Armstrong Auditorium - News
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The lights are glowing. The fountains are cascading. The sparkling crystals are polished. The invitations have gone out, the guests have arrived, and the doors have swung wide. Armstrong Auditorium is open.

Armstrong Auditorium has opened.

After 4½ years of planning and construction, Armstrong Auditorium officially welcomed its first visitors the weekend of September 3-5. They came from across the United States and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and Australia. Most were dedicated members of the Philadelphia Church of God. On Sunday, September 5, hundreds of Oklahomans joined them in the theater for the auditorium’s inaugural concert.

The celebration began on Friday. In the morning, Armstrong College students, church members and PCG staff gathered for a forum delivered by Sir David Wynne. Wynne is the renowned British sculptor who created Swans in Flight, the five bronze birds seen lifting off from the 120-foot reflecting pond in front of the auditorium. Wynne spoke at length about his relationship with Herbert Armstrong. “He was a great friend of mine,” he began by saying. “I’m proud to say that I loved him, and I think he loved me.” Afterward, Oklahoma City news crews filmed the building and interviews with Mr. Wynne.

On Friday evening, the acoustics in the Armstrong Auditorium theater reverberated with the excited conversations of approximately 800 thrilled members who came to be part of the official dedication ceremony. The ceremony began with the baton stroke of the conductor and “Dedication Anthem and Fanfare,” composed for the occasion and played by a full professional orchestra. The orchestra also accompanied a choir of more than 150 members for “House of Prayer,” also composed by a PCG music staff member and for two selections from Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah oratorio. The main portion of the ceremony featured an address and dedicatory prayer by the pastor general of the Philadelphia Church of God, Gerald Flurry. Afterward, members fellowshipped for hours among the beautiful surrounds of the building.

Members also had the opportunity to converse the next day before and after church services, remarking on the building’s grain-matched, cherry paneling; Swarovski crystal chandeliers; Baccarat candelabra; caramel onyx; Emperador marble, and other materials and furnishings, in addition to the over 3,000 plants, shrubs and trees that beautify its grounds.

The official grand opening ceremony took place Sunday, beginning with a ceremony beneath the canopy. Over a thousand guests filled the travertine-paved grand mall, circulating around the Swans in Flight sculpture. The swans, which depict the five stages of a single swan taking flight, were the centerpiece of the occasion. Mr. Flurry greeted the crowd and introduced Sir David Wynne, who personally rededicated Swans in Flight to their new home.

Afterward, patrons entered the auditorium for Armstrong’s grand opening concert. The program was an unabridged performance of Elijah, performed by the Herbert W. Armstrong College Choral Union. The sold-out concert featured a full professional orchestra and noted soloists who told the story of Elijah—a fitting tribute to the auditorium’s namesake, Herbert W. Armstrong, who considered it one of his favorite pieces of music.

But the event was even more than just a tribute to Mr. Armstrong. The inauguration was a vibrant revival of his legacy: his teachings, his vision, and his service. And, above all, to paraphrase the inscription in the grand lobby, the day was an honor and a glory to the one to whom Armstrong Auditorium is dedicated: the great God.

 

TheTrumpet.com | Video Journal
http://thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=7463.6041.0.0

TheTrumpet.com | Column
http://thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=7456.6034.0.0

NewsOK.com | David Wynne
http://www.newsok.com/article/3492652

News9.com | Armstrong Auditorium
http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=13097687
http://www.news9.com/Global/category.asp?C=116601&clipId=5084926&autostart=true