Does it feel to you, as it does to me, that the Moravian Music Festival in Winston-Salem was a long, long time ago – and that it was just last week? I smile remembering all the music we enjoyed: chamber ensembles; trombone choir; the concert band and Chris Wormald’s sense of humor; the breathtaking beauty of the choir and orchestra in concert. Morning devotions. The joyful chatter at meals. Children running, singing, dancing. Lunchtime interest conversations. Concerts, concerts, and more concerts.
Ready to do it again? We’re not – quite. But we’re working on it! Excitement is building among our staff and leaders as plans are shaping up, two years out.
Do you have the dates on your calendar? Better yet, do you have them memorized? July 18-24, 2021, in Bethlehem, on the campus of Moravian College and Central Moravian Church.
What’s going on, this far in advance? Let me give you some hints.
Program Leadership. We have much of the musical leadership in place, including these:
John V. Sinclair, choral conductor Allen Frank, concert band conductor Rebecca Kleintop Lepore, Festival organist and rehearsal accompanist Donald Kemmerer, trombone choir conductor Jan Harke, handbell conductor Joni Roos, chamber music coordinator Myra Jones, children’s program coordinator Randy Gibbs, choral assistant
New to this Festival will be two additional morning ensemble opportunities – Worship Ensemble, to include anyone with any instrument who wants to learn more about playing and leading worship; and Steel Drum Ensemble, to explore and enjoy the wonderful steel drum tradition. Leaders for these two morning activities haven’t yet been put in place.
Nuts and Bolts. Hank Naisby is chairing the local arrangements team, which includes such logistics as facilities, publicity, coordination of the children’s program, workshop topics and locations and leaders, hospitality, airport transportation, tours, and so on, and so on. The committee is already meeting, setting work schedules, making plans, getting the right people on board, reviewing costs, and so on, and so on…
MMF Office Work. Erik Salzwedel and Sarah Durham in the Winston-Salem office are already hard at work on the in-house details – online registration plans, income and expense accounting, publicity plans (with publicity chair Bryan Hay). Nola and Gwyn are looking at the layout and appearance of the registration form itself – how to include all the necessary information and still have it be eye-catching and appealing?
And your part … Everyone has a to-do list, and here’s yours:
- Put the dates on your calendar.
- Put the dates on your congregation’s calendar. (Don’t schedule a choir trip or mission trip or vacation Bible school that week, please! Remember there will be all sorts of wonderful activities for children and youth!)
- Ask your church to start putting money aside to send your music director, organist, band director, brass choir, handbell director, children’s choir director, etc., to the Festival on at least a partial scholarship. The experience will energize their ministry within and beyond the congregation!
- Make sure you receive the registration information (scheduled to mail fall 2020), and if you need extra copies to pass along to friends, just ask! (And remember – it’s not only for Moravians!)
See you at the Festival … just two years from now …
The Moravian Music Foundation preserves, shares, and celebrates Moravian musical culture.
Next time: GemeinKat Progress Report!
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