European Choir Tour

The call went out two years ago.  The Moravian Music Foundation (MMF) was planning a choir tour to Prague, Herrnhut, and other Moravian locations in central Europe, and singers were wanted.  My decision to register for the tour was, as the youth term it, a “no-brainer.”  The opportunity to sing in historic churches in locations central to our Moravian heritage was not to be missed.

Gradually the planned tour took shape and substance.  The dates were set for July 9 through July 19, 2010.  Dr. John Sinclair, the immensely talented conductor of our Moravian Music Festivals, had agreed to direct the tour choir.  There would be places for up to sixty singers, and an instrumental ensemble would travel with us to provide accompaniment.  Singers who had already made the commitment to participate were encouraged to attend the 2009 Moravian Music Festival in Charlotte, North Carolina, in order to learn some of the anthems to be included in the tour repertoire.  The Festival also proved to be a good recruitment tool for additional participants.

Looking for the Second Coming - Part One

One of the foundational beliefs of the Christian church is that Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate during this Christmas season, will return to earth at some future time.  The Apostles’ Creed, which derives from early baptismal confessions, states this belief succinctly: “He [that is, Jesus] will come again to judge the living and the dead.”  The Nicene Creed, dating from 325 C.E., elaborates this statement: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.”