Sightings and Soundings • September 2022

To Sing Once More W

elcome to the first ediBon of Centenary's new music and fine arts monthly magazine, Sigh-ngs and Soundings. As we emerge from the pandemic, as we seek beauty in a weary world, as we strain to heal all that has been broken and torn over these years of pain and pesBlence, the need to chronicle, celebrate, and culBvate the richness and vitality of Centenary's music and fine arts tradiBon has never been more urgent.

In these pages, you'll find glimpses of a program being reborn and reimagined. We've welcomed a new Organ Scholar and Music Ministry Assistant. AEer our inaugural summer music camp in August, we now embark on the second season of our

growing Children's Music & Arts Night. On September 7, we launch our new Art in the Atrium series and the grand opening of the Atrium Gallery with a presentaBon and installaBon by local painter Steve Childs. The Chancel Choir will soon unveil new robes made possible by the support our general operaBng budget and giEs given to the Sacred Music Fund and new folders made possible by a generous giE from Anne Morgan in memory of her mom and our dear alto Sue Morgan. Read on to learn about the Chancel Choir’s new hub for resources and communicaBons and other events slated for later in 2022.

The Chancel Choir opens our retreat weekend with an anthem whose text by Jonathan Cook captures the essence of the inflecBon point at which we find ourselves:

Awake our souls to sing once more the songs that long have silent been. From troubled nights and fearful days, our notes of praise and joy begin.

Arise, His children, rise again, your God and maker now adore. No longer silent, li@ your voice, awake your souls to sing once more.

In Bmes of turmoil, what choice do we have but to sing praise to God? In Bmes of trouble, where can we turn but to sacred beauty? Let us awaken to the ways God has masterfully woven music and fine arts into the fabric of our souls, that our expression of those giEs might draw us into deeper communion and more profound wholeness.

Let us recommit… To Sing Once More.

Jonathan Emmons Director of Music Ministries

PHOTO: “THE TRUMPET EN CHAMADE” BY DOUG PENINGER

Bells are Ringing!

Ge#ng to Know You . . .

Meet our two newest staff members, Josh Sobel, our Organ Scholar, and Virginia Sheffield, our Music Ministry Assistant!

Members of the Carillonneurs travelled to Nashville in August for the Interna8onal Handbell Symposium!

On August 1st, four members of the Carillonneurs plus three handbell ringing friends from Beck’s BapBst Church here in Winston-Salem joined over 350 ringers from around the world in Nashville, Tennessee for a week of ringing at the 20th InternaBonal Handbell Symposium. Held every two years, the symposium rotates among the eight member countries of the InternaBonal Handbell Commi_ee with the goal of promoBng world peace through the spirit of music.

We spent the week sharing six-hour-a-day rehearsals, concerts, workshops, and learning about other cultures with handbell ringers from Europe, Asia, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the U.S and Puerto Rico. Experiencing firsthand the universality of music and the exhilaraBon of ringing with so many talented musicians was unforge_able. (The final concert is on YouTube at 20th InternaBonal Handbell Symposium Closing Concert.)

Joshua Sobel is a rising third-year organ major at UNCSA. He has served previously as Music Intern at Augsburg Lutheran Church. Josh won the first prize and the hymn prize in the UNCSA High School Organ Compe B B on in 2020. He has special interests in improvisa B on, organ building technology, and recording engineering.

Virginia Sheffield is thrilled to return to Centenary! Originally from Pennsylvania, Virginia first came to Centenary as the Joshua Hudson Choral Scholar (2019-2021) while a fellow with the A.J. Fletcher Opera InsBtute at UNCSA. Virginia is a District Winner and Regional Encouragement Winner in the Metropolitan Opera Na B onal Council AudiBons. Her most recent credits include scenes from Donizep’s Anna Bolena and Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos as a 2022 Young ArBst at Pi_sburgh FesBval Opera. Virginia received her MM from the Eastman School of Music and her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University.

From le( to right: Camille Jones, Shannon Cra(, Anne Morgan, Ashley Perdue, Dawn Stafford, Susie Campbell, Judi Griffith (pictured

of the eight member countries of the InternaGonal Handbell CommiIee)

jemmons@centenary-ws.org (336) 724-6311 ext. 1339

June Stegall

Chancel Choir Assistant junestegall@gmail.com (336) 749-8812

Tenor Representa kerry_garre

CHANCEL CHOIR NOW ON

Stevesaxonnc@gmail.com (336) 970-0470

Follow these steps to access the Chancel Choir Group via the QR code: 1. Scan the code.

Enter your login creden

Your web page should open directly to the Chancel Choir Group!

Follow

Realm

Realm is Centenary’s new tool to help us connect! We will be using Realm throughout the year to register for events, post documents and www.centenary-ws.org). 2. Under the “Engage” Tab, click on “Set Up Account.” 3. Click Sign-in. 4. Enter your login credenBals. 5. In the leE hand menu, select “Groups.” 6. Under “Your Groups,” choose “Chancel Choir!”

login credenBals if needed.

in the bo_om righthand

“Chancel Choir!”

Jeff Maggs

Vice President

Holly Gilliam

Jonathan Emmons

Kerry Garre