Bethlehem Star Music

July Newsletter

2008-07-15T12:38:00.004+03:00

The ministries of the Christmas Lutheran Church are not only thriving, but expanding and improving in new and creative ways. A new center for artisans, Dar al-Balad, just opened in Beit Sahour, a Christian village adjacent to Bethlehem. Bethlehem Star Music continues to grow, now under the joint leadership of Joseph Duqmaq and myself. Joseph, a native of Bethlehem and graduate of Amman Conservatory of Music, joined the staff during my recent itineration in the United States. The music program of Dar al-Kalima College, offering the first music performance degree available in Palestine, will begin courses on September 12.

The Palestinian Authority, which has accredited the college and its music program, requires that at least one full-time music staff member hold a master’s degree in music. I am scheduled to finish studies for a Master of Music Education degree from Boston University at the end of this summer. As the head of the music program, I will be the only full-time staff member in the music program—and only the sixth full-time faculty member in the entire college. Five Palestinian music teachers will join me, all of whom will be part-time and who hold bachelors degrees in music. This means that, at this time, in order for the music performance degree to begin, I must be in Bethlehem. Unfortunately, the music program is the least funded of all college programs and cannot afford my stipend.

You can provide the necessary funding for my stipend, and thus enable the first music performance degree in Palestine to be launched on September 12, 2008. When you donate to “Matt’s music ministry,” 100% of your money goes toward my stipend and is tax deductible. Attached is a form with the mailing address for your donations, and a form that you may include with your donation so the money is credited accordingly.

Checks may be mailed to

Bright Stars of Bethlehem
212 East Capitol Street NE
Washington DC 20003
*In the memo line, write “Matt’s music ministry.”

Without your support, this unprecedented opportunity for young musicians in Bethlehem will not succeed.

Thank you for your previous and continuing support for musicians, and for my work here.

Yours sincerely,
Matthew Middleton

Donate a Piano

2008-07-04T12:58:00.006+03:00

The piano you see in the photos during the performance of Vivaldi's Gloria is no longer in the Christmas Lutheran Church. Due to the change of venue of the National Conservatory of Music and the addition of Dar Al-Kalima College, there is no longer any piano on which to make music either during performances or worship services. Rather, performances and services are being accompanied by an aging, small, and damaged keyboard.

If you would like to donate a piano to the Christmas Lutheran Church, contact me, Matt Middleton, via email at mmiddleton@annadwa.org, or our sales representative for price and shipping options, Steve Tunnell, stunnell@steinwaydallas.com.

Vivaldi Gloria

2008-07-04T12:30:00.003+03:00

On March 29, 2008, two Bethlehem Star Music ensembles performed the famed oratorio of Antonio Vivaldi, Gloria. The Chorus rehearsed for 10 months prior to performance, being joined by the Chamber Ensemble in the last two months of preparations. With performers from Palestine, Germany, the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden and more, the eclectic group gave a cohesive performance and one that reflected their commitment to making beautiful music despite the challenging circumstances in which they find themselves.

Our two soloists were both from the United States. Janet Lewis, soprano, is now the regional liaison for the United Methodist Church in Palestine and Israel. Faith Rowold, mezzo-soprano, is a communications officer for Diyar Consortium and Bright Stars of Bethlehem. We were also joined on double-bass by the principal of Talitha Kumi School in Beit Jala, Dr. Georg Durr, who is committed to have every one of his 800 students learn at least one musical instrument. Four advanced students from the National Conservatory of Music in Beit Sahour composed the violin section, and several elders from the Christmas Lutheran Church participated in the Chorus, among other professional musicians and volunteers.

Valentina Returns!

2007-08-16T16:48:00.000+03:00

After spending the summer in her native Ukraine, Valentina Mustafa recently returned to Bethlehem and I am thrilled that we have resumed rehearsals. We are currently preparing for fall concerts in Bethlehem and Ramallah. One of the reasons I enjoy working with Valentina, besides the fact that she is the hardest working member of the music program and a fantastic soprano, is her cheerful and dramatic personality. Few people could ever rival her sense of spontaneity combined with dedicated and productive work ethic.

