Music, icons, contemplation

A series on icons and music offered in Lent

‘Music, Icons and the Contemplative Life’ adapted from Virginia Seminary course

How can we learn to “be still and know that I am God?” (Psalm 46:10) This class, originally taught at Virginia Theological Seminary by the Rev. William Bradley Roberts, emeritus professor of church music, explores entering the contemplative life through the windows of chant and iconography. The class will gaze upon icons, listen to and sing chants, and explore the beauty of silence. The two primary reading sources will be Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird—a frequent St. Stephen’s guest speaker and teacher—and Praying with Icons by the late Henri Nouwen. The course will conclude on the Wednesday of Holy Week with a contemplative worship service called Tenebrae.

The course will take place on Wednesdays in Lent, March 9 through April 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Palmer Hall.

The Tenebrae service will take place April 13 at 7 p.m. in the church, and will be open to all, regardless of whether you have taken the class.

THINGS TO KNOW

• Attendance at all sessions, proof of full vaccination, and masking required • We will use light incense during the class • Registration will be capped at 25 participants; a waiting list will be available; go to ststephensRVA.org/music-icons • Class members will purchase their own books

OUR TEACHER

The Rev. William Bradley Roberts, D.M.A., is Emeritus Professor of Church Music at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. Prior to going to the seminary he was Director of Music at St. John’s, Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. He has held similar positions in Tucson, Newport Beach, California, Louisville, and Houston. While in California Roberts sang with the Bill Roberts Los Angeles Master Chorale, a professional ensemble resident at the L.A. Music Center. He is a composer of choral and liturgical music, published by Augsburg-Fortress, Church Publishing, Hope, MorningStar, Paraclete, Selah, and St. James Music Press. He is author of the book Music and Vital Congregations. A

Penny Nash

recording of his choral music is published by Gothic Records in a series from the Washington National Cathedral. Active in the work of the Episcopal Church, Roberts has served as chair of the Standing Commission on Church Music, the Leadership Program for Musicians, and Alice Parker’s Melodious Accord. Roberts has done sabbaticals at Solesmes and Taizé in France with composer Alice Parker, and in England, Scotland, and Argentina. He is a frequent presenter at workshops and conferences and has conducted numerous major works with chorus and orchestra. Roberts is a priest of the Episcopal Church. He and his husband are members of St. Paul’s in Richmond and regularly attend the Celtic service at St. Stephen’s.

BOOKS

We encourage you to support independent and local booksellers who can order books for you if they do not already carry the titles you want. Online sources that not only ship books but also support local bookshops are IndieBound.org and Bookshop.org. The Bookshop @ St. Stephen’s has a small number of copies of Into the Silent Land.