Coming To A Neighborhood Near You!

Why would a chorus like One Voice program a concert of sacred music, when many in our community have been excluded from, and wounded by, faith communities? In spite of this history we, GLBT people and allies, are a spiritual people. Our January concerts, Reclaiming Faith: In the Spirit of Justice, utilize music and story telling to confront religious discrimination and homophobia, and to celebrate faith communities where the welcome of queer individuals is active and vibrant.

Our January 20-21, 27-28 concerts weave music from spiritual communities around the world with storytellers and choirs from four metro-area faith communities. In designing this concert we wanted to connect directly to churches and temples with a strong commitment to GLBT individuals. Over two weekends, our concerts will travel to Mayflower UCC (south Minneapolis), Temple Israel (Minneapolis), Spirit of Hope Methodist (Golden Valley) and Saint Paul's UCC (Saint Paul).

Reclaiming Faith includes two stunning sacred choral works by Anton Bruckner and Russian composer, Alexander Kopylov. A contemporary setting of Hiney Mah Tov by Jewish composer Iris Levine is featured as well as a Hebrew chant by Linda Hirschhorn. The feminine divine is celebrated in ancient texts by Julian of Norwich and in a chant to one of the many deities honored by the Yoruba of West Africa. But one of the most alluring pieces on the program is the percussive soundscape, Watane. This piece, inspired by Iroquois melodies, was programmed in recognition of the Two-Spirit role in Native American cultures. Of course, this would not be a One Voice concert without a good dose of hope and humor including Pete Seeger's Gimme that Old Time Religion and Eric Lane Barnes's The Fundamental.

The concert series highlights The Shower of Stoles, a collection of over 1,000 liturgical stoles from GLBT individuals from twenty-six denominations in six countries. Each stole contains the story of a GLBT person who is active in the leadership of their faith community, as well as stories of those who have been excluded from service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The display will be installed in each of the four host communities two weeks prior to the concert to stimulate interest and conversation on the subject of spirituality and GLBT culture.

This concert is about celebration and empowerment. It is about claiming our place in a culture where church and state have taken each other hostage. Heat up your January and join us for Reclaiming Faith: In the Spirit of Justice!

Greetings from our Hosts for Reclaiming Faith

Mayflower UCC - Reverend Anita Bradshaw
Mayflower has long had a deep commitment to social justice including 14 years as an Open and Affirming congregation. Another strong commitment is our passion for the arts and particularly for music. We are delighted to collaborate with One Voice for this concert!

Temple Israel - Rabbi Jared Saks
I am thrilled that One Voice is performing at Temple Israel. The verse inscribed on the front of our synagogue, "My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:7), conveys our commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive community. Music belongs to all of us and brings us together.

Spirit of Hope Methodist - Jerry Rubino, Director of Music
We recently joined the Reconciling Congregation movement and for us reconciling means action! We are very excited to host One Voice in Golden Valley, and music is a significant part of our ministry. The passion and conviction of music that moves people is what both of our organizations are all about.

Saint Paul UCC - hosted by the Institute for Welcoming Resources
I am delighted that IWR is partnering with One Voice to display the Shower of Stoles in all four concert venues and to host the final Reclaiming Faith concert. The music and stories in this concert offer a powerful sense of hope for the mission of both our organizations.

By www.ovmc.org