Part of the reason students keep coming back to MasterWorks is the spirit of community that pervades the festival. This was evidenced as the small-group Bible Studies were once again ranked as the favorite among students. This year we deviated from the traditional topical study to delve into the book of Matthew. Didn’t Jesus have some great things to say in his Sermon on the Mount? Many student also appreciated faculty devotionals. Thank you to our faculty who so willingly shared about the transforming work of the Lord in their lives.
One
student said her favorite aspect of the festival was the lack of cut-throat competition. But of course, what is an arts festival without a little bit of healthy competition? The stunning performances of the
student Concerto Competition winners Rebecca Benjamin, Hilary Lee and Caroline Chéhadé produced some of the orchestral highlights of the summer. Other orchestra highlights included solo performances by Alan Harrell, Jessica Mathaes, Christopher Wu and Anne Martindale Williams, Diana Haskell, Christopher Harding and the Haydn Quartet of Gert Kumi, Jacob Muzzy, Reid Messich and Terry Ewell.
Let’s give another round of applause to the Tech Team! From Rodeheaver
Auditorium, to the PAC, to McClain Auditorium, they literally ran all over town making sure the concerts ran smoothly. They might have been
walking around in invisible concert blacks, but their skill in coordinating, organizing, sets, lighting and costume design, photography, videography and audiography did not go unnoticed.
And speaking of McClain Auditorium, this year the Theatre Program gave a moving performance of William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker. The cast did a wonderful job and Olivia Wilder’s performance of Helen Keller was so believable she almost had Dr. Kavanaugh convinced she was blind. I heard of many people (myself included) who were moved to tears.
This
year we moved the ballet performance to the beautiful Performing Arts Center at Warsaw High School. The level of dancers was outstanding! We
also welcomed Shawn Stevens to the faculty and were treated her humorous take on the history of Ceccetti Ballet.
As usual, the WISP and SISP Program students were locked away in their practice rooms. If you did get a chance to see their faces, you might hav
e noticed the saxophone addition, headed by Andrew Somerville, to the WISP program. The SISP Program also welcomed a new faculty member, Sam
Formicola. They did make it out of the practice rooms long enough to give a recital. I hope you were able to watch these talented individuals!
The Piano Program was very active this year. The students were kept busy with masterclasses from two wonderful guest artists, Nelita True and Hugh Sung, the many fantastic faculty recitals, orchestra performance preludes, Honors Recital, Chamber recitals and of course program recitals.
The Guitar Program may be small, but it is not lacking in talent. These students are serious; Jeremy Collins showcased his very own composition for the program recital. The students were also joined by Chip and Karen
Hill’s youngest son, Nate Hill. It was this up-and-coming guitarist’s first MasterWorks performance. The students were joined by Michael
Patilla and Dr. Kavanaugh for Renaissance quartet finale, which sounded beautiful against the church’s acoustic backdrop.
If I had only two words to sum up MasterWorks 2010 they would be “blessing” and “beauty.” What a blessing it was to be surrounded by the talent and creativity that congregated in Winona Lake for four weeks.
What a blessing it was to meet 300 people from 300 walks of life. And what a beautiful thing it was to see all of this come together for the
purpose of reflecting our Creator. I hope that you all continue to live in the spirit of MasterWorks throughout the year. Until then... that’s a wrap.
--lafrederick, staff writer/editor
