Dear COS family,
Last month we celebrated the opening concert of our inaugural year of Laós Chamber Music, our new classical chamber music series hosted here at Church of Our Saviour. Of course, it was an absolute joy to make music I love with my close friends, in such a gorgeous space, and for a community I cherish. But our intention with Laós is something beyond the moment of music: Laós shares music as a catalyst for gathering as a community and sharing in fellowship. As I reflect on this intention, I remember Father Jeff mentioning in the announcements the day after how wonderful it was to have a full parking lot between the Laós concert and the Jubilee Homes dinner—metrically, the event did provide another event to gather at church for.
But personally, I felt the momentum of fellowship in the many conversations I had after the concert. I feel so incredibly grateful and humbled by how many parishioners took the time to share how they heard the music and share their commitment to Laós and its growth. The concert gave me the opportunity to engage in deep conversations after service, over coffee, at the dinner table, over the phone, and so on. Every person shared with me the importance of Laós and how we can continue shaping the program to truly align with our intention of gathering and hospitality.
I am excited to invite you to our next Laós concert on Saturday, November 19th, at 7 pm here at COS. I am particularly excited about this program, as we shifted the program slightly to reflect all the conversations I’ve been able to have with everyone over the last month. With the help of this community, I feel incredibly proud of the program we curated together. Titled “Inertia and Entropy,” the program features a 10-piece baroque ensemble work by Heinrich Biber, works inspired by folk tunes and alternative pop by Gabriella Smith and Marcos Balter, and finally Felix Mendelssohn’s monumental String Octet. I’m particularly excited to be welcoming a robust roster of LA’s finest young musicians, and also featuring one of the few restored historical harpsichords in LA for the Biber.
The concert is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there, and I also hope this concert can be an opportunity for us to continue sharing our hospitality with our friends and neighbors.
With gratitude,
Dustin Seo