UMC choir director is Grammy nominee

The Sparta United Methodist Church's choir director and organist, Ian Good, was nominated for a Grammy Award this year, and attended the award show on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.

Good was nominated for the award for Best Engineering in the Classical category along with fellow engineers Bob Hanlon and Lawrence Rock for "Wolfe: Fire in My Mouth." It was conducted by Jaap Van Zweden and performed by the New York Philharmonic, and The Crossing was conducted by Donald Nally and the Young People's Chorus of NYC conducted by Francisco Nunez.

The 2020 Best Engineering Classical Award was given to engineer Leslie Ann Jones and master engineer Robert C. Ludwig for Riley: Sun Rings, performed by the Kronos Quartet.

Julia Wolfe's "Fire in My Mouth" was co-commissioned and premiered by the New York Philharmonic. The work commemorates the lives of 146 immigrant workers who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. The work's title comes from the writings of Clara Lemlich who sparked a labor movement before perishing in the fire. Wolfe's "Fire in My Mouth" was also nominated for Best Classical Composition. The recording can be purchased and streamed on all major music services on the Decca Gold label.