Dear Friends,
One of the many enjoyable aspects of my job at Trinity is having the opportunity to be in community with high-caliber musicians. Merwin Siu, one of the founding members of the Dankesang Quartet and the group performing this weekend, is one of them. In talking to Merwin about the group, he shared a beautiful story about the group’s origin.
Last year, members of this quartet were put together at random for a Beethoven Marathon. They were assigned a piece called “Dankesang,” meaning, “Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Creator.” What this group of professionals quickly discovered was not only the beauty of that particular piece of music, but also another gift: a randomly selected group of people with matching niche interests and “geekdoms.” Through hours of shared rehearsal time, the new group quickly discovered something unique: they had a safe place for exploration. Not only could they share their niche interests, they also trusted each other to perform the selected music with a high level of skill, dedication, and passion. They were the right people at the right time- an accidental, formed at random, blessing of community.
Dankesang Quartet has performed a couple of different high-level concerts in their first year of established playing. Their debut concert was in January 2026, the second in March 2026, where they performed the Bechdel Concert, featuring all-female composers. And the third, we are proud to say, is here at Trinity Episcopal Church, featuring the Songs of Earth and Middle Earth. Wonderfully, I am happy to report that there are plenty more ideas and “geekdoms” to dive into, with more cool concerts to come in the future.
DQ’s authenticity shines through their music. I attended their second concert in March. Their performance was, of course, of incredibly high caliber, and the best part was the clear devotion and love not only for the music itself, but for the camaraderie they share. That kind of respect and trust radiates in a room, and combined with music, can be an incredibly healing experience. And we, as Christians in community, know something about that kind of love in action.
So mark your calendar for Sunday, May 3rd at 3:00 pm for “Songs of Earth and Middle-Earth,” presented by the Dankesang Quartet. It’s a free event, and parking will be validated. I’ll save you a seat!
Musically,
Chelsie Cree
Director of Music and the Arts