Valentina and I are basing our fall concerts on similar but expanded repertoire as last spring, romances from the great Russian composers, refining our musical collaboration and delving deeper into the works of Tchaikowsky and Rachmaninoff. Make no mistake, these guys rarely wrote an easy piece and we have plenty of work to do in our near future. However, bringing to life the poetry and music of late nineteenth century and early twentieth century Russia, a rare event in the West Bank, is more than enough reward.

Why Teach Music?

2007-08-05T21:15:00.001+03:00

In founding a fine arts institution in the Middle East, the staff of Dar al-Kalima College are making a concrete statement that music and the arts in general have the ability to improve quality of life. Anthony J. Palmer, Professor of Music at Boston University, presents a defense of including music as a part of education. Here is what he has to say:

"To ask why the human species makes music is a fundamental question. If we can discover even partial answers, we might be better able to understand what the music making process is about, what benefits it bestows on makers and recipients, and what potential it might hold for an increase in life's satisfactions and understandings.

"I have argued previously that there is a genetic disposition to make music (Palmer, 1997). That is, there is a psychological imperative to express through an organized sound system - developed by all cultures - their innermost thoughts, desires, longings, joys, and vicissitudes of life's experiences. Music is a human expression that helps to answer the basic questions of life's existence: Why am I? Why am I here? What is this 'here' of which I am aware?

"The arts, and music in particular, helped to ease the reconciliation between opposites like good and evil, the physical and the metaphysical, the explicable and indefinable, and the phenomenal and numinous. Humankind lives a psychic existence and finds that music is a necessary expression that permeates the mental world in which it exists. Music is both expressive of and expressive for the inexplicable and mysterious experience we call life."

Taken from "Cultural Interpretation and Contemporary Music Education" by Anthony J. Palmer.

Welcoming the first cellist on staff

2007-08-05T20:48:00.000+03:00

Our newest personnel addition to the music program is a young American musician, linguist and environmentalist, Nachy Kanfer. A recent Yale graduate and Fulbright Scholar in Damascus, Syria, Nachy will be playing cello in the Bethlehem Star Quintet and working directly with me as his accompanist. The first task we adopted is a bit daunting, the magnificent cello sonata of Sergei Rachmaninoff. I am hoping that the Quintet will act as a nucleus for a larger amateur chamber ensemble with advanced performers from the National Conservatory of Music and Dar al-Kalima College.

Nachy is also co-founder of LifeSource, an environmental organization designed to research and document water rights and access in Israel/Palestine. If you are interested in learning more or want to support this largely unprecedented research and upcoming documentary film, contact Nachy directly at nachy@thelifesourceproject.org.

Dandanat 2007

2007-07-06T19:21:00.000+03:00

A gathering of Swedish and Palestine bands, the 2007 Dandanat Festival held at the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB) began on Thursday, July 6. Young adult rock, hip hop and rap musicians spend their days in music workshops, sharing ideas and preparing for one of three concerts held during the four day festival. Swedish band members have the opportunity to learn about Palestinian and Israeli culture during their tour, while Palestinians learn and explore new musical ideas from their European counterparts.

One Palestinian rap artist living in Ramallah, Jad, says his lyrics are designed both to tell of his people's suffering under occupation, while encouraging listeners to be proactive, productive and hopeful. Friday's concert will mark his debut performance in Bethlehem.

Young singer, guitarist and budding composer Garo Demerjian (pictured below) also made his debut at the ICB's Addar Auditorium. Garo has been a member of the Bethlehem Star Band since its launch 5 months ago. Though currently a student at Bethlehem University, Garo has accepted a place on the bachelor of music program at Amman Conservatory, Jordan, beginning in August.

Garo's departure highlights the necessity for the West Bank to offer its own collegiate music program, a need that will be met first within the coming years by Dar Al-Kalima College.

Gospel Award

2007-07-02T22:20:00.000+03:00

The 2006 Gospel Award, based in Hamburg, Germany, granted two music institutions, one in Israel and one in Palestine, financial support to continue their work in building bridges through music and celebrating diversity. The Gospel Award presented the grants on a recent Wishes of Peace concert tour.

