![]() All that to say, we’ve encountered quite a few trees in the road as we’ve attempted to put together our first self-produced album. Everything from lost recordings to vocal surgery has delayed its completion. There was a time recently when we just had to stop and ask God, “Do You even want us to make this CD at all?” After all, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) But as of late the pieces started to fall into place, and the Lord even blessed us by allowing us to record a couple of extra songs through the generosity of our cousin Chris Tubbs who is a budding sound engineer. Not only is this our first recording we’ve completed independently, but this will also be the first recording featuring all four of our members. It’s been over a decade since our previous CD was released, and a lot has happened since then, including marrying the men who are now members of Canopy. Kevin was featured on several tracks of the CD Vast Terrain, but we had not even met Buddy yet at the time. Jazz influence, more prominent guitar solos, and production with a touch of the avant-garde are evidence of Buddy’s contributions in The Catalyst. Varied, perhaps to a fault, the listener will be carried all the way from meditative music to bluesy pop. We hope, though, that everyone will find something to his or her taste, and more importantly, that God will use this music for His purposes. ![]() Though Canopy has been of course affected by these changes, we have continued some of our regular ministry opportunities and have also added new ones to the mix. Cynthia, Kevin, and Alicia accompany The Answer Prison Ministry once a month to concerts and services at a variety of units close by. We are so blessed to be able to minister with Jean Russell and friends, and have experienced deep fellowship with the believers behind bars. We walk away renewed by the testimonies, and invigorated by the chance to worship with our fellow ministers. Throughout the year, Alicia and Buddy have periodically lead worship at Devereux, a live-in youth counseling facility in League City. On Tuesdays, Martha Monroe provides an optional chapel for the residents and we try to make it out there about every two months. We are always impressed by their teachable, open attitudes, and we pray that God uses us to be a spiritual encouragement to them. This year marked our 6th year playing at the Renaissance Festival. We didn’t make it out as many times as we have in the past but we definitely enjoyed our two outings, especially because we were able to reconnect with our friend Rick Weikert. We met Rick last year at the Ren Fest and have been staying in touch through snail mail ever since. He has been a real encouragement to us this year through our ministry’s changes and challenges. In addition to the Texas Renaissance Festival, Canopy has connected with another Ren Fest called Middlefaire located in Hillsboro. We were able to play for their mini-fest in the summer and once again in October. Paul, the owner, has been supportive of our evangelistic ways and enthusiastic about our Hobbit songs. We’ve seen some familiar faces from the Texas Ren Fest, and our past endeavors at Excalibur faire, but also enjoyed meeting some new people. There should be more Middlefaires coming in the future and hopefully we will be able to be a part of those as well. This year we’ve also added to our regular ministries leading worship for Advent Lutheran. Last December we came to their church office with a guitar and asked to sing them a song. They liked what they heard and invited us to a planning meeting early the next year where they decided to have us come out every 5th Sunday. We have felt very free to worship and to try new musical ideas there. Buddy even branched out and brought his new cello the last few times we came. We topped off the year with a few familiar gigs in December. For the second year in a row, Buddy and Alicia were invited to dress up like elves and play Christmas songs for the River Oaks Country Club’s children’s party, and this year Cynthia was invited as well. For the third year in a row we did an acoustic set at the BayBrook Lifeway store, as well. Kevin and Alicia were also able to revisit a vocal opportunity not active since 2007. The Living Christmas card is a caroling quartet with singers dressed in Victorian costume and intricate vocal harmony, very enjoyable for the participants and the audience. Though there was only one Living Christmas Card concert this year, we’re hoping their schedule will once again pick up by next year. Canopy ended the season with a concert at Kick Back Koffee House. Greg and Mandy Moore did the second set. We met Greg about four years ago at a similar gig-share for a coffee house, and have done several since then. Greg later married Mandy and had a daughter, both of which played and sang in the concert at Kick Back. It was an enjoyable evening, a chance to catch up and to hear both old and new songs. It was also nice in our own concert to hear Cynthia’s voice sounding so powerful after months of rehab. All in all, 2009 has been a good year. Though we’ve been faced by some changes and challenges, many of them are good, and we look forward to the further development of our ministry in the upcoming year. We hope to make an even