2011 Events

Touring internationally since 1994, the Watoto is a response to the cry of the orphaned and vulnerable children of Africa, whose lives have been ravaged by war and disease. Their choir has brought a message of hope to many parts of the world.

“The Witches of Lublin” is an audio drama by Ellen Kushner, Elizabeth Schwartz, and Yale Strom, directed and produced by Sue Zizza. The work was originally commissioned by the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music in 2007, through a generous donation from Arthur and Marilyn Feinberg.

Our annual “Sound & Spirit” event featured young performers from the area representing diverse faiths, introduced by Robert Graham Small. Performers included the Muslim Youth Choir; Sikh Temple Youth Musicians; Western Michigan University student and organist Evan Snyder; WMU student Chelsea Morgan, soprano; and Kalamazoo cellist Cullen O’Neil with pianist Rebecca Luppe (pictured).

Celebrating the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music’s 10th anniversary, performers included Alfrelynn Roberts, Bell Book and Canto, the Muslim Youth Choir, and Elizabeth Start. Food was provided by Saffron, Shawarma King, and Zooroona.

Prior to performing the following evening, violinst Aenea M. Keyes spoke on how her musical meditation Life Circle is an expression of thanksgiving for her survival with cancer.

MusicAEterna – Aenea M. Keyes, violin; Michael Graham, cello (replaced by Elizabeth Start for this concert); Miles Graber, piano – merged spiritual traditions with world philosophies in their performance at First Baptist Church.

Le Bon Vent is a collection of musicians exploring Arabic influences in French music dating back to the Arabic occupation of the Iberian peninsula in the Middle Ages. This presentation was supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions […]

Award-winning songwriter and itinerant peace activist David LaMotte (pictured) joined multi-instrumentalist Elden Kelly for an evening performance at First Presbyterian Church.

The critically-acclaimed vocal chamber ensemble returned to Kalamazoo for our 2011 Festival, presenting a new work based on Tibetan music and folklore. This presentation was supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Michigan Council for Arts […]

A performer of Kurdish sacred music, Ali Akbar Moradi is Iran’s greatest living master of the tanbur – an ancient lute traditionally used in religious ceremonies.

Yale Strom presented a lecture and performance about his research in Jewish music, covering his new string quartet in particular.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra’s Burdick-Thorne String Quartet performed a new work by Yale Strom, based on music he discovered in an abandoned synagogue in Eastern Europe.

In collaboration with Zooroona Restaurant and Iraqi Health Now, a dinner was held to benefit children and families in Iraq, along with a special performance by Iraqi oud master Rahim AlHaj.

Western Michigan University’s Birds on a Wire premiered a new work commissioned by the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music from WMU Music School director David Colson. Also on the program was Avo Part’s Spiegel im Spiegel and solo cello works by Katia Tiutiunnik and Margarita Zelenaia performed by Elizabeth Start.

Iraqi oud master Rahim AlHaj performed a solo recital at First Congregational United Church of Christ.

In collaboration with Western Michigan University’s Bullock Performance Institute, Kalamazoo-native Edith Hines (violin) joined John Chappell Stowe (organ/harpsichord) in performing Biber’s Mystery Sonatas, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #5 and more.

In collaboration with Western Michigan University, Edith Hines joined John Chappell Stowe and the university’s Collegium Musicum on a program including vocal and choral works, and the premiere of a new work for viol consort by Elizabeth Start.

A sacred flute program was presented by this master shakuhachi performer and teacher based out of Wyoming.

Kalamazoo-native Rohan Krishnamurthy (mridangam South Indian drum) performed with South Indian vina and vocalist Ravikiran.

Co-sponsored by the Southwest Michigan Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, composer Richard Webster held two choir workshops: a morning choral workshop and a second rehearsal/workshop for treble voices from area children’s choirs.

David LaMotte gave the 2011 Briner Lecture, entitled “Sacred Profanity”, examining the current state of the religious and secular music industries, and some of the social, economic and theological implications of our cultural choices regarding how we categorize music.

Michael “Chikuzen” Gould (shakuhachi) and Juan Cruz (Native American flute) presented a program in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Public Library.

Composer/organist Richard Webster joined a brass ensemble and members of area children’s choirs for a free-will donation event benefitting local charities.

Vocalist and pianist Deanna Witkowski performed originals and the music of Mary Lou Williams with her trio at the Union.

In this workshop, musician and activist David LaMotte gave a sermon raising questions about what it looks like to be faithful in a broken world, questioning some common assumptions about activism and change.

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