Saturday, November 15, 2008

SingDanceSpeakSpirit

I heard about an institution in Albuquerque, New Mexico that aims to provide a place for spiritual reflection and connection for non-church-goers. It was founded by a musician who had experienced the sacred through his work with and relationship to classical music.

It's called the Church of Beethoven, and I wish we could go, because I believe art often connects us with the divine, and the idea of local artists using their time and talents to create an experience of worship for other community members is just stunning and lovely. Instead of edu-tainment, it's soul-tainment. Or something like that.

Apparently, the man who began it all, Felix Wurman, hopes other people will eventually begin their own offshoots in other cities across America. I think, if I started one, it would be the Church of Bach... I find him particularly linked to something transcendental and spiritually transportive.

Someday I'd like to do a series of dance pieces set to the Bach cello suites recorded by Yo-Yo Ma back in 1998. It was something I never quite got to for Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. Perhaps there will be some forum in the future wherein my personal exploration of how that music connects me more firmly to the world might be shared with others looking for a similar union.

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