HALO Barbershop Quartet Inspires Real Talk About Race

April 23, 2018

Inside this Edition

Synod of the Mid-Atlantic 241st Meeting Highlights

Last Chance: Register for a Gathering Meal for the 879th Gathering

Presbytery Vacancy: Associate for Congregational Vitality

Clerks' Meeting Schedule

The Center needs Volunteers for a Special Workday (Date Change)

The Center Needs Donations

Synod of Mid-Atlantic Hosts One-Day Seminar for Church Administrators

Performance of Jekyll and Hyde at Hunting Ridge PC

Prince of Peace PC Used Book and Bake Sale Fundraiser

Grace PC Hosting Crab Feast. Get Discount Tickets Now!

Trinity Women's Day Service Featuring Gen. Presbyter Jackie Taylor

Havenwood PC seeks an Interim Organist

Light Street PC seeks a Communications Director

Hughes Memorial PC offers Free Tableware

Oak Crest Village in Parkville seeks Part-time Pastoral Associate

Meetings

Committee and Commission meetings will be held at the Presbytery's office (unless noted otherwise.)

Steering Cabinet meets at 1pm on Wednesday Apr. 25
Reconciliation meets a 6:30pm on Wednesday, Apr. 25
Spiritual Leader Development meets at 1pm on Wednesday, May 2
Committee on Ministry meets at 2pm on Wednesday, May 2
Presbytery Gathering, 9:30am to 3:30pm Thursday, May 10 Westminster PC

Prayer & Praise

Please pray for TE Christa Burns, Pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church, as she recuperates from a leg injury.
Please pray for TE Neta Pringle, Interim Pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church, as she recuperates from a leg injury.
Please Pray for Tawes DeWyngaert, as he recovers following a successful surgery. Mr. DeWyngaert is the husband of TE Susan DeWyngaret, pastor of Woods Presbyterian Church.
Please pay for Erik Burris as he recovers following a successful surgery. Mr. Burriss is the husband of TE Carrie Finch Burriss, Pastor of Kenwood Presbyterian Church.

HALO Barbershop Quartet Inspires Real Talk About Race

HALO:(L-R) Shana Oshiro, Jasmine Barnes, Portia Pitts & Niambi Powell

Can voices blended in four-part harmony improve race relations?

HALO, a barbershop quartet of African American women, believes that the melodic sound of songs sung in acapella is just the medium needed to bring people together to talk about the diversities and similarities that color our perceptions about race. " There's just something about the resonance of the human voice, the blending together and ringing forth that's just exciting and awakening not only for the listener but for the singer. You feel connected to people when you're singing with and for people," said Shana Oshiro, HALO's spokeswoman and the group's tenor performer.

According to music aficionados, the "barbershop" style of music was first associated with black southern quartets of the 1870s and later adapted by mainstream middle America. It is, characteristically, a melting pot of musical repertoires that include hymns, psalms and folk songs sung in four parts with the melody set in the second-lowest voice. Some say that the tension and harmony in barbershop style of music aptly reflect the racial struggle in society today.

"Barbershop quartet's musical structure represents a metaphor by which we can hold productive conversations about racism in America. In this context, we can build relationships and community by singing together and investing in those useful frameworks that allow us to have those difficult conversations," explained Mrs. Oshiro, who has a degree in music therapy.

Last year, Mrs. Oshiro and fellow HALO members - her sister, Niambi Powell (baritone) and friends Portia Pitts (lead) and Jasmine Barnes (bass) - performed during a worship service at Frederick Presbyterian Church in Western Maryland. Those gathered were passionately joined together in song and through this unique, music-based experience, developed a kinship that made it easier for them to later share their feelings and experiences about race and social injustices. The Wild, Wild West Ministry Group, longtime supporters of HALO, recently sponsored the all-female, barbershop quartet in a series of conversations and music at Frederick Presbyterian Church entitled RACE AND #REALTALK. The series was a part of a Presbytery-wide commitment to address issues of race, class and poverty. Members of Frederick Presbyterian Church along with congregants from other faiths are currently practicing with HALO in anticipation of a joint performance on June 30 in Frederick.

