A UNIQUE AND EXCITING FALL EVENT!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The DeKoven Center is proud to present acclaimed cellist, composer, producer and filmmaker Michael Fitzpatrick in Concert on November 5 at 7:00 in historic St. John’s Chapel.  The concert is entitled “Tuning the Planet,” honoring the long and unprecedented project Fitzpatrick has pursued in close association with the Dalai Lama. This sacred concert promises to be a unique event for the whole city. It will feature Fitzpatrick’s original compositions and musical meditations on music by J.S. Bach, Ravel, Faure, Schubert and Casals.

A reception in the chapel will follow the performance, with opportunity for conversation with Michael and CD signing.  CDs will be available for purchase.  Tickets are $20.00 and may be reserved by calling The DeKoven Center at 262-633-6401 or emailing kclark@dekovencenter.org.  They may also be purchased at the door.  Seating is limited.

Fitzpatrick is the recipient of the Prince Charles Award for Outstanding Musicianship conferred by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales.  He has worked musically with His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the past 15 years on the TUNING THE PLANET project, a musical and film presentation of immense scope dedicated to peace among nations and between all people. A special part of the project involves chanting by Tibetan monks and monks of Thomas Merton’s Gethsemene Abbey in Kentucky, a presentation never before achieved.

Fitzpatrick has performed as soloist around the world, including at the Hollywood Bowl, the National Cathedral, the United Nations, Lincoln Center, the House of Blues, and the United States Capitol West Lawn.  His affiliation with the DeKoven Center dates back several decades to his study at Northwestern University School of Music, from which he received a Bachelor of Music in 1986, and the Performer’s Certificate in 1994. His previous concert in St. John’s Chapel was in 1994.

From The New York Times: “ Virtuosity – a sense of humor – and an ear for musical dialogue.”

From “The Huffington Post: “Possessed of a chill-axed surfer dude vibe, what Fitzpatrick does with a cello cannot adequately be described as mere music; I can best describe the sounds he pours out of that four-stringed instrument as simple beauty that fills one’s soul with nothing less than pure joy and peace.”

Additional information available at www.michaelfitzpatrick.com.  For further information on the performance email kclark@dekovencenter.org

Click for Registration Form

Click for Registration Form

Mitchell Motors played a great role in creating history for Racine, and The DeKoven center as well. Some of the classic Mitchell automobiles came back for a visit, enjoy a few photos of true Racine vintage.

A HUGE thanks to The DeKoven Center, Barnes and Noble Racine, Spectrum School of the Arts and The Racine Public Library for making Hogwarts Comes to DeKoven 2011 such an awesome event!

Our Spring 2011 Newsletter is here! Click the link to read about upcoming events, recent news and ways you can help the DeKoven Center.

The DeKoven Center is happy to announce poet, scholar, and teacher, The Rev. John Philip Newell, will give a talk in The Great Hall on Sunday, May 15.

Newell, formerly Warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, is currently Writer Theologian for the Scottish Cathedral of the Isles as well as Companion Theologian for the American Spirituality Centre of Casa del Sol in New Mexico. He is internationally acclaimed for his work in the field of Celtic spirituality, including his best known titles Listening for the Heartbeat of God and his poetic book of prayer Sounds of the Eternal.

He is a Church of Scotland minister with a passion for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue. Canadian by birth, he lives in Edinburgh with his family where he undertook his doctoral research in Celtic Christianity. Since then he has played a leading role on both sides of the Atlantic in the re-birthing of a creation spirituality for today.

Newell’s public program is the fifth installment in DeKoven’s New Wine series, which aims to encourage different ways of looking at faith issues, within the context of today’s world.

Newell will speak at DeKoven on Sunday, May 15 beginning with a reception at 5 p.m. He will give an address and answer questions from the audience at 7 p.m. Guests may opt to spend the night in Taylor Hall with Newell and join him for breakfast on Monday morning.

A suggested donation of $50 is recommended for the New Wine dinner and Newell’s talk. There is an additional fee to stay overnight and meet Newell for breakfast on May 16. To register to see Newell contact Julia Peyton at: jpeyton@dekovencenter.org

Dietrich Boenhoefer writes a nice blog about his family’s recent visit to The DeKoven Center. Here’s part of his post:

As the slide show will show, it is indeed a grand old place. Lots of Victorian Gothic buildings and beautiful grounds. We were staying in Taylor Hall, which was the dormitory back in the day. I think we were the only visitors during the week, so we had the whole massive floor to ourselves. There was a wedding party renting the place out over the weekend, so we left before that. My daughter loved running up and down the hall, which is about a football field long.

Thanks to Dietrich and his family for their visit, and the kind words!

The DeKoven Center’s Second Tuesdays Series begins its seventh year on Sept. 14 with a discussion about “overshadowing.”

Kitty Clark will lead conversation and meditation on Angel Gabriel’s words to Mary at the Annuciation, as told by St. Luke: “The Spirit of the Lord will come up on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” And yet, in God’s own divine economy, these words are for us too, and for all humanity. We live in that overshadowing. The life of God present to his creation is the testimony of saints and sages alike. Sometimes I think we know this, Kitty reflects, sometimes not. But the overshadowing is there all the same, and God’s invitation and hope in us does not fail. The gift is God’s, but the response can only be ours. Her meditation invites us into the mystery. “We all know more than we know that we know,” American author Thornton Wilder reminds us.

There is no charge for Second Tuesdays at DeKoven, but a free-willing offering is appreciated. Conversation and coffee begin at 10 a.m. and Meditation is at 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact Kitty Clark at kclark@dekovencenter.org

“Welsh metaphysicals” will be the topic for reflection during “Second Tuesdays with Travis” at 10 a.m. on Nov. 9 at The DeKoven Center.

The Rev. Travis DePriest will lead conversation and meditation on “Thomas Traherne: Poet of Felicity.” It’s the latest in Travis’ series that has featured George Herbert, Katharine Phillips and Henry Vaughan. Here’s the full description of the class:

For this reflection, we will continue our visits with “the Welsh metaphysicals,” Travis says. “This time with Thomas Traherne added to the list.” So far he has invited George Herbert, Katharine Phillips, and Henry Vaughan to our Second Tuesdays, and we have been graced by each poet’s particular charm and wisdom. Traherne is perhaps a poet many already know and will anticipate happily. “Savoring his wondrous poetry and luxuriant prose will be a treat for everyone,” Travis assures us. A treat indeed! Travis of course is a gifted teacher. He has presented each poet as friend to friends. The visits have been as memorable as the introductions!

There is no charge for Second Tuesdays at DeKoven, but a free-will offering is appreciated. Coffee and conversation begin at 10 a.m. and Meditation begins at 10:30. For more information, contact Kitty Clark at kclark@dekovencenter.org