Making Music: The Good News Festival

When the Rev. Canon Gwynn Lynch first approached me about leading the music for the Good News Festival Revival Service with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, you can imagine the excitement I felt about this great honor and opportunity. Having seen Bishop Curry speak at the Royal Wedding and other occasions, I knew what a wonderful experience we would be in for with his powerful preaching and dynamic personality (plus, we are both big Buffalo Bills fans).

While the Festival had been delayed due to the pandemic the past two years, it has given us much more time to plan and vision what the December 9-10, 2022, weekend will finally be. I am a witness to the enthusiasm and anticipation from the Good News Festival Team as we approach the big, long-awaited day.

Planning music for a large Revival service was initially intimidating. The music needs to be transformative for cradle Episcopalians and those new to the denomination, and even those who have yet to learn about the love of Jesus. 

The liturgy and music should be accessible to people from all walks of life, with familiar or uncomplicated melodies. Our Episcopal traditions and heritage give us a wonderful framework from which to build our services, but an occasion like this requires thoughtful innovation to resonate with as many people as possible. You can look forward to an amazing evening filled with engaging music, community, and top-notch preaching. 

Working with the Good News Festival Team has been a great experience, as our synchronous ability to step outside the liturgical ‘box’ of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer has yielded an evening that has a beautiful arc of emotion, from powerful, praise-filled exultations to introspective moments of prayer and healing. 

You can look forward to the Good News Festival Band that encompasses musicians from across the Diocese, and I am very much looking forward to working with these amazing individuals as we collaborate on this momentous weekend. 

Themes of “Good News” and Revival will echo in our collective hearts and voices throughout the evening, and we look forward to sharing the experience with you all!

To learn more about the Good News Festival, its workshops, marketplace, and prayer opportunities, visit www.thegoodnewsfestival.com and save your seat.