Sounds of the Swing Era will fill the hall on Saturday, Feb. 11, when the Ambassadors jazz band provides live music for a Valentine's Dance at United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The event, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in the church fellowship hall, also will feature pianists Renee McBride and Julie Mitchell, who will perform show tunes during the band's breaks. Chocolate dessert treats will be available.

Proceeds from the $10 admission fee will support the church music program.

The Ambassadors, a 17-piece authentic big band, specializes in ballads, jump tunes and Latin dance tunes by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman and others.

Larry Triplett, trombonist, conducts the ensemble, which includes five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, guitar, bass, drums and two vocalists.

Vocalists Shelly McVicker and Raleigh Mann, who also serves as the band's announcer, add their voices to some of the ballad favorites.

Organized in 2003, the Ambassadors play for dances and wedding receptions and perform concerts in North Carolina, mainly in the Triangle and Triad areas.

Renee McBride, pianist, by day is a librarian at UNC, where she supervises the music catalog and works closely with the music library and digital music collections.

Pianist Julie Mitchell, a self-employed communication expert, consultant and leadership coach, also offers "CoachWalks" to clients who wish to walk while being coached.

Next in the United Church concert series, organist Alexander Anderson will present a program titled "Passing Down Genius" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24.

He will trace the musical lineage of Buxtehude, Bach and Liszt and the way each drew inspiration from his forerunner.

Donations are requested for the church's music outreach program.

Duke Chapel dean to

lead Lenten Reflection

Dean Sam Wells of Duke Chapel in Durham and his wife, the Rev. Jo Bailey Wells, will lead a Lenten Reflection Day on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Church of the Holy Family on Hayes Road.

Sponsored by the churches of the Durham Convocation, the event is set from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Lenten Season in the church calendar begins on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

This is the season leading up to Easter during which Christians mark the Passion of Christ and are encouraged to spend quiet time in reflection and prayer.

The dean and his wife will lead participants in exploring four characters central to biblical narratives of the first Holy Week.

Their presentations will be based on Sam Wells' book "Power and Passion: Six Characters in Search of Resurrection."

The book was selected by the Archbishop of Canterbury as his "Lenten Book" for 2007.

Copies will be available for purchase. A vegetarian bag lunch is included as part the registration fee of $10.

Dean Wells, who has been at Duke Chapel for seven years, has been appointed Vicar of St. Martin's-in-the-Field in London and will leave the Triangle area this summer.

His wife, who is an associate professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Bible at Duke Divinity School and is the director of the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies, also will leave her post.

Copies of Wells' book will be available for purchase during the day.

A vegetarian bag lunch is included as part the registration fee of $10.

Register online with a credit card at lentenreflectionday. eventzilla.net .

Questions may be addressed to Gretchen Jordan at 919-929-2193.

Class explores

science, religion

A religion class at Duke University's Osher Life Long Learning Institute will join with hundreds of congregations from 10 countries to discuss the compatibility of religion and science during the sixth annual Evolution Weekend Feb. 10-12.

Sponsored by the Clergy Letter Project, Evolution Weekend is designed to recognize that religion and science, two fields of critical importance to humans, should be seen as complementary rather than confrontational.

"Religious people from many diverse faith traditions and locations around the world understand that evolution is quite simply sound science; and for them, it does not in any way threaten, demean or diminish their faith in God," said Dr. Mark Rutledge, instructor in religion at Duke and the United Church of Christ minister to students.

"In fact, for many, the wonders of science often enhance and deepen their awe and gratitude toward God."

The Duke class will discuss selections from the book "Thank God for Evolution" by Michael Dowd and an article by Mark Rutledge "Science, Religion and Evolution."

The Clergy Letters urge school board members to preserve the integrity of the science curriculum by affirming the teaching of the theory of evolution as a core component of human knowledge.

They ask that "science remain science and that religion remain religion, two very different, but complementary, forms of truth."

Organists guild

to present recital

The Durham-Chapel Hill Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is presenting its annual members' recital on Monday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Watts Street Baptist, 800 Watts St., Durham.

The theme in keeping with Black History Month is "Composers of Color." The program will showcase music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Ralph Simpson, Adolphus C. Hailstork and David Hurd.

Among area organists who will perform are Lyn Francisco, St. Joseph's Episcopal, Durham; Dr. Daniel Steinert, Christ United Methodist, Chapel Hill; Tom Bloom, Watts Street Baptist, Durham; Jacob Reed, student at East Chapel Hill High who studies with Van Quinn, organist at Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill; Brian Cash, St. Paul's Lutheran Durham; and Thomas A. Kraska, a member of the guild.

The recital is free and open to the public.

Christ UMC Requiem rehearsals begin

Rehearsals for John Rutter's Requiem at Christ United Methodist Church, 800 Market St. in Southern Village, will begin today, Feb. 8, at 7:10 p.m. Singers from the community are invited to participate.

The Requiem will be sung April 1 during the Palm Sunday worship services at 9:45 and 11 a.m.

During today's rehearsal, scores will be passed out and singers may take them home to work on their parts.

Much of the cantata is sung in English, some in Latin, and very much of it is tuneful and memorable, said Dr. Daniel Steinert, director of music at the church.