bigger impact for God’s kingdom in the future and pray that He grows us closer to Him in the process. The night’s activities started with a hayride with for the clients. We sat on the bales, took a tour of the grounds, and sang all the old folk songs we could think of. The hayride was a great way to kick off camp, but the biggest surprise of the night was yet to come. At 8:00 everyone was scheduled to meet at the chapel for a non-disclosed activity. As people assembled and found their seats, the theme for 2001 blared, and who took the stage but Elvis himself. Well, OK, he wasn’t really Elvis, but he could’ve fooled me. We actually had gotten to meet the performer before camp started, so we knew the surprise, but we had made sure not to tell a soul. The whole room was “all shook up”. People were singing along, and some, overcome with excitement, jumped on stage for a moment with the King. There were activities planned even after Elvis’ show, but we were beat, and decided to turn in early. The next day had a bit of free time scheduled which we spent in a variety of ways. Cynthia and Alicia did some songwriting while Kevin and Buddy took a trip to Dublin, the home of Dublin Dr. Pepper. They came back well stocked with glass bottles of special Dr. Pepper sweetened with real sugar. Later in the day Alicia, Cynthia, and Kevin took a spin on the zip-line out in the woods, which was both terrifying and exhilarating. The zip-line started so high off the ground, some of the clients decided not to jump off the tower after climbing all those stairs. The hard part was jumping; falling (or zipping down) was actually not that scary. The three of us had just enough time to shower and eat before our sound check and subsequent concert. We may not have been Elvis, but they were “all shook up” for our concert as well. The night ended with hugs and high fives, birthday wishes and requests for autographs. Who wouldn’t feel loved after all that? Sunday morning we picked up our instruments once again and led worship for the church service. One of the house’s Sunday school teachers gave the message; then Bill Joe ended the service by giving a few last announcements and releasing us to lunch. We left soon after lunch but not before stopping by the pool and saying our goodbyes to the delighted swimmers crowding the pool and slide. Looking at their smiling faces, we figured camp must’ve been a success. Not only had they had fun, but they had connected with others, and worshiped God together. They had been blessed through Rock House Camp Out, and we were blessed to be a part of it! ![]()
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The Pre-K children did not seem to need help with bravery, though. One of them in particular wanted to sing us random songs from school every time we saw him. They all were very enthusiastic during our music rotation in their room.
Overall, it was a good trip, and, with the possible exception of our busy Tuesday, pretty relaxing. We enjoyed getting to spend a lot of time with Pastor Greg Brumit and his family, our friend Jason Jones, and all of the Brenners. We even got to visit with a friend of Cynthia’s who just celebrated her 100th birthday! On Friday, we packed up and headed back to Houston. ![]() ![]() As we settle back into life at home and look back on the past two weeks, it’s hard to describe our trip with any one word, but several come to mind: fellowship, confirmation, inspiration, challenge. If we had to summarize our venture with one word, though, perhaps “blessing” would encapsulate the experience. Thinking of all the old and new friends we worked with, I hope that we were as much of a ministry to them as they were to us. I pray, like Paul, “- that [we] may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” (Ro 1:12) It seemed as though our trip started even before we left Houston. On Sunday, we were scheduled to lead worship at White Oak, our home church. Fellow church members, the Georges, had been asked to talk about their mission work in East Asia. It was good to see Jeff and Amy after so long. Jeff had a lot to talk about. He recounted the salvation stories of some of their newfound friends, and explained how the Baptist discipleship method worked. He told the staggering statistic of how many in their assigned people group have never heard the gospel. That’s why it is so important to train converts to teach the gospel on their own, because no one missionary can reach every person single-handedly. Listening to the spiritual needs around the globe caused us to wonder what part we might play in world missions in the future. Perhaps God will some day lead Canopy to minister in foreign lands. But in dreaming of world missions we were reminded of the importance of our current calling: to be faithful with the ministries He’s led us to right now in this little corner of the world. So, like missionary minstrels, we started the adventure with a renewed sense of purpose, though it might not have seemed so, as we donned our cowboy costumes in Waco’s small but vibrant church, Ecclesia to help with their cowboy-themed Bible School “Avalanche Ranch.” Kevin arranged his pots and pans and washboard while Buddy tuned his mandolin. Cynthia and Alicia practiced our Christian version of “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” and soon, in came a tiny crowd of precious souls. As usual it was a delight working with Ecclesia. Everyone in that church seems to give their all to the ministry, and after serving side by side with them time after time, they’ve become like family to us. It feels nice coming home. And then there are the Brenners, who must be our uncles, aunts, and cousins. All we’re lacking is the DNA to prove it. We await Waco trips with great anticipation, picturing the late night gaming, silliness, laughter, and deep discussions that are a given at Greg and Becka’s house. As the first week was coming to a close, though, our blessings were just beginning. Thursday we packed up and drove to West, Texas, a town about 30 minutes from Waco. We spent most of the first day at the campsite getting to know Lori Wymore who started Day Spring camp and New Vision Fellowship with her husband Larry. Lori was overflowing with praises and personal testimonies, and we drank in the encouragement, listening to story after story of how God gave the Wymores exactly what they needed when they needed it. They truly rely on God for “daily bread”. Larry and Lori made a decision when they started their ministry not to let people know what they needed, but instead to pray. That way when God provided, only He would get the glory. The campsite is amazing to look at when you think of how Larry Wymore built it all with the help of friends. Because so many of the congregation helped in making the chapel, it took less than a month to complete, and everything was constructed debt-free. The best thing about the ministry mindset at Day Spring, is that they offer all their services for free. They started the camp for those who normally could not afford to go to camp. If people want to offer a donation they will accept, but if someone asks how much, they will say, “Just give us the amount God tells you to give.” What a confirmation, to find a ministry that functions like ours. Conventional wisdom says that if a ministry offers itself for free, it will not have the money to continue. Larry and Lori’s response to that has always been, “If this is God’s work, He will keep us open.” We second that! The night services at Day Spring were worshipful; both those for camp and those for the following revival. As we led music on stage, many in the congregation put their all into glorifying God, and by the end of the week four people had even decided to trust Jesus as their savior for the first time! Dave Carter had come down from North Carolina to preach and perform skits with a small team of youth. He was also full of testimonies about miracles in his life and the lives of his congregants. It was evident that through his years of preaching, he had not lost his zeal. Dave displayed a love for the Kingdom of Heaven that was contagious. As we loaded our equipment into the van after our last service, it was hard to pry ourselves away from our newfound friends. They circled around and sent us off with a prayer. As we drove out of the camp, we all knew, God willing, we’d be back many times. I don’t suppose we could have predicted when we began this ministry the variety of tasks that lay ahead. “Life as usual” is something different every day, which certainly keeps things interesting. As is often the case, this fall we’ve found ourselves wearing many hats; specifically berets, snoods, and pith helmets. ![]()
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This year our week of preparation for Easter has been an especially rewarding journey. It started on Monday with a Seder hosted by Buddy and Alicia’s neighbor Marie. A Seder is a Jewish tradition celebrated during Passover. It is the time when Jews are to remember their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and thank the Lord for what he has brought them through. The actual word ‘Passover’ refers to the last plague with which God inflicted Egypt. Because Pharaoh the King of Egypt refused to let the Jewish slaves go, God passed through the land striking down every first born son of every household. But God gave very specific instructions to the Jewish people so that each of their first-born sons would be saved. They were to slaughter an unblemished male lamb at twilight and put some of its blood on the doorframes of their houses. God promised: “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13) For millennia, Jews all over the world have commemorated the Passover each year in obedience to God. During the seder meal participants read the Haggadah (the telling) and partake in the symbolic foods in response to various scriptures and traditional passages. At a Messianic Seder such as the one we attended, there is even more depth to the symbolic meal, because New Testament scriptures are included in the Haggadah showing how Jesus was the prophesied Messiah who fulfilled the final passover requirements for all time. Just before Jesus was crucified he shared a Seder meal with his disciples and told them that the bread was his body and the wine was his blood. In saying these things he foreshadowed how his sacrifice would save people from death. Those who are covered in the blood of Jesus (the unblemished lamb) will be passed over in the days of God’s final judgment. We had a