"Music is a tangible thing that organizes and synchronizes our experiences and brings us together physically, mentally and spiritually," Mrs. Oshiro said. "I f we can learn to embrace the moments of tension and own the perspective we bring in telling a story that belongs to all Americans we can make some progress with these conversation, instead of shutting each other out because we can't stand the discomfort of the difference in perspectives that we bring to issues of race."

Take Note/Act Now

Presbytery and Churchwide

Take Note: 241st Synod of Mid-Atlantic highlights, Click here for details.

Click here to view the 879th Meeting Agenda and order a Gathering Meal

TAKE NOTE: The P resbytery of Baltimore announces the following vacant position:

Associate for Congregational Vitality. The Deadline to apply is May, 7, 2018

2018 Schedule of Clerks' Meetings


Date	Time	Church	Location	Facilitator
Sunday, Apr. 29	2pm	Good Shepherd PC	22 Joppa Farm Rd. (21085)	J. Carlson
Thursday, May 17	7pm	Harundale PC	1020 Eastway (21060)	J. Carlson
Saturday, May 19	10am	Hunting Ridge PC	4640 Edmomdson Ave. (21229)	J. Carlson
Monday, June 11	7pm	FPC of Howard Co.	9325 Presbyterian Circle (21045)	M. Gaut
Saturday, June 30	10am	Hancock PC	17 East Main St. (21750)	M. Gaut

The Center Needs Volunteers!

Volunteers needed! The Center is holding a workday to spruce up its dormitory space for summer mission weeks: Saturday, May 12, 9am - 2pm. Some (but not all) tasks will require basic carpentry and/or painting skills. To sign up, email Sara Clauss at [email protected]

and

The Center is seeking a few donated items to help spruce up its dorm space. To see a list of what is needed, and to sign up to donate, click here .

TAKE NOTE: Synod for the Mid-Atlantic hosts Administrators' One Day Seminar in Columbia, MD! Click here for Invitation and Brochure.

Churches

Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church will host a performance of Jekyll and Hyde by Third Wall Productions at 7pm on Friday, Apr. 27 in the sanctuary. Tickets will be $5 at the door . Funds raised support youth who will attend Massanetta Springs Middle School conference. Raffle for a pair of tickets to the full musical performance as well!

Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church invites you to its annual Used Book & Media Sale on Friday, April 27 (5 - 9 pm) and Saturday, Apr. 28 (8am - 4pm). The sale, which features over 10,000 books from all genres, is the congregation's annual fundraiser. Most books are priced at $2 or under . . . tons of CDs and DVDs also available. Lots of kids' books, history, religion, science - something for everyone! Saturday's sale runs in conjunction with a bake sale and yard sale on the church grounds, pit beef sandwiches for sale in the parking lot, and Crofton's Festival on the Green right next door. Join us rain or shine! For more information, please call the church office at 410.721.2313.

Grace Presbyterian Church is hosting a Crab Feast on July 28 but tickets now available for $55. (The regular price of a ticket is $55.) For additional information call the church, 410.466.4000.

Trinity Presbyterian Church will host a special Women's Day service entitled "Celebrating the Gifts of Women: Faithful Women are God's Witness" at 11am on Sunday, May 20. The event will feature General Presbyter, The Rev. Dr. Jacqueline E. Taylor, as guest speaker.

Havenwood Presbyterian Church seeks an Interim Organist to begin employment on or before Apr. 29, with the expectation of providing music and accompaniment for worship services. Click here to view the job description.

Light Street Presbyterian Church is currently seeking a part-time Communications Director to manage communication across a number of different platforms (printed materials, website, and social media). If interested, please click here to view the job description .

Hughes Memorial Presbyterian Church is offering a supply of tableware free to any church in need. These dishes are in perfect condition with no chips or cracks: 70 bread plates, 207 dinner plates, and 200 coffee cups. To express interest in receiving the tableware: email Deborah Gamble.

Other

Oak Crest Village Retirement Center in Parkville seeks a part-time pastoral associate. Click for details.