The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts

	Visual Preludes - General Convention 2006

	Music Contributors



	Adele Dees The Rev. Adele Dees is now the Associate Pastor at Iona-Hope Episcopal Church in Fort Myers, Florida, after serving as Assistant Rector at St. James Parish in Wilmington, North Carolina. A 2005 graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, she previously served as Organist/Choirmaster of Church of the Advent in Williamston, North Carolina, and taught public school music education in North Carolina for many years. She began composing music for her parish choir in the mid 1990's, preferring to set psalm tunes or hymn texts to newly composed music. Adele sang with the Schola Cantorum of the Diocese of East Carolina for several years including the album "Prepare the Way - Schola Cantorum". Email: singandchant@yahoo.com Music for Visual Preludes: Day 1 - Gracious Spirit



	Ana Hernandez and Helena Marie, CHS Ana Hernandez is a composer, arranger, and performer of sacred music. For more than a decade, she has conducted workshops that encourage people to explore the effects of rhythm and chant on their bodies. Most recently, she joined a panel discussion for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women hosted at the Church of St John the Divine and sponsored by the Women's Ministries office. Ana is also a member of the recording duo HARC with Ruth Cunningham. Ana recorded the album Inside Chants with Ruth Cunningham and Eternal Spirit with Helena Marie. She has also written a book on chant titled The Sacred Art of Chant and recorded the album Inside Chants with Ruth Cunningham. Email: ana@anahermusic.com Web site: www.anahermusic.com Helena Marie is a member of The Community of the Holy Spirit in NYC Music for Visual Preludes: Day 1 - Gracious Spirit Day 2 - Spiritual Sight Day 6 - God's Work



	Jamie Pahl The Rev. James L. Pahl, Jr. attended Virginia Theological Seminary and now serves as Assistant Rector at St. James Episcopal Parish in Wilmington, North Carolina. Jamie began his musical endeavors at the age of twelve and in 1990 formed a company called Mission Entertainment, Inc. to assist in the management, production, and marketing of his music. Much of the music was written out of experiences on mission trips to Guatemala and spending time in the backcountry of Alaska. Jamie is married with three children and lives Wilmington, North Carolina. His albums include: Seekers and Finders, A Story to Tell, and the Christmas albums Christmastime is Here and A Magical Time of the Year. Email: jamie@stjamesp.org Music for Visual Preludes: Day 6 - God's Work Day 9 - All Things in Christ



	Jeannine Otis (Jahneen) Singer and pianist Jeannine Otis has toured as a vocalist with Kool and the Gang, and performed with saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., trumpeter Donald Byrd, folk singer Pete Seeger, and film composer Eliot Goldenthal. She has been recognized for her dance rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and has appeared in numerous plays including the musical theater review "This Joint is Jumpin'" and "Porgy and Bess". In addition to teaching music at the Trinity Lutheran School in Staten Island, she is also the musical director for Theatreworks USA's production of Freedom Train currently touring the US, and Director of Music at Saint Marks Church in New York City. Jeannine composed "The Three Kings" in collaboration with Lois Bohevesky of the Vagabond Puppets and composer Liz Swados. It is the story of the Three Kings told through the eyes of children with music, dancing, and singing in Spanish, English, and larger than life puppets, presented annually by the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Jeannine is a graduate of Wellsley College and a Presser Music Scholar recipient – the first and only African-American to win the award. She also holds a Masters Degree from Emerson College where she is a teaching fellow. Email: jotisnyc@aol.com Music for Visual Preludes: Day 8 - Wisdom of God



