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Mary Rocap: Home

mary at the eno

Welcome to my website.

Lots of information here about my music, writing, and craft.

Exciting Program coming up with a group I co-founded:

St. Matthew’s Faith and the Arts 2010 Series

Thursday, January 28, 7:30 p.m.

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Readings by Lee Smith paired with spirituals & hymns sung by The St. Matthew’s Women’s Singing Circle

210 St. Mary’s Road, Hillsborough

919-732-9308

www.stmatthewshillsborough.com

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church is pleased offer a Faith & The Arts Series for the enjoyment of the wider community. The first program in this series, “How Can I Keep from Singing,” will be an evening of words: spoken and sung. Lee Smith, truly one of Hillsborough’s treasures, will be reading from three of her novels, On Agate Hill, Saving Grace, and The Devils’ Dream. These readings will be paired with hymns and spirituals sung by The St. Matthew’s Women’s Singing Circle.

Lee Smith is the author of eleven novels. Her novel The Last Girls was a New York Times bestseller as well as a winner of the Southern Book Critics Circle Award. The musical Good ol’ Girls, inspired by her writing, is nominated for a Regional Emmy this year and will open in New York City next month.

The St. Matthew’s Women’s Singing Circle is a group which came together last spring and meets monthly for Compline, a service of evening prayer, and a time of unaccompanied singing of traditional sacred music. According to co-founder Mary Rocap, the group “is more about process - we sing to sing - to release the song. We don’t sing from scored music. We find the harmony from within.” Similar to the style of Sacred Harp, the focus lies with singing spiritually meaningful words and creating powerful music in community.

The format will emphasize how traditional music has deeply informed much of Lee’s writing and how, in turn, her writings have inspired the interpretation of the songs for the Women’s Singing Circle. Like a patchwork quilt, the varying textures and colors combine to create a new and wonderful work of art.

Good songs endure. In her novel The Devil’s Dream, the character Ezekiel asks his aunt, “Aunt Dot, how come you sing that old song? How come you don’t sing something pretty?” She answers, “Honey, they is pretty singing, and then they is true singing.”

You are invited to be a part of this remarkable evening of true story telling and true singing.

The program will be followed by a reception and book signing. Tickets are $10 and can be bought through The Burwell School, St. Matthew’s Parish Office, or at the door. Proceeds will go to benefit both The Burwell School Historic Site and support St. Matthew’s Faith and the Arts programming.

The St. Matthew’s Faith & The Arts 2010 Series:

Thursday, January 28: Lee Smith and The St. Matthew’s Women’s Singing Circle

Saturday, February 13: Ana Hernandez Chant Workshop & Concert

Saturday, May 8: Cantari in Concert

Friday, May 21: Michael Malone & Maureen Quilligan’s Concert Version of the Musical Guys & Dolls

Saturday, May 22: Workshop led by The Rev. Tad & his wife, The Rev. Ann Meyer on the nature of courtship & marriage

Thursday, October 14: Pierce Pettis in Concert

Contact: Mary Rocap, Parish Administrator, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

919.732.9308

210 St. Mary’s Road

Hillsborough, NC 27278

welcome@stmatthewshillsborough.org

www.stmatthewshillsborough.org

Regards as always,

Mary