Songs of Freedom
Mark Miller
Swarthmore United Methodist Church has hosted several educational fundraising events in support of Justice for Our Neighbors of the Delaware Valley (JFON), which provides pro bono immigration support services. The church will hold another one, “Songs of Freedom,” on Saturday, October 16, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., on the church lawn. This event is sponsored by the congregations that belong to the Reconciling Network of Eastern PA Conference of the United Methodist Church, an LGBTQ+ advocacy caucus. Other local churches that will participate include Drexel Hill UMC, Arch Street UMC in Philadelphia, and St. Luke’s UMC in Bryn Mawr. A $20 donation is suggested.
The concert will begin inside the church at 3 p.m. with an organ recital by Mark Miller, a Juilliard graduate, who since 2006 has been a lecturer in sacred music at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale Divinity School. He also teaches at Drew University and is the music minister at a church in Summit, New Jersey. Mark brings to his work the belief that music, social justice, and the beloved community are inextricably tied.
After the organ recital, the concert will move outdoors to the church lawn, where the program will include speakers and soloist performances, interspersed with several numbers performed by a “flash choir.” The choir is currently being formed, and members of the community are invited to join. No experience is needed, but there will be a mandatory rehearsal inside the church with Mark Miller at 10 a.m. on the day of the concert. Masks are required for the rehearsal, but all performances will take place outdoors, where masks are optional, but encouraged if unvaccinated. Contact the church office at officeswarthmore@gmail.com to receive the sheet music ahead of time.
Some chairs will be set up outside, but everyone is encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. Seasonally appropriate baked goods will be offered for sale (it’s rumored that these may include pawpaw delicacies!) Look for food trucks at the event. All participants will learn about how they can volunteer for JFON, which particularly needs translators (primarily for Spanish, Creole, French, Dari, and Pashto) and also retired or semi-retired lawyers willing to be trained in immigration law so that the program can offer more immigration clinics to those it serves.
