a note from Orion I have seen and played with Saxaphonist Archbishop Franzo Wayne King at Anti foreclosue Demonstrations sponsered by ACCE Alliancae of Californians for Community Empowerment He is a true fighter for the people
This December will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the recording A Love Supreme, the John Coltrane album which many consider to be his seminal work. In celebration of this momentous occasion, the Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church will celebrate A Love Supreme Mass on December 8 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.
The Mass is the high point of a global festival from December 5th to the 9th, in which communities throughout the world will be listening to and playing the music of John Coltrane. In his words “…the whole globe is community.”
In 1965 Archbishop Franzo Wayne King and Reverend Mother Marina King witnessed John Coltrane performing at the San Francisco Jazz Workshop. The experience, which they described as a “sound baptism”, leads them to found the church in 1969. The music and the testimony of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme recording was the corner stone of its founding. In 1982 the congregation joined the African Orthodox Church, which subsequently recognized the canonization of John Coltrane as St. John Will I Am Coltrane.
The Coltrane Church has become an important cultural and spiritual landmark in the city. The congregation has grown beyond the confines of San Francisco to include the whole globe. Every Sunday, the congregation includes members and visitors from throughout the world. All are encouraged to participate in the sound praise, and musicians, including saxophonists, singers, pianists, tap dancers, and drummers join in the “Coltrane Liturgy” led by Archbishop King, Pastor Wanika Stephens, the Ministers of Sound and the Sisters of Compassion.
There is a special significance to the “Coltrane Church” bringing the A Love Supreme Mass to Grace Cathedral. The present Cathedral was consecrated in November 1964 and in September 1965 Duke Ellington premiered his famous Sacred Concert at Grace Cathedral as part of its yearlong opening celebration.
Event: A Love Supreme Mass
Celebrant: Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church
Date: December 8, 2014. Doors open at 6pm. Mass begins at 7pm
Location: Grace Cathedral. 1100 California St, San Francisco
Free to the public, all invited
Saint John Coltrane AOC Presents
Grace Cathedral Vesper Service
Monday December 8, 2014
Door Open at 6pm
Service Starts at 7pm