worshipful experience on Monday while reading the Haggadah. Then we enjoyed Buddy and Marie’s cooking, which was especially flavorful that evening. Before and after the meal we sang Jewish-style songs in praise to God. It was an unforgettable night. Three days later we joined St. Luke’s Presbyterian for their Maundy Thursday service. This opportunity was born several months ago when we walked up to St. Luke’s one day with a guitar and asked if we could sing a song for those who were there. Those of us who met each other that day formed an instant bond. Marvin Gaspard, St. Luke’s music director, showed incredible enthusiasm for our ministry and has been an advocate ever since. He is truly a blessing to us. During the Maundy Thursday service, we sang several songs on our own as Canopy and several songs with St. Luke’s choir. Singing with the choir was a rare treat because the service incorporated a couple of classical songs including a Bach piece. In addition, St. Luke’s choir, although a fraction of the size of many other church choirs, fills a room with harmonious music as if they were a sea of professional singers. On Saturday, we sang for the second time at Cafe Soleil. It was a small turn-out, but it was fun to have Cynthia and Alicia’s parents in the audience this time. And we got to visit with Thu and Steve (the owners). It was great to share stories of how the Lord has blessed both of our families in allowing us to do the things we love (for us singing; for Thu styling hair and managing the cafe). We sang three sets of music; the first: standard Canopy repertoire; the second: Music and scriptures taking the listener through the life, death and resurection of Christ; the third: The Greek Easter song, “Christos Anesti” and several of the songs we sang at the seder on Monday. We are so thankful to the Lord for His brave sacrifice and victorious resurrection that give us the light of hope in this dark world. It has been a joy to sing of these holy blessings this week. We will continue to celebrate our wonderful Savior and devote to Him each note of music that comes from our voices and instruments. |
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![]() For the crowning conclusion of the trip, Canopy sang at Richfield Christian Church in the morning worship service. We had looked forward to this day because of how friendly Pastor David Story was when we first met him at the church office several months ago. This past Sunday, we were reunited with him and got to meet many of his church members who were very welcoming and kind. After the service, we got to spend more time with him and his wife over lunch after the service. David seems to be an unending stream of wit and wisdom, for instance, when asked how he and his wife met he replied, �She was wearing purple lipstick and I fell in love with her.�
![]() This was our first year to perform at the Excalibur Fantasy Festival in Lockhart, TX. Many of the people working at the faire had also been at the Texas Renaissance Festival, but seeing them every weekend for a month at Excalibur allowed us to get to know them better. Those who were once acquaintances are now friends. Singing at Excalibur also gave us a chance to vary our repertoire. We dusted off our Hobbit songs and Renaissance music and incorporated a couple of traditional Celtic melodies, too. While we were in the Austin area for Excalibur we had the privilege of meeting some brothers and sisters in Christ. We were especially thankful to have encountered Life Springs, a celebratory group of believers who exude a living faith. It was a joy to join them in worship for two Sundays and on the second Sunday to hear testimonies of God’s miraculous work. What an inspiration to see what the Lord is doing in this church! The weekend after Excalibur we performed at Backyard Burger in the Woodlands. There we got to see our long-time friend Susana as well as Tawana and Greg Moore who played before us at Carrie’s Coffee Mill a couple of months before. The next day, we worshiped with Iglesia Bautista Longpoint. We were all very nervous since we were presenting the program in Spanish, but the church was encouraging and welcoming. It is such a blessing to know that we share a bond in Christ that reaches past language barriers. Finally, Easter weekend found us at Coffee Oasis for the third time. This has become one of our favorite places to play. The atmosphere is laid-back and conducive to our style. Also, the extended set allows us to pull out music that we don’t get to play as often. We all look forward to being in the presence of the great black bean again in May.
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“ Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. “ |
Sephardic Music
Sephardic Music
Having participated in the golden age of classical Arab culture in the Near East, Jews played an important role in Spain as mediators between Arab and Christian culture, and Jewish poetry and music consequently reached a new pinnacle. In the 13th and 14th century Jews were also musicians at the Castilian court. Together with Arab musicians they played an important role in the performance of the “Cantigas de Santa Maria” (eleven of which tell of Jewish live and culture in Spain), compiled by King Alfonso el Sabio (1252-84)