Zeina Kayali on the Musician Wadi Sabra
Helping Hand Society held its monthly meeting on Friday, Jan.26, 2018. Rev. Habib Badr talked about the role of music in our life and church. Then the guest speaker, Mrs Zeina Kayali, talked about the Lebanese composer and founder of the National Higher Conservatory of Music Wadi Sabra (1876-1952). Sabra is best known today as the composer of the Lebanese National Anthem. Someone from Sabra's family handed Mrs Kayali before two year Sabra's archive, and Dr Kayali is about to finish her book about his life and his musical works (including other Lebanese composers). Mrs. Kayali aims to highlight the musical Lebanese heritage through her publication and concerts sponsored by UNESCO Paris.
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Beirut
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity for this year took place at the Maronite Patriarchate residence, Bkerki - Lebanon, on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018, and the closing service was at St. Mark Coptic Church - Jesr El-Basha, Beirut, on Sunday Jan. 28. Rev. Habib Badr participated in that prayer, and the them was taken from the Book of Exodus 15:6: "Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power". The speeches focused on the mission the church in Middle East in protecting the vulnerables and liberating the oppressed. The program that prepared by the churches of the Caribbean this year, was adopted, translated and contextualized by the ecumenical churches in Lebanon.
(Poster: Arabic; Booklet: Arabic - English).
3rd Lebanese Pipe Organ Week
The 3rd Lebanese Pipe Organ Week in Lebanon was ended at our church on February 4, 2018. The Polish organist Krzysztof Musiał performed 4 pieces to Bach (Adagio and Fugue; Dies sind die heil'gen zehn Gebot; Jesus Christus, unser Heiland; Aus tiefer Not schrei' ich zu Dir), one to Mieczyslaw Surzynski (Elegia, op. 30) and one to August Gottfried Ritter (Sonata in E minor, op. 19).
The organizers (NDU and Terra Sancta Organ Festival) with the initiators (Fr. Seryani and Fr. Rahme) promised to program the opening Week for next year in our church, since the idea was created from the beginning in this place. Fr. Rahme mentioned also the importance of training local people on this great instrument, and that last week two Lebanese and one Syrian musicians played on pipe organ in Tripoli. Rev. Habib said as well that pipe organ music is a sign of our presence in Lebanon and Middle East, and that last December Schneller School had a ceremony to dedicated a renovated pipe organ offered by a church in Scotland to our school.
See the Poster or the Program to learn more about this concerts
Khalil Ramez Sarkis
The Helping Hand Association at the NECB held its monthly meeting on Feb.16, 2018 at 3:30pm. The speaker was Ms Rasha Al Amir, a novelist, a cultural critic and the owner and director of the publication house Dar Aljadid. She spoke to the ladies about Khalil Ramez Sarkis, a member of our church, who was one of the prominent thinkers in the cultural life in Lebanon. Rasha sent a letter of love and deep appreciation to Sarkis by narrating his life story from the early roots of the Sarkis family in the 19th century till his death 5 months ago. She also talked about his books and his linguistic and translation talents. The wife of the late Sarkis, Joan, attended the meeting.
The HH also celebrated the 90th Birthday of one of its members, Mrs.Tutti Khoury wishing her many happy returns and God's blessings.
