“How Sweet the Sound” is an innovative musical event taking place February 1 at 3:00 p.m. at Annunciation Cathedral in Columbus. Through the performances and presentations, the conference asks: What can a musical style from one Christian tradition reveal about another? What can we learn about one another through musical collaboration and experimentation? And how can music help us build bridges across communities? This event will explore the connections between Eastern Orthodoxy and Black Gospel music by presenting a newly-composed setting of the Orthodox Vespers in a Black Gospel style. The composer, Dr. Shawn Wallace, is a professor of jazz at The Ohio State University and a convert to Orthodoxy. The performers are experts in the Black Gospel tradition.

The performance will be preceded by presentations from Dr. Peter Bouteneff, a professor of Systemic Technology at St. Vladimir’s Seminary (who also directs of the Arvo Part project there) and Father Moses Berry, a priest of the Orthodox Church of America who specializes in the connections between African Orthodoxy and the African-American experience. Tickets are free but obtaining one before January 31st is requested. For more details, visit: http://www.howsweetthesound.net