November was an exciting month for DEETER as we worked with the Presbytery of Philadelphia to produce One Joyful Choir (OJC) – a presbytery-wide festive choral celebration of sacred music.

The event took place at the Kimmel Center on Saturday, November 17. The 467-member choir, representing 61 churches in the presbytery, rehearsed for months for the performance, and Dr. Anton Armstrong of St. Olaf’s College in Northfield, Minnesota was the guest conductor. The liturgy was written and read by poet and musician, Susan Palo Cherwien, and wove together the 12 musical selections in the repertoire. Organ, brass, and percussion accompanied the choir.

Prior to the concert, there was an expo and festival held at Broad Street Ministry. The festival featured music and educational exhibits, along with performances and seminars by actor Jeff Coon; well-known children’s music expert Dr. Helen Kemp; singer Rosalind McKelvey; sound expert Dave Corson; and Wanda Harris Cooper, whose expertise is liturgical dance.

This event was in the planning stages for nearly three years and was staffed totally by volunteers, including all members of the DEETER team. Proceeds benefitted five mission projects in the region – the John Gloucester House, Chester Eastside Ministries, the Point Breeze Habitat for Humanity project, Camp Kirkwood, and urban ministry grants.

DEETER coordinated the production of OJC CDs and DVDs of the concert in addition to a variety of premium items that are all currently available for purchase at www.onejoyfulchoir.org. This Web site also includes an OJC blog with photos of the event and rehearsals.

In other news, we helped Morrisville Presbyterian Church create a brand new name and look for their monthly newsletter MPC Currents. We also welcomed The Association for Independent Growth (TAIG) as a new client and we are currently working to design three new Web sites for this not-for-profit organization.

** Be sure to visit the What's New At DEETER Archive. **