David Summer Live Performance Recordings

These are some sound clips from recordings that David has made at some of his performances. These sample recordings come from special church services throughout Massachusetts at which David was performing on the trumpet and flute. The recordings themselves were all made during the church services using the Zoom H2 portable location audio recording device.

St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Framingham, MA

Behold the Lamb of God This is a beautiful Communion hymn by composer Bob Dufford. As with much of the music David plays in his church performances, he derived a flute part from the keyboard part.

Holy, Holy, Holy This Holy, Holy, Holy is from the Missa Pacem, by L. Randolph Babin.

Amen from The Mass of Creation Marty Haugen’s The Mass of Creation is one of the most popular mass settings in the Catholic Church, particularly the Eucharistic Acclamations. There are brass parts available for The Mass of Creation and in this sound clip David is playing the first trumpet part.

Jesus Christ Is Risen Today This is a traditional hymn sung in celebration of Easter. The trumpet is somewhat overshadowing the choir in this recording because the Zoom H2 recorder was right beside the trumpet.

Melodic Gloria This Gloria, by James Chepponis, features parts for brass quartet and timpani. David has been playing the “Melodic Gloria” each Thanksgiving, for over 25 years at St. Bridget’s Church in Framingham, MA. This excerpt is from the end of the piece, with David playing the trumpet one part from the included brass parts.

One Spirit, One Church This beautiful piece, by Kevin Keil, is sung during the Offertory. Playing the included brass part requires a very light touch on the trumpet. This is another piece David plays each Thanksgiving at St. Bridget’s.

Celtic Alleluia This popular Alleluia includes a simple, but effective, trumpet part by Christopher Walker.

Calvary United Methodist Church in Arlington, MA

O Lord, Hear My Prayer This is a Taizé style hymn. These are simple choral pieces that are intended to be repeated to achieve a contemplative and meditative frame of mind. David was using his background as a jazz performer to improvise a flute part on the spot for this piece from the chord changes.

Joyful Joyful by Beethoven This hymn is, of course, from the Symphony Number 9 in D minor, by Ludwig van Beethoven. It’s a popular closing hymn and is also popular as a wedding recessional or as a joyful postlude to a service.

In the Lord I’ll Be Ever Thankful This is a short excerpt from the performance of another Taizé style hymn. This time David is improvising a part on the trumpet. A violinist, who is a member of the congregation at Calvary Church, is joining in. These Taizé style hymns have a wonderful, peaceful quality well suited to the middle of a church service.

St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Lincoln, MA

All Glory Laud and Honor This is a traditional hymn, often sung on Palm Sunday. Again, the trumpet somewhat overshadows the choir in this live recording because the Zoom H2 recorder was right beside the trumpet.

The Cherry Tree Carol This traditional Advent carol is about a stop at a cherry orchard made by Mary and Joseph while on their way to Bethlehem.

Noel des bergers The title of this simple, yet elegant Advent piece translates to “The Shepherds’ Christmas”. It features an especially interesting organ part.

Come, Thou Redeemer of the Earth This Advent carol was adapted by the German composer and organist Michael Praetorius. David composed the flute descant for verses six and seven, which are heard in this sound clip. These verses were performed without the organ, just flute and choir, a challenge for any church choir.

The Hartford St Presbyterian Church in Natick, MA

Joy in Judea This joyful vocal selection, by Ruth Elaine Schram and David Davenport, is a bright and festive Christmas Anthem. Here again, David is deriving a flute part, improvising on the spot, from the keyboard music.

Oh Come All Ye Faithful This traditional Christmas hymn is also known by its Latin name, “Adeste Fideles”. The tune was probably written in 1743 by English hymnist John Francis Wade.

Hurry, Shepherds, Run This jazzy hymn, by Charlotte Lee and Douglas E. Wagner, is another happy Christmas tune. This time, David is using a bucket mute on the trumpet and again deriving a trumpet part from the keyboard music. A bucket mute is used often in jazz and big band playing, by trumpet, trombone and other brass players. The bucket mute slightly muffles the sound of the brass instrument.

The Congregational Church of Littleton UCC in Littleton, MA

Every Time I Feel the Spirit This is a gospel (or spiritual) tune from before the Civil War. David employed a “call and response” kind of accompaniment on the trumpet in the chorus of the tune, with the congregation clapping along.

Let Us Break Bread Together This is another spiritual that may date back to the eighteenth century. Stanzas have been added through the years. A trumpet descant on the quieter hymn like this one requires a light touch. Again the mix is not ideal, since the Zoom recorder was right near the trumpet.

Joy To The World Another happy sounding Christmas favorite. For this hymn, David uses a more complex descant that he originally wrote for his own instrumental recording of the Joy To The World.

The Community Church Unitarian Universalist of Pepperell, MA

Into Glory, Rejoice, Rejoice (Awake Awake and Greet) This is from a simple, but beautiful Advent hymn by contemporary composer Marty Haugen.

If you listen to these live church location recordings, obviously the blend between the performers is not up to the same standards as can be achieved in a recording studio. Also, as demonstrated on the About Location Recording page, the microphones are not of the same quality as those you’d find in well equipped home recording studio. However, if you’re a performing musician, you may find recordings of your own made with a portable recording device, like the Zoom H2, useful and enjoyable to have.

David has composed several instrumental hymn descants that he often uses in performance, especially as an engaging trumpet postlude to a service. Hear a sampling of these original hymn descants, for trumpet or flute with organ, recorded and performed by David.

David Summer plays the Trumpet and Flute for church services throughout Massachusetts, as well as in southern New Hampshire and northern Rhode Island. David brings over 30 years of professional performance experience to each special music service he performs at. Not only at Christmas and Easter seasons, but for services throughout the year, including Confirmation and First Communion ceremonies, church anniversaries, pastor installations and many other special occasions. Often a church will have David return to perform, not to mark a special occasion, but simply as a beautiful addition to the music.

If you’re a Central New England church music director or pastor, Contact David today for information on having him perform on the Flute and Trumpet for one or more of your upcoming church services.