VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

The Rothko Chapel is delighted to bring a distinguished roster of outstanding intellectuals, poets, musicians, and journalists to speak and perform during its 2009-2010 season of public programs. All programs are free and open to the public. The Rothko Chapel presents Chanting in the Chapel (with Monks from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert).   Saturday, February 20, 9 and 11:30 a.m.

This is an opportunity for people to participate in the centuries old Christian monastic tradition of chanting the Divine Office. Monks from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert (pictured, detail of a photo by Walter van Tienen) will be leading the audience in chanting Terce at 9 a.m., and Sext at 11:30 a.m. Each time of prayer will begin with a description of the Office and a short lesson on how to chant and read the notations for the Gregorian Chant (sung in English).

The Roman Catholic Monastery of Christ in the Desert was founded in 1964 as a foundation of Mount Savior Monastery in New York. The small community has grown into a flourishing monastery of nearly 40 monks from all over the globe, with foundations in Mexico, Texas, and Illinois, all pursuing the 1,500 year old Benedictine way of life of prayer, study, and manual or intellectual labor as their principle activities. They are an autonomous abbey of the Subiaco Congregation of Benedictines, which has monasteries on every continent of the world.

Two monks who are part of the monastic community ‘schola’ (the small group of singers who lead the monastic choir) will lead the chanting of the Divine Office. Brother Christian Leisy, OSB, was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He came to the Benedictine Monastery of Christ in the Desert as a young man of 25 years in May of 1977 and made his final vows in 1980. The Monastery has been his home ever since. He did theology studies in Rome from 1985 to 1988 and was ordained a priest at Christ in the Desert in 1988. He is currently the Subprior and Business Manager at the Monastery.

Brother Anton Thien Vo, OSB, was born and raised in Viet Nam. This past summer he made his final vows at the Monastery, after arriving four years earlier at the age of 30. As a former mathematician and teacher, he contributes those talents as the bookkeeper of the Monastery. His other jobs include maker of sandals and belts.