The Foresingers have been invited to participate at MennoFolk Harrisonburg. The other dozen participants are varied from solo jazz to singer songwriters and the male acappella Sons of the Day.
“I think we got the nod,” said Glenn Lehman, director of Foresingers, “because we are Menno Folk in the historic sense. We do the music the pioneers brought with them from Europe in the 16th century.”
That music is acappella and often unison, passed from generation to generation by oral transmission.
The Foresingers is an ensemble of singers and harp and zither. The full concert includes representational skits of worship and family life of the early 1800s. For the MennoFolk concert, the set will feature the singing and harp and zither.
The Foresingers most recently appears on a PBS documentary, “Destination America.”
Mennofolk will be held October 14, 2006, on the Eastern Mennonite University campus. The Foresingers will perform at 8:00 p.m. in the Martin Chapel.
For information on MennoFolk see http://www.mennofolk.org/harrisonburg/
Photo: The Foresingers perform in front of the cameras for a David Grubin Production titled Destination America. It aired this Fall on many PBS stations.
The Foresingers appear briefly in episode three titled, "The Earth is the Lord's." It is now avalible for purchase directly from the PBS online store.
A piece of 1965 radio history was reassembled at the May 7, 2005 Harmonies Ascension Banquet. Four former singers of the Mennonite Hour Quartet sang to 70 guests, and John Horst of Harrisonburg, Virginia presented "The Mennonite Hour Remembered." The vocalists besides Horst were John Miller, Leon Miller and Wilbur Miller (not related).
The annual event was held at the Alumni Dining Hall of Lancaster Mennonite School, Lancaster, Pa. The project goal was $2,000 for the release of "Holy Light," the inspirational finale in a three-part collection of Table Singers’ heritage hymns, available for the first time on CD.
At the banquet, Harmonies staff recognized each board member for their service. Some members have served as long as 13 years. The banquet planning committee consisted of Mildred Herr, Rachel Pellman, and Dan Wenger as well as Harmonies staff members Jessica Landes and Glenn Lehman.
After the event, one in attendance emailed Harmonies saying, "Thanks for a very enjoyable Saturday evening. My wife and I think it was the best Harmonies Ascension Day program to date!"
Ascension Banquet Committee members include Mildred Herr, Jessica Landes, Glenn Lehman, Rachel Pellman, and Dan Wenger.
Photo: A men’s quartet of Mennonite Hour alumni reunited for the Harmonies Ascension Banquet on May 7, 2005. Left to right: John Horst, Leon Miller, Wilbur Miller, John J. Miller. Photo by Kenneth Pellman.
Harmonies faith witness doesn't stop at the door of the church. In fact, our quality and unique focus has opened many museum doors over the years.
In February, the Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, Wis., requested a track from our classic Ausbund album, Amish Music Variety. We stepped them through the permission process. Now the persecution-inspired "O God Father" is part of their long-term exhibit on farming. The Curator, Carrie Ronnander, says that "one section of the exhibit is about the place of church and religion in rural communities."
We give thanks for doors that open.
As if on divine cue, the $60,000 Harmonies Forward Challenge crept slightly over the goal in the final days of 2004.
Many new donors came through for this music drive and several donors topped their original pledges, tipping the balance over the $30,000 mark. That, plus the $30,000 originally pledged at the beginning of the campaign made the total an encouraging $61,300.
"In a year when church ministries had to tighten their belts," Glenn Lehman, Executive Director of Harmonies said, “our goal was met. Our thanks to the team of donors is not hollow, but really heartfelt."
The Harmonies Forward $60,000 Challenge Grant started three years ago when the Steering Committee offered to match 2002-2004 giving dollar for dollar. The funds were put to use to update music production, volunteer and staff efficiency, marketing and response to the needs in the church.
"As a result of this commitment to God's praise in music," said Lehman, "we have kept our doors open, added staff time, and gotten around to a million tasks which before were inadequately addressed. We did a tour that attracted some state arts funding assistance. We have a permanent tribute to J. D. Brunk. We also brought more of our products into the CD format."
In 2005 the fund raising efforts will be toward specific projects, such as bookkeeping software, a music video of classic hymns, and early quartets