I [Matt Middleton] gratefully accepted the award on behalf of Bethlehem Star Music, presented during a performance of our choir and chamber trio, joined by guest Palestinian and German musicians. Below is an excerpt from the live interview:

What is your philosophy in the music program?

My philosophy is quite simple: to let people make music. The talent is here. The motivation is here. The people are here. At the International Center and Christmas Church, we provide a place where people can meet to rehearse and perform. It is exciting for me when I see people smile – when they are having fun and when music brightens their day.

What role does music play at the International Center?

Music is only one of many programs hosted by the International Center. We celebrate life through music, art, education, and sometimes just sitting quietly and enjoying a delicious cappuccino.

Is there a chance that music will actually break down the walls in our hearts?

I dare say that today, at least on this stage, you will not find the walls of which you are speaking. Our choir, and all of our musicians, comes from a huge variety of nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. In our choir alone we have people from Palestine, Germany, Austria, Sweden, England and the United States.

Walls in Bethlehem today are not found so much in people’s hearts as on the ground. While our music will most likely not bring down the wall that surrounds Bethlehem, at least, in the midst of occupation, we find reasons to sing and be happy.

Wissam Murad in Concert

2007-06-27T03:41:00.000+03:00

Wissam Murad, leading composer and performer of the West Bank, performed at the International Center of Bethlehem's Addar Auditorium on June 26, 2007. Originally from East Jerusalem, Wissam studied music at the Rubin Academy of Music (West Jerusalem, Israel) and now works for the premier music recording and education venue of Palestine, Sabreen Association for Artistic Development. www.sabreen.org

Upon accreditation of the music program at Dar Al-Kalima College, Wissam will join the faculty to oversee all Arabic music components of the program in addition to his teaching schedule of music arranging, oud, percussion and voice performance.

Mitri Raheb on Culture

2007-06-27T03:10:00.000+03:00

Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of the Lutheran Christmas Church and President of Diyar, has spent most of his adult life founding and nurturing cultural and educational outreach ministries of the church. Here is what he has to say about the necessity of culture in Bethlehem:

"Often I meet people and donors who think that culture in this context is a luxury we Palestinians cannot and should not afford. For these donors, [humanitarian] relief is what the Palestinians need under occupation. They need bread to eat, to fill their stomach so that they can think. This is usually the logic used.

"Our tragedy as Palestinians has been that our struggle and since the Balfour Declaration has been often portrayed as a humanitarian crisis rather than one that has to do with identity and self-determination. But people 'shall not live by bread alone'.

"Culture is one of the most important elements for people’s survival. Under immense constrains and in the most immoral situations, culture is the art to learn how to breathe normally. In contexts of conflicts, people are concentrating mainly on those who 'kill the body' but often they forget about those who 'kill the soul', i.e. the dignity, creativity and vision of a people.

"Culture is the art for the soul not only to survive but to thrive. Culture is the art to refuse being just on the receiving end, to resist being perceived only as a mere victim. Culture is the art of becoming an actor rather than a spectator. It is the art of celebrating life in a context still dominated by forces of death and domination, an art of resisting creatively and non-violently."

The outreach ministries of the Christmas Church are based on the words of Jesus as recorded in John 10:10, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Greek Influence: Music

2007-06-23T12:37:00.001+03:00

Christian missionary and musicologist of the Near East, W.H. Temple Gairdner (1873-1928) contemplated the source of Arabic and Orthodox church music as he heard it during the early 20th century and transcribed in his unprecedented publication, Oriental Hymn Tunes. He had this to say:

"There is reason for believing that the ultimate fons et origo of the music of the whole near east is Greece. The original language of the Book of Daniel proves that Greek music was imposing its nomenclature on Semitic countries some centuries before Christ. The wonderful musical system which, as we know from Plato, had been still earlier fully worked out in Greece, was evidently carried by the conquests of Alexander and his successors all through the Orient, and must have formed part of the culture which was absorbed by the east at that time. It was thus Greek music, which early Christianity found regnant, and the later triumph of Greek influence in Eastern Christendom would confirm the hold of Greek music on all the land under Byzantine influence, including Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. The entrance of the Arabs (the "Saracens") in the seventh century, and later of the Turks, would not alter this. Both Arabs and Turks borrowed everything that had to do with culture, except their languages, from others. The Arabs absorbed that of their Greco-Christian provinces. And so, though no doubt the long centuries with their ebb and flow of conquest wrought great modifications, it seems reasonable to believe that the musical system of all these lands remained Greek in fundamental character.

