"Celebrating Truth, Goodness and Especially Beauty"

Our local diocesan newspaper is advertising the Fine Arts Festival being put on by the Charlotte homeschoolers this weekend!

These events are going to be absolutely wonderful and represent so many hours of work by the parents and children. I know that our family has put in about 70 hours of attending Shakespeare rehearsals, and drawing and singing classes, plus my working all summer on learning to sew at a new level. Other families put in twice as many hours as me because they were also participating in the morning classes each week. And the director and co-director were surely putting in numerous additional hours per week in planning from home.

Grampa Neil with the children at rehearsal Wednesday evening

It has such a joy for me to watch these children work together harmoniously despite their wide range of ages (5 to 17 with baby and toddler siblings always at our ankles). The children have been gracious and willing and have shown such talent, bringing together their skills at writing, building, acting, singing, drawing, composing music, and playing instruments.

"Celebrating Truth, Goodness and especially Beauty" is the theme of the three-day festival being held at St. Ann Church, which will include film, plays, sacred music and visual arts presentations. The festival is free, but donations will be accepted. Proceeds will fund beautification efforts at St. Patrick Cathedral in honor of its 75th anniversary.

The festival kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, with "War of Ages," a movie written, directed and produced by members of the homeschool film club Angelic Films. It will be held in St. Ann's cafe.

The festival continues with a production of "Taming of the Shrew," starting at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, in St. Ann's gymnasium. The performance features 78 students ranging from age 5 to 17. A repeat performance with alternate cast members will be held 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24.

The event also features a performance titled "Cantica Sacra Liberi" ("Sacred Songs of Children") by the Polyphonic Schola, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Savoy from St. Thomas Aquinas Church. It starts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, in St. Ann Church, and will be followed by a light reception, art show and silent auction featuring work from the homeschool drawing classes.

Come one, come all!