s website here.

Michael and Jen playing at Old First.