COMING IN MARCH 2012
TO ST. PETER’S CHURCH CENTRE:

UNLOCK THE MUSIC

With singing lessons, workshop and performance

Unlock the Music draws on a community of music teachers, their pupils and guest performers who believe in live music making. With a wide variety of talented individuals and groups and with a very wide range of musical tastes, we can create a great mixture of music and words. Unlock the Music performances include classical singers and instrumentalists, contemporary popular singing, songs from the shows and songs from 1920s-40s, belly dancing, physical theatre and street dancing, poetry and prose. We believe in live music making and family entertainment in the community.

March 2012 will be the start of Unlock the Music extending its music making events in local communities in Warwickshire. We are keen to develop contacts in villages and towns who are interested in joining our music making events, whether that is a workshop, singing lessons or guest appearances at our concerts. Other music teachers may wish to contact us and put forward one of their star pupils for a guest appearance.

The following events are taking place in your excellent St Peter's Church Centre.

MARCH 3RD
2.00-4.00 SINGING WORKSHOP
Tickets £10 with all concessions £6

Lizzie will be offering an insight into her singing teaching techniques which aim to support her pupils to understand how to practise and develop their breath control and free up their vocal range. Lizzie's teaching is grounded in the classical singing tradition from which all styles of music are catered for. Lizzie herself is a singer songwriter. The workshop is for all comers and will include breathing and singing exercises, some group singing and some chances for a few more confident folk to engage in mini master class lesson. The workshop will commence with a short performance from one of the pupils. Lizzie will adapt the programmes to suit the participants.

We are so looking forward to getting to know the community in Wellesbourne and hope you will take us up on our invite to local singers to get yourselves a copy of "come ye sons of art" and learn the three choruses to join in our performance. We have our own little choir who will welcome you wholeheartedly under the baton of our conductor James Felix.

Call Lizzie on 07941 565311 for tickets and for more information about anything mentioned here.

MY SON

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, ‘Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.’ The young man held out this package. ‘I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.’

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture... ‘Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.’ The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. ‘We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?’

There was silence... Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.' But the auctioneer persisted. ‘Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?’ Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!' But still the auctioneer continued. ‘The son! The son! Who'll take the son?’

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. ‘We have $10, who will bid $20?’ 'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.' The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel... ‘Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!’ A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!' The auctioneer laid down his gavel. ‘I'm sorry, the auction is over.’ 'What about the paintings?' ‘I am sorry. When I was asked to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!’

God gave His son over 2,000 years ago to die on the Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: ‘The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?’ Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything!

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON: WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. . . . .

THAT'S LOVE.