Music & Fine Arts

2022 saw the continuing return to “normalcy” in Music and Fine Arts programming. The year began with the exciting opening of the BMPC Gallery. Artist Michael Bartmann’s "Dimensions Discovered" exhibit was specially chosen for the opening of the newly-renovated gallery space. The gallery quickly drew the attention of the public, and we were approached by many area artists who wanted to exhibit their works at BMPC.

After the successful launch of Mr. Bartmann’s show, environmentalist/ activist Diane Burko offered a breathtaking show entitled “Our Endangered Earth.” The gallery season continued with a celebration of two church members’ creative work: Nena Bryans, sculpture, and Gerry Tuten, painter. The fall opened with Bill Kemmerer’s stunning photographic celebration of the Sanctuary Choir’s successful tour to the Middle East and a member’s art show that celebrated the gifts of more than a dozen church members (including two of our pastors!). The gallery has proven to be an immense blessing to both the church and community.

Musically, this was a productive year as well! The Sanctuary Choir observed Good Friday with a performance of “Nou Goth Sonne Under Wode.” This astonishing work for choir, actor, soloists and orchestra was composed by Canadian composer Allan Bevan and is a four-movement meditation on the Crucifixion. Easter Sunday saw the world premiere of a new Easter anthem by celebrated composer David Conte.

Post-Easter, the Sanctuary Choir moved into full gear with preparations for its tour to the Middle East. That tour, originally scheduled for summer 2020, then rescheduled for summer 2021 and finally rescheduled for summer 2022, was much anticipated! Fortyfive travelers from the church and community traveled through Israel and Jordan, singing to audiences drawn mostly from Palestinian communities. For every traveler, this was a mountaintop experience and especially poignant, given the tragic unrest we are now seeing in that part of the world.

The first appearance by Notre Dame Cathedral organist Vincent Dubois was a memorable performance that kicked off the fall season. An enormous audience contributed generously toward a fund established to help with the restoration of that great cathedral, which suffered a catastrophic fire in April 2019. Other fall events included a presentation of Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” on All-Saints Day and a “Messiah” Sing-in, co-presented with Singing City Choir in December.

It was a great year, one filled with more hope and optimism than we have seen in several years. It was a year that reinforced the reality that BMPC is a blessed and holy place, filled with wonderful people and a vision for what it means to live in community and with purpose.