A new composition for Good Friday
Mark Holmes A’Court is a multi-talented musician with a passion for composition. He’s planning to bring his instrumental talents to the upcoming Good Friday service at saint benedict’s table, where he will debut an original piece of music inspired by the narrative of the Passion.
“Its an essential story, so this is about finding ways to better understand it and reflect on it,” says Mark. “I’m using non-verbal ways to reflect on things that are harder to express with words, and easier to express with harmonic or melodic colours.”
The impetus for this project came from a recent call for artist residency applications through saint benedicts table. The church community has always valued active participation in the arts, and runs an annual Artists-In-Residence grant program to support the production of new artistic work.
Mark explains that following the completion of his Master of Arts in Music Composition, he welcomed opportunities to create new musical works. He has been a part of the saint benedict’s table community for some five years, recently rejoining the in-person community after a time in Toronto completing his Masters at York University. Some will recall him with a mandolin in hand, contributing to the worship team during Sunday evening liturgies.
Receiving an artist residency has inspired Mark in a special way. In addition to the important financial support the residency grants artists, he says that completing a creative work with the support of his home church community has been a fulsome and meaningful experience.
On Good Friday, listeners can expect to be drawn into the evocative drama of the crucifixion, as Mark hopes to weave expressive elements of the narrative of the Passion into his musical piece. Mark hopes that the instrumental piece will be “an offering and an expression not just from me, but for the community.”
This special day will also see Mark stepping into a leadership role on the worship team, as he is working with Jamie Howison to weave music throughout the order of the day, with the highlight being his new song. Mark will also involve other musicians on the team, and is currently composing music for piano, viola, and clarinet.
It is sure to be a busy day for Mark, as he also plans to lend his voice to another musical calling: as a member of the All Saints Choir. However, if his musical background is any indication, Mark is more than ready to rise to the challenge. He recently completed the “48 hour Opera Project”. Mark was part of a team of 5 musicians and performers who wrote, performed and recorded an original opera in just two days! Now called Lake & Ocean Collective the group uses online resources to collaborate and perform across physical distance (Mark and Emma Lytle are Winnipeg-based, while Mark Marinic, Anna Bigland-Pritchard, and Sydney Trotter are in British Columbia). Their opera, “How are You?”, won the People’s Choice Award in the recent 48-hour competition. Now, the group is looking forward to future projects.
Please join Mark and saint benedict’s table on Friday, April 15 at 4 pm, at All Saints Church or live-streaming on YouTube.