	RC Laird and Isaac Everett RC Laird and Isaac Everett work is included on a CD that is frequently and widely distributed by the Young Adult and Youth Ministries Office. Their musical performance was featured at the Friday Eucharist during General Convention 2006. RC Laird has been a member of the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, possibly the youngest in the commission's history. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and works in Jesuit Prison Ministries. Isaac Everett lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, and travels the country giving seminars in his particular blend of traditional/chant/jazz/fusion/tribal hymnody. Isaac Everett is a pianist, composer, and audio designer whose music has been called "exquisite and evocative" by NewYorkTheatre.com, "compassionate and brusquely humorous" by New York Press, and who has been dubbed a "way cool dude worth checking out" by The Turning Magazine. His music can be heard nation-wide in churches, synagogues, video games, and web cartoons. He recently released his debut album, Rotation, which became the most sold item at General Convention 2006. Isaac is the artist-in-residence at Sanctuary, a hipster church in Manhattan, a company member of Storahtelling: Jewish Ritual Theater Revived, and frequent performer in the off-Broadway rock opera, Automatic Superstar. Isaac has a BM in Jazz Composition from NYU and an MA in Arts and Theology from Union Theological Seminary. Web site: www.isaaceverett.com Music for Visual Preludes: Day 5 - Bread of Life



	Ron Clearfield Classically trained cellist, Ron Clearfield, is conductor for the 70-piece Blue Ridge Orchestra, the Asheville Youth Orchestra, and is a cellist with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland, and Seiji Ozawa, as well as George Benson, Linda Ronstadt, and Dionne Warwick. He was a featured solo cellist on Judy Collins' Christmas Special for the A&E network. Ron Clearfield records for the EverSound label. His albums include: Time on Earth, Dream Manifestation, and Music in the Silence. Ron currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his artist wife Rachel Clearfield. Email: clearfieldstudios@earthlink.net Music for Visual Preludes: Day 1 - Gracious Spirit Day 2 - Spiritual Sight Day 3 - For She is the Breadth Day 5 - Bread of Life Day 6 - God's Work Day 7 - Love Astounding Day 8 - Wisdom of God Day 9 - All Things in Christ



	Ruth Cunningham and Ana Hernandez Ruth Cunningham is a classically trained musician and a sound healing practitioner. She combines these skills to improvise music that connects people to the healing and spiritual power of music. She works with individuals and groups on using the voice and music as tools for healing and transformation. Ruth received a B. Mus. in Performance of Early Music from the New England Conservatory of Music and is certified as a cross cultural music healing practitioner (CCMHP) by the Open Ear Center. Ruth was a member of the acclaimed women’s vocal quartet Anonymous 4 for ten years and recorded ten albums with them. She has made two recordings of healing music: Sacred Light with harpist Diana Stork and Ancient Beginnings which is part of the Open Ear Center’s music for healing series. She is also on a recording with Frame Drummer Layne Redmond: Invoking the Muse and released a recording of multi-faith chants with Ana Hernandez as HARC called Inside Chants. Email: ruth@ruthcunningham.com Web site: www.ruthcunningham.com For information on Ana Hernandez, please see above. Music for Visual Preludes: Day 3 - For She is the Breadth Day 4 - Friendship with God Day 7 - Love Astounding Day 8 - Wisdom of God



	Samuel Burke Samuel Burke served as Director of Music and Organist at Church of the Servant (Episcopal) in Wilmington, North Carolina, for nearly fifteen years, and is now in that position at historic St. Mary Catholic Church also in Wilmington. He has been active as a member of the Diocese of East Carolina liturgical commission, and helped form and develop the chamber choir Schola Cantorum for the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina. He is also the local host for the 'Morning Edition' broadcasts on Wilmington's NPR affiliate, WHQR. The Schola Cantorum ensemble is committed to promoting choral music of the Anglican tradition and beyond contributing numerous choral evensongs and concerts in North Carolina and Virginia, and has made midsummer tours of England, including weeklong residencies at Gloucester Cathedral, providing music for daily choral evensongs and the principal Sunday Eucharists. In 2000, the ensemble was chosen as choir for the Jubilee Morning Eucharist at General Convention in Denver. Email: sburke@whqr.org Music for Visual Preludes: Day 4 - Friendship with God Day 7 - Love Astounding