Harold Greene

The Love Concert
Love is a musical journey that tells the testimony of worship leader, Harold Greene. It begins with Harold, as a young Baptist preacher’s kid, singing in the cherub choir as a small boy. At age 12 he heard “Carry On Wayward Son” by Christian songwriter and mega rock icon Kerry Livgren of Kansas (this rock anthem actually begins the show). The rock star’s testimony and musical talent impacted the young man, inspiring him to pursue music. After some years of searching and wandering, he heard “Amazing Grace” in his head, and as he began to sing it aloud, he was transformed. Revelation took on a
whole new meaning as the once wandering wayward son found the true meaning of God’s grace. The story then turns toward worship and ends with a tribute and testimony concerning his late sister who was severely handicapped from birth. Her loving spirit is portrayed in an inspiring song that speaks about God’s unconditional love. Love is a musical multimedia event that is designed to draw people from all walks of life into the local church, encourage and edify the Body, and lift high the name of Jesus. The music you will hear and pictures you will see take you through each phase of the journey, using original songs, both vocal and instrumental, written by your host, Harold Greene. The concert ends with
an invitation for those who want to reclaim their faith or accept Jesus as their Savior.

Harold Greene, a father and husband, is a career musician with a lifetime of experience in the church and over 30 years of playing/writing and directing music professionally. With a Masters of Music from Bowling Green State University, Bachelors degrees in Jazz Performance and Music Education from North Carolina Central University, and a certificate from Berklee College of music, Harold brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. His professional career as a teacher includes teaching college full time and part time in North Carolina and Ohio for ten years; teaching middle school chorus, beginning band, children and adult choirs; and teaching/directing numerous workshops, ensembles, and classes to students of all ages. As a performer he has opened for Marvin Sapp, Amy Grant, Israel Houghton, Kansas, Little Feat, The Neville Brothers, Bill Clinton, Halle Berry, Jeff Foxworthy, and many others. He has also been involved with many recording projects including his first solo project “Love,” released in 2015. He has directed music and consulted in many churches, ministering in services with thousands in attendance for over a decade. In 2013 he established GreeneHouse Ministries, which has served over 50 churches throughout the USA utilizing the talents of its staff and volunteers to inspire, lead, and consult through classes conferences and productions. Harold also served as conductor of the Peoria Pops Orchestra from (phone number hidden)7 and now resides in Jacksonville, NC where he serves as worship director at River of Life Church and teaches at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest.

/Users/haroldgreene/Desktop/love-concert-layout.pdf
Instrumentation:
Drumset, (8-10 mics)
Auxiliary Perc., (3 mics)
2 electric guitars (2 mics, or 2 D.I.'s if using MainStage/PODs etc)
Bass guitar (D.I., possible amp)
4 vocal mics (3 with boom stands)
2 Keyboards (2 chairs- one for piano; 2 stereo D.I.'s or one and a piano/w mic)
5 strings (risers, 5 chairs, at least 4 mics)
5 horns (5 chairs/stool, 5 mics, or one omni directional mic)

Media:
PowerPoint presentation

LOVE CONCERT SCRIPT

-Adam Penn set- 4 songs

-Last song of Adams Set


(While cherubs line up and band for Cherubs gets set)-
-Narrator- Around 1973, a 3 year old boy who sang in a cherub choir, angrily took his seat after the church pianist hit a wrong note in the interlude exclaiming (could be spoken by a cherub) "she messeded me up!" It appears that some people are born music directors.
Cherub choir was the start of this whole journey of pursuing God in music and worship, the journey we have gathered to explore together... It is a great honor and entirely appropriate tonight to welcome the littlest warriors in God's army to the platform... Ladies Gentlemen, parents, students, musicians and music enthusiasts, the future of worship ministry at Crossroads: the Cherub Choir.


Into Cherubs


(Cherubs finish)


-RAFFLE - Carmen


-(Intro Vid with interviews)


(After the intro video- while the A and E are still sounding on keys from the end of the vid song)



Narrator - Somewhere around 1981, an 11-year-old boy heard this next song on a classic rock station, and a course was set. Kerry Livgren, the composer of the song and member of the rock band Kansas, had turned to Jesus Christ in 1979. Kerry and his conversion had a powerful impact on the musical 11-year-old son of a Baptist preacher. From the moment he heard this song he became obsessed with guitar and rock music, and although rock guitar had not yet made its way into the church, he knew he would be a guitar man for God one day.


(Segue to Carry On)


(At the end of Carry on while the F chord rings)


Narrator - This powerful sound stuck with the young musician who was asked by a college classmate in 1988 (at 18 years of age) to compose a song in the style of Kansas, and this autobiographical piece was the result. It reveals the heart of a young man many miles from home and struggling to find his identity.


-Man Inside Me-


-(Quiet Keys or guitar underscore begin)


Harold- Let’s back track a little to my mid teens: after being in a band playing southern rock and country music, my friends and I decided that we would start, as far as I know, the only contemporary Christian band in Halifax County Va. We wrote songs and learned covers by Amy Grant.

