2009 Events

Finding the humor and humanity in biblical stories, Ted Swartz (pictured) and Jeff Raught weaved monologue, songs, and sketches into an entertaining look at the way God interacts with God’s people, from Genesis to Revelation. Fifty people from Ministry with Community attended this event free of charge.

A benefit concert for area shelters and food banks featured Lamont McCoy (pictured), Detroit-area gospel singer Kevin P. Myles, and Kalamazoo gospel singers, kicking off the 2009 Festival.

A Tibetan folk and freedom singer/songwriter presented a contemporary performance of original and traditional music.

Grammy® award-winning Sweet Honey in the Rock is an a capella sextet of African-American women who bring the message of the southern black church, the civil rights movement and the conscience of justice through musical expression. The NAEA GospelFest Choir opened the show.

Rohan Krishnamurthy (mridangam drum, pictured) performed South Indian Carnatic music with saxophonist Prasant Radhakrishnan at Kalamazoo College.

Presented in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Russian Festival, Chicago-based Golosá performed sacred and secular Russian folk songs in a mixed-voice a capella ensemble.

Chicago’s CUBE Contemporary Chamber Ensemble explored music from around the world and performed new works by esteemed Illinois artists and composers. The concert included the premiere of a new work by Kalamazoo composer Elizabeth Start.

Singer/songwriter Bob Rowe presented a program of original, traditional, and contemporary sacred and liturgical music from his recordings. He was accompanied by Rendal Wall.

David Briggs has built a reputation as an exciting performer and communicator, with particular emphases on orchestral transcriptions and the art of improvisation. True to his reputation, David was involved with eight events at the 2009 Festival of Sacred Music. His first event was a clinic with the Grand Rapids American Guild of Organists.

The Afro-Semitic Experience is a cross-cultural band delivering a positive and meaningful musical message in jazz about Black-Jewish relations. The concert featured a premiere of a new work commissioned by Chamber Music America.

As part of his 2009 Festival schedule, a free concert featuring David Briggs and singers from area high school honor choirs was held at First Baptist Church.

The classic 1925 was screened at First United Methodist Church with organ improvisation by David Briggs.

The concert version of Live from Jacob’s Ladder – a music theater comedy drama about the power of forgiveness – is based on the Genesis account of twins Jacob and Esau, and their paths of deception, estrangement, and reconciliation. The performance starred Ted Swartz and Ken Medema.

Yale Strom presented a lunchtime lecture at The Park Club on the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra’s “Sacred Seasons” program held later that evening.

Yale Strom’s documentary film was a musical and photographic celebration of the opening of the Eldridge Street Museum and the re-opening of the Eldridge Street Synagogue on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2007. More than 100 Klezmer musicians participated in the celebration.

This Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra program – sponsored in part by the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music – included Four Seasons by Vivaldi, and works by Bloch and Prokofiev on Jewish themes.

David Briggs gave the 2009 Briner Lecture on transcription and improvisation, supplementing his talk with select pieces on organ.

Continuing his 2009 Festival schedule, David Briggs conducted a Master Class with the Southwest Michigan Chapter of the American Guild of Organists at First United Methodist Church.

Sponsored in part by the Kalamazoo Public Library, the Southern Straight Singers presented Native American Pow Wow music and dance representing sacred and social traditions of the Three Fires Tribes, known as the Bode’wadmi, Ojibwe & Odawa (Potawatomi, Ottawa and Chippewa).

David Briggs conducted a Master Class with a community choir prior to their performance at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church later in the evening.

David Briggs and a community choir provided the music for an evening service at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

Yale Strom was joined by his band Hot Pstromi in a Klezmer concert at Congregation of Moses. This performance was sponsored by Arts Midwest.

Common Chords was created by Queens College’s “Bridging the Divide” program, which fosters dialogue and cooperation between Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians. Common Chords promotes global peace and interethnic understanding the best way we know how: through music and activism. Prior to the performance later in the evening, the musicians from Common Chords held a […]

Concluding his 2009 Festival schedule, David Briggs was joined by soprano Susan B. Anthony and trumpeter Scott Thornburg in premiering his new work for organ, trumpet, and soprano, commissioned by the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music. Text written by Kalamazoo poet Conrad Hilberry. This performance was sponsored by Arts Midwest.

Featuring renowned Pakistani musician Salman Ahmad, virtuoso tabla player Samir Chatterjee, Yale Strom, and members of his band Hot Pstromi, this concert celebrated the common roots of Muslim and Jewish music. This performance was sponsored by Arts Midwest.

A community tradition since 1995, the annual Messiah Sing was held in the historic First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Kalamazoo.