An expanded Spiritfest programme sees a number of new additions this year, including an Evensong where the musical content is entirely South African, and a Festival Eucharist with a Mass setting composed by young choristers.
An expanded Spiritfest programme sees a number of new additions this year, including an Evensong where the musical content is entirely South African, and a Festival Eucharist with a Mass setting composed by young choristers.
Spiritfest takes place from Thursday 3 to Sunday 13 July at Grahamstown Cathedral and other churches and venues in the city (see advertisement). The full programme is available here.
Among innovations this year is the Spiritfest Fringe, which sees award-winning playwright and poet, Chris Mann, presenting a new play, “The Ballad of Dirk de Bruin”.
De Bruin is played by David Butler, acclaimed for his portrayal of independent-minded Afrikaners, such as Herman Charles Bosman and Braam Fischer. Mann will also launch “Rudiments of Grace”, a book of poetry which affirms “love-centred spirituality in defiance of commercialised values.”
Also on the Spiritfest Fringe, an open mic session will invite festival-goers to contribute their own poems, songs or testimonies.
A lecture series by the Jesuit Institute, which is contributing to Spiritfest for the first time, will explore how God is present in the arts, from dance and music – to the world of Harry Potter.
Operation Mobilisation (OM) is also coming to Spiritfest for the first time, and will be presenting an exhibition next door to the Long Table Restaurant, with artists in residence.
OM will collaborate with the Cathedral Choir in the special “Evensong for Artists”, on 4 July at 5.30pm in the Cathedral, a service of worship with South African music, during which visual art works will be displayed and created.