(Begin Will You Be There)
Harold- This song originally recorded in 1985, truly captures the heart of my 15 year old self: lonely, misunderstood, and hoping to find love one day.
(Strings enter)


End of song- (Change instrument to acoustic or jazz guitar)


Narrator- In 1989, Harold met the girl of his dreams during Little Theater Production of Godspell. He asked his musician friends, who knew Lori, if he should ask her out- they gave a unanimous thumbs up. And after a cast party and many failed attempts to nail down a time, she finally said "yes"....


Harold- "But... The day we picked for our first date turned out to be Thanksgiving day, so we decided to have breakfast at Burger King for our first official date… And I knew then I had found the love of my
life. (Music starts)
This was the first song I wrote for Lori, a Bossa Nova named for the month that we met- Remember November.


-(Remember November)


Narrator- And all was well in Camelot- the wayward son, the lost and lonely boy had found his love... Or was it.
Actually, it was more like the one good decision that he made amongst a host of poor ones, the most tragic one of course was the growing drift in his relationship to Christ.
It didn't really happen all at once, and not necessarily even consciously, but it happened none the less; and the once fiery PK/Christian rock musician, was now far from God, spiritually dry, you could say he had wandered into a desert...

Harold- And despite having the job of my dreams- teaching and playing music, and the girl of my dreams having got married in 1993, I was increasingly unhappy; unfulfilled in my work and relationships, and without the connection to Jesus Christ, I descended down a dark and twisted road toward depression; hopelessness set in, and eventually desperation. And this next song was born out of the throws of sleep apnea and clinical depression, an utterance uttered in the wee hours of the morning in the car ride home after a gig, amidst talk of the vast expanses of space and wonders of the universe, "Fliberty Floo," a surprisingly upbeat song for such a wayward… and tired son!
2 3 4





-Fliberty-







Harold - Although I wrote the next one with Ben Ward in 2008, it describes well the hunger of my soul in the 90's. In my desperation, after a head on collision and some soul searching, I got my apnea treated and started reading scripture and other spiritual books with my new found energy. Deep down, perhaps without knowing it, what I really wanted was an encounter.



-Encounter-



Harold- And then it happened, right there (picture appears on screen) After seeking God, and being still maybe for the first time in my life; after listening for God and seeking him, after reading the new testament over and over again, one day this song just popped in my head, and I pulled over at this place in Timberlake NC; as I started to sing these words, out loud in the car by myself, God revealed to me the meaning of those words- and in that moment I was filled with his presence; I wept out loud for the first time in many years and I understood what God's grace was for the very first time- I thought of my own selfishness and how many people had faithfully loved me in the lowest points of my life... And those precious years of planting The word into my little heart in that cherub choir came into full bloom as I cried out the Lord, reclaiming the long dormant faith of my youth, and more importantly the intimate relationship with Jesus that my baron wasteland of a life so desperately needed.

-Amazing-

Harold- My encounters with God continued and I grew to love just being with Him in worship- and in a time when I needed affirmation that I was on the right path, God sent me a friend and guide Ben Ward who I wrote this song with.

-to Worship You-

Harold- The Lord continued to inspire me to write many songs- this one sums up how I felt then and still feel today

- I Want More of You-

Harold- The best decision I ever made, marrying the woman who has stuck with me through it all.
The night I proposed we listened to Chicago's greatest hits, so when I wrote this for our anniversary a few years back, I kept hearing it sung in my head by Peter Cetera with three horns- so tonight I dedicate this to the girl of my dreams, Lori this is for you.

- More Each Day

Harold- Why do I say “Love” all the time, and why did it become the name of the project? I think it is because at the end of it all, it is His love that saves us... His love is so full of mercy and grace, so pure, so free of condemnation; it is His love that changes us; that makes us want to change. Near the end of the recording process right after deciding to cut a couple songs, my sister Ann passed away. At that moment I had a strong sense that I would be writing a song, the surprise song on Love dedicated to the girl who understood more about love than most of us “normal” folk could ever imagine. Angela was our angel, severely handicapped from birth, she knew only purity and love. She was dependent upon us for everything, so she never developed the pride of life. In her sweet innocence and tender heart she taught me, and all of us who knew her, more about God's love than I think any of us realized at the time. In her death as in her life she is still teaching us all, not the least of which this wayward son, even more about LOVE...

-Angela

Harold- Maybe, like me, you struggle. Maybe your relationship with Jesus has grown cold; or maybe you just never have made the decision to give your life to Him. If you are lost tonight, if you are lonely, if you are weary and in need of care and healing, there is something you can do, there is someone who knows what you need and how to meet those needs. Tonight while we are here together, you can invite him into your life, you can recommit your life to him, you can accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, the healer of your soul, the forgiver of your sins. I believe that in heaven a celebration erupts every time a wayward soul returns home… Maybe right now is the time for you to become the cause for such a celebration. Let us pray.
Narrator (or Pastor)- pray