Words of Welcome from SIO Chair
Isaí Jess Muñoz
Welcome to the summer 2021 edition of the Sacred in Opera Newsletter. Although the primary mission of our newsletter rests in disseminating new works and resources, I often think of how our initiative can take things a bit further, serving as an ensign of hope and encouragement whenever possible. It's never too difficult for the seeker to find inspiration within the eclectic body of sacred topics in music drama. Performance practice of this canon, offering us a feast focused on ways the human spirit interplays with the divine, is ever-expanding in its understanding and handling of source material and its shaping of projected stories.
It’s impossible to account for all the difficulties and hardships that communities worldwide have faced in the last eighteen months. Growing death tolls are still ravaging countries, and the many cycles of mourning and recovery, healing and renewal, are globally palpable. We’re already seeing how artists have responded to the crisis through storytelling and commentary. Indeed, times of distress often inform our sense of the aesthetic, producing the raw material for social movements and even works of art that later are hailed as beautiful masterpieces. It will be interesting to see what future sacred works emerge from our lived Covid experience.
In the meantime, the SIO editorial team has received a fine collection of submissions this year that point upwards, with messages of hope, grit, and even humor. Composer Michael Ching, who serves as the opera consultant for EC Schirmer Publishers, reminds us of Daniel Pinkham’s witty and accessible Garden Party, subtitled “A Comic Opera Based on an Irreverent View of the Garden of Eden.” Dr. Kathleen Roland-Silverstein focuses on “The Dybbuk: An Archetype of Jewish Mysticism in Opera.” Phantasmagoric in scope, this unusual love story has inspired several operatic settings, pointing to a facet of Jewish mysticism considered an ethnographic recreation of cultural beliefs before the holocaust. Dr. Philip Seward, an important composer in his own right, provides a satisfying breakdown of Gary Funk’s opera, Ruth. Set in 1945 on the southern Polish border and Germany, Dr. Funk’s opera offers a biographical saga of a young mother and her family just before the end of WWII. The opera depicts a heroine’s focus on prayer and Catholic faith, aiding her through difficult real-life events if not always saving her. Lastly, Dr. Tammie Huntington takes us to the lighter side, with a look at Richard Bernard’s engaging musical, Joan at the Mardi Gras. A retelling of the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale, Joan, a young college student, finds herself preaching to Mardi Gras crowds in New Orleans.
It’s with a deep sense of gratitude that this December, I will conclude my tenure as chair and senior editor of the Sacred in Opera Initiative. Since 2015, I’ve had the honor of serving our initiative alongside a team of thoughtful scholars and performing artists, many of whom have become close friends. Together, we've engaged in a rich ongoing dialectic via conference sessions, articles, interviews, and even full-scale productions. A few highlights include:
· In 2016, The Sacred in Opera Newsletter expanded its reach and visibility, launching its web and blog-based format, serving as a supplement to our traditional pdf publication.
· To better serve our community members, the SIO committee continued working diligently to refine its formalized peer review process to vet article submissions and materials to our newsletter. We welcome you to visit our updated submission criteria found in the SIO pages of the NOA website.
· Full-Scale Productions at the NOA National Conference included William David Cooper's Hagar, co-produced in 2016 with the Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis and performed at Christ Church Cathedral Episcopal, Indianapolis. Then in 2019, Marisa Michelson’s Naamah’s Ark was experienced in Salt Lake City’s Cathedral of the Madeleine, co-produced with Southern Utah University.
· Our lifetime honorees included Susan Hulsman Bingham (2018) and Alice Parker (2021).
· In 2019, the NOA Board approved for the SIO Committee to launch a directory of Sacred Operas through the NOA website. This new directory, currently being built, will undoubtedly fulfill an unmet need, providing an unprecedented listing of Sacred Music-Dramas.
The future of SIO looks ever-bright, and at this time, it’s my joy to share that Dr. Casey Robards will serve as the new Chair of the Sacred in Opera Initiative, and Dr. Tammie Huntington will serve as editor of our newsletter. Dr. Robards currently serves on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty and, in the summers, heads the collaborative piano area at Bayview Music Festival. In addition to her many years of faithful service as a professor of music at Indiana Wesleyan University, with a passion for writing, Dr. Huntington has served as a long-time contributor for her city’s newspaper. These two colleagues have shown an exemplary commitment to the mission of SIO. With several exciting projects already underway, our initiative will continue to provide meaningful presentations and resources in the months and years to come through their leadership.
As always, take the time to tell your colleagues and friends that we are here, sharing on the Sacred in Opera!
Wishing you continued strength and success on your journey,
Dr. Isaí Jess Muñoz
The Sacred in Opera Initiative of the NOA
Chair and Senior Editor
www.JessMunoz.com
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