2007 Brass Festival
Make A Joyful Noise
The Moravian - November 2005
This scriptural commandment from Psalm 100:1 has been observed repeatedly throughout the long history of the people of God. God’s mighty acts call for some response on the part of those who benefit from divine love, and praise and thanksgiving are often our best response.
As a pre-teen in 1957, I experienced that at the 500th Anniversary Service on the campus of Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A two-hour worship experience reminded us of God’s direction of our church’s life and challenged us to go into our denominational sixth century with a renewed sense of mission.
Such a reminder came again this past May in South Africa as the Brass Bands of the Eastern Cape region had their annual festival. One-hundred-seventy-five players lifted us above the rainy afternoon to the thrill of celebrating God’s involvement in life. New compositions, arrangements of older works, and participation on the part of international visitors from Europe and the United States reminded all of us of the wideness of God’s mercy in our denominational history.
Continuing that tradition, we have received an invitation from our colleagues in the Brass Bands of South Africa to join them in celebrating the 550th Anniversary of the Moravian Church in 2007. This major celebration of the South African province will be held in Capetown, South Africa, from September 13-16, 2007, in a brass festival which is planned to include delegations from the European Continental Province under the leadership of Ben van den Bosch and the American Provinces. Fifty players from each visiting region along with some 200 players from South Africa will fill the Good Hope Center for an afternoon’s concert of praise and thanksgiving.
The Good Hope Center is located in the former District Six, which saw some of the worst abuses of apartheid. People were forced to leave their homes and go to other racially determined acceptable areas. The Moravian Hill congregation, the oldest city congregation of the Moravian Church in Capetown, was disbanded. But, that is the past. The district has been returned to the people, the congregation renewed, and the area redeveloped. A joyful noise is again to be heard in the best Moravian manner. The common heritage of brass music, which has characterized the bonds among these areas of the Moravian Unity, will be celebrated as our expression of thanksgiving.
Fifty brass players from our provinces are invited to participate as self-supporting individuals forming a representative group. The Moravian Music Foundation will function as a coordinating body providing travel information, cost estimates, and copies of the music to be played. Individual brass players who would like to be part of this time of making a joyful noise are invited to contact the Rev. Dr. Albert H. Frank, 41 West Locust Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018, email <albert.frank@verizon.net> for more information as soon as possible. A list of interested players is beginning to be formed. A limited number of spouses and visitors can attend. Early contacts are encouraged so that information can be shared and further planning can occur.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord!
The Rev. Dr. Albert Frank is assistant director of the Moravian Music Foundation and staffs the Northern Province Office, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
