Peter's Message
Dear Friends,

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

There is something encouraging to me in the controversy over some of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's sermons. Simply put, I'm glad people care about sermons. I'm glad people are listening. That Wright's anger from the pulpit has made many angry is no surprise. Personally I don't feel the need to castigate or defend. That Senator Obama's campaign has had to deal with this has made for much soul-searching, his and America's. Frankly I was glad that the senator didn't turn his back on his long-time pastor. When I think of things I've said and later regretted (or realized I could have said differently), I'm more than grateful for church members who have seen beyond my misjudgments -- and their own strong disagreements.

Nevertheless, there are times when the church is called to speak prophetically, to put words to uncomfortable truths. It happens in families. Sometimes our children's candor catches us off guard; we realize that they have minds of their own (a good thing, for the most part). This is not to advocate for strife, anger, quarrels, factions, and other "desires of the flesh," to use the Apostle Paul's words. We pray that we can speak with gentleness and love, as well as integrity, when we speak up. Personally, I hear others more clearly when their words bring light and not just heat. Nevertheless, there are those times when words spoken in anger open our eyes to frustrations and disappointments -- hard truths -- that others have known that we have missed. At such times it is beneficial to listen generously and well.

Peter

Local Musicians Give World Premiere

Philip Ficsor and Emma Lou Diemer unveil the world premiere of Diemer’s “Suite for Violin and Piano” Wednesday, May 7, at 11 a.m. in the Santa Barbara Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery, 40 East Anapamu Street. The free concert is presented by the Santa Barbara Music Club.

Ficsor, professor of violin at Westmont, and Diemer, renowned composer and professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara, are collaborating on a recording of Diemer’s complete works for violin and piano. She composed “Suite for Violin and Piano” in January 2008 specifically for this project.

Diemer taught music theory and composition at UCSB from 1971 to 1991, and played the organ for First Presbyterian Church 1984 to 2002. She was composer-in-residence for the Santa Barbara Symphony 1990 to 1992, and has composed hundreds of works for chorus, orchestra, small ensembles and solo instruments.

“Suite for Violin and Piano” includes three movements: “Summer Day,” “Elegy” and “Jazz Romp.” Ficsor, whose ensemble American Double recently completed a national tour, will also play Beethoven’s “Sonata in G major, Op. 30, No. 3” with pianist Betty Oberacker. Several other musicians are featured in the program.

For more information about the concert contact the Santa Barbara Music Club at (805) 683-0811 or info@sbmusicclub.org or visit www.sbmusicclub.org. For information about Ficsor and his collaboration with Diemer, please call (805) 565-6889 or e-mail ssquire@westmont.edu.