Sacred Harp Workshop with Cath & Phil Tyler

It is a privilege to welcome Cath & Phil Tyler back to Holy Biscuit as we host a Sacred Harp Singing Workshop in the Vestry. Sacred Harp Singing is a very special type of acapella, polyphonic, communal singing which is rooted in the rich cultural traditions of the Southern United States. 

Having been described as "Loud, unrestrained and almost raucous" it is accessible for anyone, from those who have been trained classically and need to be 'liberated' (!) to those of you who are convinced you are tone deaf. (Phil Tyler himself was in that boat before Cath introduced him - and he clearly hasn't looked back!)

Sacred Harp also has a rich tradition of community and friendship at its heart, and I have it on good authority that most of these workshops end with a trip to the pub and for a continuation of the jollity.

So, come down for 2pm on Saturday 29th September - entry is free and refreshments are provided. It looks to be a great afternoon!

An Olympic-size Reflection

oceaniaeuropeamericasafricaasia from gustavo sousa on Vimeo.

For the past sixteen days, the world's five inhabited continents united, to compete and celebrate the athletic achievements of the global community in the Pangaea-like super celebration known as the Olympic Games. London 2012 is over and on August 29, the Paralmypics will begin. The conversations surrounding the long-term sustainability and impact of the games will materialize more fully.

In Oceaniaeuropeamericasafricaasia, graphic designer Gustavo Sousa, uses the iconic olympic rings graphic to visually interpret worldwide data, on statistics such as, obesity, gun ownership, McDonald's outlets, population, homicides, people living with HIV, etc., where each ring represents a continent.

What's most interesting, is that no continent is assigned a specific color, forcing the viewer to give an educated guess to which ring represents which continent. The varying ring sizes and anonymity in each graph and the use of the iconic Olympic logo, underscores some serious inequalities that we share in the face of unity.

In an interview with FastCompany, Sousa says: "The rings represent healthy competition and union, but we know the world isn’t perfect. Maybe understanding the differences is the first step to try to make things more equal."

In His Own Words

David Taylor-In His Own Words from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

Meet the enthusiastic David Taylor, former arts pastor at Hope Chapel in Austin, Texas, who is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in theology and the arts at Duke Divinity School, in Durham, North Carolina. A friend recently turned me on to his blog on art, theology, and his life as an arts pastor, and at her behest, I've slowly started to make my way through blogposts dating back to February 2006 (let's just say that Taylor is prolific and consistent and leave it at that).

In His Own Words says so much, that it feels impossible to summarize and should be an overall encouragement and an exhortation to everyone who watches it.

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

The Welcome Wagon--Vito Aiuto, a Brooklyn-based Presbyterian minister, and his wife Monique-- released a new album yesterday, through Sufjan's Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Vito explains:

“This album has a somewhat liturgical structure, ordered loosely like a worship service. It begins with the existential and cosmic dread of ‘I’m Not Fine,’ immediately followed by ‘My God, My God, Parts 1 & 2,’ a prayer that rails against God’s seeming absence from this world and our lives. The words are adapted from the prayer of Jesus while he hung on the cross.  

“It continues with the assurance of redemption (‘I Know That My Redeemer Lives’), which then extends to friendship with God and with one another (‘Rice & Beans,’ ‘High’).” 

Listen to the new album and read more about it here.

My Dog, My House, Our Newcastle Launch

Photo by Richard Fish

We are delighted to be able to invite you to the launch of My Dog, My House, Our Newcastle exhibition on Saturday 23^rd June 2012.

Following photography workshops at THB in March led by Richard Fish and Louise Todd, Newcastle-based photographers and Graduate Studio Northumbria artists, children were given disposable cameras and asked to document their lives, finding beauty in the ordinary and everyday. The exhibition will feature photographs taken by Year 3/4 students from St Catherine’s Primary, Sandyford and Christchurch School Shieldfield, alongside the work of the artists.

 

The launch will begin with a garden party from 4pm which will also feature musical and dramatic performances by the students as well as home-made lemonade, strawberries & cream and garden games. Rumour has it that the circus will be there too!

From 6.30pm there will be a wine reception...and the garden games will continue.

My Dog, My House, Our Newcastle is part Outside/In--a programme of exhibitions inspired by London 2012, involving young people and adults from different parts of Newcastle, showcasing their histories, cultures and communities.

A few photos after the jump:

Call For Papers: Arts & Christianity Ireland

Risking Mystery: Contemporary Arts and Sacred Worship

Arts & Christianity Ireland seek abstracts for their upcoming one-day conference, Risking Mystery: Contemporary Arts and Sacred Worship to be held 20 October 2012 at Avila Carmelite Retreat Centre, Dublin. The fourth in a series of conferences focusing on contemporary arts and Christianity, we are interested in submissions from across all artistic disciplines as well as relevant theological papers. The conference, while primarily aimed at contemporary artists, seeks to speak also to pastoral leaders, theologians and members of the public interested in the intersection of faith and contemporary arts. In conjunction with the conference, there will be an exhibition and a recital/performance.

Possible questions to consider:

How do we speak of mystery in relation to contemporary arts? How is sacred mystery revealed/explored/expressed in contemporary art? Is there an intersection between worship and contemporary arts in mystery? Do contemporary arts have a role in unveiling sacred mystery in places of worship?

Submissions:

Abstracts of no more than two pages double-spaced for 35-40 minute presentations (followed by panel discussion) should be submitted along with cover letter and C.V. to Committee Secretary Donna Mae Linton (dmlinton@hotmail.com) The deadline for proposals is 22 June 2012.

Arts & Christianity Ireland is a burgeoning organisation whose mission includes nourishing artists who create works inspired by Christian themes; promoting these works in the public domain; and fostering dialogue with Churches on the role these contemporary artworks can play in the faith lives of their members. 

PlayToon & PlayOut - Outside/IN

Sebastian Messer of Northumbria's School of the Built & Natural Environment installs the exhibition. Image Courtesy PlayToon.

This week marks the official launch of Outside/IN. The PlayToon exhibition is installed in the Sanctuary and preparations for this weekend are going forward. The official launch of the project will be this Friday at 6pm and the PlayOut event will run from 4pm - Late on Saturday.

PlayOut will be hosted by Urban Games. There will be a half pipe in our back garden for skateboarders and BMX, Parkour by North East Parkour, street dancing, DJs and more.

The exhibition features photography, video, words and more mysterious objects from Tyneside skate, BMX and PK scenes: work from Bish, Peter Greaves, Ben Larthe, Jacob Garthwaite, Liam Whitfield, Adam Thirtle, Sam Hutchinson, Daniel Dale, Johnny Haynes and many others. All welcome, free event.

The modern Olympic games as we know it, provides a platform for not only excellence in international sport, but also for social and cultural regeneration. Outside/IN is inspired by the Olympics and Paralympic values of courage, determination, inspiration, and inclusivity, Outside/IN Project provides a space for the community of Newcastle to share their lives, histories, and cultures.