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Three-day Music Festival & Symposium (August 9, 2009) Our church
seats around 175 people – 200 if you get really friendly with your
neighbor. But on the weekend of August 7, 8 & 9, we saw nearly 550
people attend our three-day Sacred Music Festival and Symposium. It was
a magnificent accomplishment, in large part due to the dedicated
enthusiasm of Mark Thallander and the members of his board along with leaders
from Fuller Theological Seminary. They worked tirelessly to organize and
execute this musical ‘trinity’ - add to that mix our own Concert
Fund/Music and Hospitality committees and our indefatigable Music
Director Beryl Samia and you have the formula for success.
Looking at our Rodgers Trillium digital organ which is augmented with two ranks of pipes, he observed that as long as an instrument could make music, it should be respected and he would play it. He did, in fact, make marvelous music and the large audience adored his artistry and personal charm. Above is his encore that delighted the audience.
August 8th – The Sacred Music Symposium was held under the auspices of the Fred Bock Institute of Music which resides at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. This was a workshop for organists, choir members and directors, designed to encourage them to maximize the worship of God through their music. Some 21 churches from New England (Florida and Texas as well) heard from the institute’s executive director, Ed Willmington. Ed's thoughtful exploration of the fundamentals of worship and how music should be used to enhanced that experience, captivated the attendees. Our choir participated as Dr. Willmington's 'lab choir'. He was joined by Academic Director Clayton Schmit of the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology & the Arts at Fuller and church music publisher Lois Bock. The attendees received continuing education credits from Fuller Seminary as a result of the all-day symposium. They shared break-out sessions with Ed, Fred Swann and conductor Eric Dale Knapp. What a boost for church musicians who seldom cross denominational lines to engage academics, seasoned concert professionals and each other in such uplifting dialogue.
Sunday, August 9th – The Southern Maine Choral Festival was presented by the Mark Thallander Foundation and featured conductor Eric Dale Knapp. We were honored that Eric had placed Cape Porpoise on his international tour arriving directly from Vienna, Austria, where he was Artistic Director of the International Haydn Festival. This was the second time that our church had hosted the festival. Our 55-voice chorus (our church usually has a choir of 18) represented some six churches in the region and the appreciative audience filled both the sanctuary and an over-flow room that was served by a high-quality video feed. We were concerned about the efficacy of that room, but the quality of the picture and stereo sound placed the viewer in a virtual front row seat – “It was like watching the Super Bowl on television instead of seeing it in person from the upper deck through binoculars. It was a good solution.” The members of the chorus had practiced the music at their own churches for several weeks prior to the concert and rehearsed as a complete group on the afternoon of the concert. It is a tribute to Eric’s conducting style that he could meld their voices into a professional sounding chorus in so short a time. “He lets you know what he wants,” said one member of the chorus, “and we don’t want to disappoint him.” One of the pieces performed. “Praise the Rock!”, was dedicated to the festival by its composer, Ed Willmington. Mark, as always, amazed those present with his energetic organ pyrotechnics! The growth of the audience over the previous year, from 175 to 255, illustrates the old adage: “If you build it, they will come.” Thanks to our friends at the Mark Thallander Foundation, the musical structure that has been assembled around this festival is now reaping the benefits of an every-increasing audience. Thanks be to God!
The Church on the Cape |
