A message from the founder:
As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother ... I am he, the power and
goodness of fatherhood; I am he, the wisdom and loving kindness of motherhood; I am
he, the light and grace which is all blessed love; I am he, the Trinity.
Dame Julian of Norwich
The many faces of God - some of us find glimpses of God’s face in the printed word, others the painted word; some hear it in the perfect counterpoint of a Bach fugue and others feel it in the cadence of a liturgical procession. The 2008 Religious Arts Festival brings us together to seek God’s face in all of these ways through master classes, workshops, rehearsals, concerts and services that proclaim The many faces of God.
Leading us will be outstanding presenters who bring special gifts of insight, musical substance and energy in the areas of organ performance, choral training, lay reading, church drama, liturgical dance and art. Guest artist Stephen Hamilton will perform Marcel Dupré’s epoch Stations of the Cross on the C. B. Fisk, Opus 126 for our opening concert. I am pleased to announce that David Briggs, former Organist and Master of the Choristers at England’s Gloucester Cathedral, and one of the most popular RAF presenters of all time, will return to lead all choral sessions and play his brilliant extemporaneous organ accompaniment to Cecil B. DeMille’s classic silent film King of Kings. Actress Carol Anderson will present an innovative one woman play A Feather on the Breath of God: The remarkable life of Twelfth Century Christian Mystic Hildegard of Bingen, as well as lead sessions for lay readers and those interested in church drama. Leigh Sypawka will teach sessions on liturgical dance and visual artists Charles Chamberlain and Tony Breuer work with attendees on a liturgical art installation. We are fortunate that the Rev. Ann Bonner-Stewart will provide liturgical and spiritual leadership throughout the festival.
We’re listening to you! You keep asking for practical sessions in service playing and, to that end, we begin the festival on Thursday afternoon with two sessions on service music (Hamilton) and my own session, Mission Impossible: Console Conducting Techniques for the Ultimate Multi-Taskers. Finally, we continue our tradition of the RAF Hymntune Competition and will have a Festival Outreach Project as an outgrowth of our liturgy.
As always, there will be time to renew old friendships, make new ones and browse through music and art exhibits. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to renew a commitment to creativity and excellence in worship and the religious arts by joining us as we seek the many faces of God.
Sincerely,
Janette Fishell, D.Mus
Founder and Director, East Carolina Religious Arts Festival