"This historical reconstruction is admittedly a priori and hypothetical; for, as a matter of fact, the history and fate of Greek music after the classical age lies shrouded in almost complete obscurity. In the absence of facts, however, the above reasoning appears to be resonable."1

1 W.H.T. Gairdner, Oriental Hymn Tunes: Egyptian and Syrian, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1930, p. 15.

Soprano Concert

2007-06-21T15:23:00.000+03:00

Originally from the Ukraine, soprano Valentina Mustafa performed music of love and romance from the extraordinary Russian composers Tschaikowsky, Rachmaninoff, and more, at the International Center of Bethlehem's (ICB) Addar Auditorium on Tuesday, June 19. Valentina, a graduate of the Kiev Conservatory of Music, left Ukraine for Jordan shortly after marrying Dr. Walid Mustafa, now the Dean of Arts at Bethlehem University. The mother of two sons and one daughter, she has lived in Bethlehem for nearly 20 years and has performed throughout the West Bank and Jordan. She was accompanied by Matthew Middleton, Music Coordinator for the ICB.

On Arts Education

2007-06-16T14:44:00.000+03:00

Education in the arts creates the opportunity to explore the world through culture. The arts can offer exploration and knowledge from a holistic, spherical, three-dimensional perspective rather than a linear construction of ideas. Even with this unique perspective on life and humanity, the arts at times are relegated to secondary status in the educational policies of the federal and state governments, driven by economic and political agendas. Additionally, arts courses in universities are sometimes given nominal attention in extra-curricular or elective courses, devoid of systematic and in-depth inquiry in classes designed to impart superficial appreciation for the arts or music in general. MIT professor Ellen T. Harris points out that science and mathematics courses would not be demoted to such status: “It would be difficult to imagine a course called ‘Science Appreciation.’”[1] Due partly to an emphasis on science and math at the university level, K-12 programs are offering students inadequate preparation for advanced studies in the arts; in some cases arts curriculum has been eliminated altogether.

Multiculturalism manifests itself in arts education, preparing students to study culture as it reveals itself through art in a particular time, place, and under varying political, religious, and civic issues. Cultures are identified by the arts they produce through music, painting, media, theater, and so on. For example, the International Center of Bethlehem is seeking to re-shape the common international perception of Palestinians through culture and education in its multi-faceted programs covering all of the above elements. The arts may also challenge the culture it comes from, often with repercussions against the artist as in the case of Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz being stabbed in the neck after the publication of Children of the Alley that described an alternative perspective on religion and sexuality in Egypt. Other negative responses may be censorship of musical works such as happened in the Soviet Union, or books as in Iran after the publication of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses. Censorship occurs in the United States largely at the local level, with the banning of books from public and school libraries deemed evil or inappropriate by religious and parent pressure groups.

Bethlehem Star Music and Dar Al-Kalima College are working to engage students young and old to view their world liberally and objectively, using fine arts and music as a means to appreciating the beauty of the world we live in today.

[1] Harris, Ellen T. 1997. The Arts. In Handbook of the Undergraduate Curriculum, ed. Gaff, Jerry G., and James L. Ratcliff, 320-340. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc, 321.

The future of music education in Palestine

2007-06-16T13:34:00.000+03:00

Dar Al-Kalima College is the first Christian college in the Middle East to offer advanced training in music, art, media, theatre and dance. The College provides a vital accredited resource for higher education in non-traditional disciplines and enables the next generation to realize their potential through educational excellence.

For just $28, you can invest in the future of Bethlehem. Buying a key means that students will have access to pianos. Having access to pianos means that students will be able to compose, perform, accompany, and make music unique to the little town of Bethlehem.

Our goal is nothing short of beauty and excellence. We demand the best for our students, which is why we are applying to become the first All-Steinway School in the Middle East.

Visit www.brightstarsbethlehem.org and buy a key today!