Arts Spiritoso

 Twenty-fourth Monday after Pentecost

In an earlier blog I wrote about my  desire for the Church to become a place for the arts, as it was in the High Middle Ages (1100-1600). I found that as the pastor of an active church I had a lot of leeway to start new things, especially if they didn't cost much. At First, N. Wilkesboro I decided to start an arts series, that would include both concerts and art shows. North Wilkesboro isn't exactly New York, London, or Paris, but I thought there would be enough interest in the church and in the town to make it go. There was and it did. 

We named the series Arts Spiritoso, Spiritoso being the Italian word for "with Spirit." The name was created by Sarah McKinney, my Youth Director at the time, and also a very good bassoon player. I contacted a few performers and groups I knew or knew of in the area and was able to line up some of them for performances. George and Norma Walter then came to our church as Organist and Minister of Education. Both were very musical. George had been the Director of the Music Department at UNC Pembroke. George and Norma knew a lot of people in the North Carolina classical music scene. We had a number of excellent performances of solo pianists and violinists, singers, string quartets, and other small chamber groups with whom they had contacts. We didn't charge for the concerts but took up an offering during intermission, which was enough for us to pay what we had contracted with the musicians. Many of the musicians came for free. 

We also had two or three art shows a year. The upper level of the church's atrium made an excellent space for hanging art shows. My favorite show was that of my father, who had made his living as an artist during the 1970's. He was a photographer for most of his career.

Our concerts and art shows drew reasonably good crowds. We would average about 110 people per concert. The largest crowd was for the Lake Junaluska Singers. They had quite a following, with peopler coming from considerable distances to hear them. The Church was completely packed, over six hundred people. 

We also had great receptions afterward in our atrium with superb catering by our UMW. 

 

My favorite concert was a solo performance by the internationally acclaimed violinist Nicolas Kitchen. George and Norma knew him. His sister, Julie, was a member of our church.  She had, I think it was, cerebral palsy. She could not speak or move, but she understood everything. Nicolas did the concert as a benefit for the facility where Julie lived.  

It was a magnificent concert, played on a 1727 Guarnari, on loan from the Smithsonian Intitute. Guarnari was one of the two greatest violin makers; Stradvariius, being the other. Nicolas was taking the violin the next week for a performance in Florence, Italy, where it had been made and in the church where it had first been performed. After our concert, Nicolas let me hold it. That was quite a thrill. 

Arts Spiritoso was a joy for me and a huge benefit of our church. For many members it was their first real introduction to classical music. For me, it was one of the very best things I accomplished for the church.

Faithfully,

Christion