GUEST Artists Rev. Talitha Arnold, Lecturer (“Sure on this Shining Night” talk on stewardship of the natural environment) Talitha Arnold was called as the Minister of the United Church of Santa Fe in 1987, when the church was a 7-year-old new church started by the Photo: Zina Jundi United Church of Christ. Since that time, the congregation has tripled in membership and is known for its vital worship, diverse music, outreach and advocacy, environmental ministry, and an engaging approach to the Christian faith for all ages. The mission of United Church of Santa Fe (unitedchurchofsantafe.org) is to: “Love God. Love Neighbor. Love Creation.” A native of Arizona and a graduate of Pomona College and Yale Divinity School, she was the Interim Associate University Chaplain for Yale and served congregations in Connecticut and Arizona before being called to United. In Santa Fe, Rev. Arnold has served on the City’s first Children and Youth Commission; as President of both Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity and the Interfaith Leadership Alliance; and on the hospital Ethics Committee. On a national level, she co-leads the Faith Communities Task Force for the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and just completed an 8-year term on the Alumni Board of Yale Divinity School. Her publications include the book, Worship for Vital Congregations; several essays in the “Feasting on the Word” lectionary series; and articles for The Christian Century, NPR’s All Things Considered, the Santa Fe New Mexican, Albuquerque Journal, Tumbleweeds (for children and parents), and the UCC’s “Still Speaking” devotionals. Drawing on the content of her forthcoming book, A Desert Faith for a Desert Time, she recently gave a presentation at the Yale Divinity School titled, “Grace in the Wilderness: A Desert Faith for a Desert Time.” She has previously presented talks for Berkshire Choral Festival, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Santa Fe Symphony, Santa Fe’s “Renesan” lecture series, and at numerous UCC settings. She is a regular panelist on “The Forum” radio show on KFSR. Talitha Arnold’s leadership and ministry has been recognized in a variety of ways, including the United Church of Christ Antoinette Brown Award for outstanding women clergy, Santa Fe’s Human Rights Award,

Yale Divinity School’s “Outstanding Recent Alum,” a Lilly Endowment clergy grant, and Santa Fe’s “Ten Who Made a Difference” award. She will receive the Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s Civic Leadership Award at the 2018 Summer Gala.

David Bashwiner, PhD (Pre-concert Lecturer, “Sure on this Shining Night” programs) David Bashwiner, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Music Theory at the University of New Mexico. He earned a PhD from the University of Chicago Photo: Kate Burn Photography (Music Composition); a Master of Music from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University (NY) (Psychology). His doctoral dissertation, “Musical Emotion: Toward a Biologically Grounded Theory,” explored the biological foundations of emotional responses to music. His recent work has extended these explorations to sound processing in animals and responsiveness to sound within different environmental contexts. His works have been published by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and University of Chicago Press, among others.

Aaron Boyd, Violin (The New World: Journey from the Inca Trail, and Camino del Inka Chamber Program) Violinist Aaron Boyd enjoys a versatile career as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, recording artist, Photo: Sophie Zhai lecturer, and teacher. Since making his New York recital debut in 1998, he has concertized throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Formerly a member of the Escher String Quartet, he was a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Martin E. Segal prize from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and was also awarded a Proclamation by the City of Pittsburgh for his musical accomplishments. A passionate advocate for new music, he has been involved in numerous commissions and premieres, and (continued on next page)

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