The 22nd Moravian Music Festival

Make Your Plans Now!
The Moravian - April 2005

Plans are underway for the 22nd Moravian Music Festival to be held in Columbus, Ohio on the campuses of Capital University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. The dates for the festival are July 2-8, 2006.

This is the first time the festival has been held in Ohio since the 6th festival in 1961 was held in Tuscarawas County. The adjacent campuses are located just a few miles away from downtown Columbus, the capital of the state of Ohio, and just minutes away from the airport, and just off Interstate 70. The Columbus metropolitan area is home to approximately a million people, and is the home of the Columbus Zoo (where “Jungle Jack” Hanna is director emeritus), the Columbus Museum of Art, and Franklin Park Conservatory (which is also just minutes away from the festival site).

Dr. John V. Sinclair, who was named “Continuing Conductor” at the end of 2003 (see page 20), will again be the orchestral/choral conductor. One focus of the choral music will be anthems by Christian David Jaeschke (1755-1827). Jaeschke was the organist at Herrnhut for 40 years, and his music was held in high regard for most of the rest of the 19th century in Germany as well as in the American congregations. Dr. Alice Caldwell has been working on a biography of Jaeschke and edited about 100 of his works. Her editions will be featured with others who have been preparing Jaeschke’s works for modern performance.

The timing of the festival is later in the summer than usual due to the Northern Province Synod. This later schedule works nicely to avoid conflicts with the academic schedule. The timing also prompts some unique programming ideas. On Tuesday, July 4, 2006, we plan to share in a reading of A Psalm of Joy, an ode which was held on the first Fourth of July celebration in Salem, North Carolina, in 1783. A seminar about A Psalm of Joy in the morning will precede the musical reading in the afternoon.

Since the Jan Hus festival (July 6) also occurs during that week, we are planning to have a communion service at Trinity’s Gloria Dei Worship Center.

Many of the usual festival activities and programs are planned, such as the Sunday evening opening Lovefeast, a selection of interesting seminars, an anthem sing, the bands concerts, and the Friday evening choral and orchestra concert.

Of course, the highlight for many festival participants is the making and renewing of friendships and the impromptu music-making, and we’ll count on that!

Please plan to attend the 22nd Moravian Music Festival, and check out the newly overhauled festival website at www.MoravianMusicFestival.org& for festival details and registration information.

David Blum, a member and the choir director of Redeemer Moravian Church, Columbus, Ohio, serves on the board of trustees of the Moravian Music Foundation. He is also Chair of the 22nd Moravian Music Festival.