The tickets are gone. Sunday night’s concert is fully reserved. We’re excited to share the documentary music by Barclay Martin, along with clips from the film and performances by Barclay Martin Ensemble, the Sinag-Tala Dance Troupe and the Sampaguita Choir with so many friends!

We hope you are planning on joining us for the show. But, if not, we’ll try to supply as much coverage afterward to give you a taste of the event. And we’ll keep you posted on the next song and film opportunity!

During the concert, we hope to send out some live tweets. Please follow us at www.twitter.com/zamboanga.

After the concert, please check back here for concert reports, pics and video. Also, we’ll be posting a story on the CFCA Web site, and we’ll let you know on this blog and via twitter and Facebook about any other bloggers and media who produce articles and post about the night.

If you attend the show, we would love to hear your comments!

In  the span of only one month, the Philippines has been hit by four severe storms, including Typhoon Ketsana, which news sources report dropped the largest rainfall on record in 40 years.

CFCA staff and sponsored families in the Philippines have been affected by the flooding, causing loss of homes, possessions and lives.

CFCA loss includes the death of subproject coordinator Ronaldo “Bong” Alcordo after he contracted leptospirosis from typhoon floodwater.

Please find the following stories from the CFCA blog and Web site:

First-person accounts from CFCA staff in the Philippines

Remembering Ronaldo “Bong” Alcordo

My experience with Typhoon Ondoy

The story of Rachel

News stories

Typhoon aftermath claims life of CFCA staff member

Fourth typhoon in a month strikes Philippines

Please keep all people affected by the storms in your thoughts and prayers.

For your listening pleasure and to whet your appetite for the album, we give you “Miracle,” written by Kansas City musician Barclay Martin from the “Zamboanga: Poverty, War, Music” CD.

This song will be played at the CD release concert on Nov. 8, 2009, in Kansas City. Learn more about the concert here.

The CD will be available with a donation to the CFCA Scholarship Program beginning Nov. 9. Sign up for the Zamboanga eNews to receive updates.

Miracle

Won’t you take the time to know me well?
The constant music of the mission bell
And you decide
As days go by
Won’t you take the time to know me well?

Can you see a mother’s hands get worn away?
The balance and the beautiful array
And her bones
Can’t bear the cold
Can you see a mother’s hands get worn away?

The miracle lay sleeping in the dark
And the soldiers at the checkpoints all remark
No one can see
We still believe
The miracle lay sleeping in the dark

Ooh….

Won’t you step inside my humble home?
Til kindness is the only thing we know
My father’s face
A mother’s grace
Won’t you step inside my humble home?

Did you hear the sound of crying in the night?
The solitude of monumental light
And in us all
Do you recall
The sound?

Can you hear the song of children all around?
And the messages of mercy still resound
A mother’s prayer
Suspends the air
Can you hear the song of children all around?

Ooh…

The gift of a song: It’s essential. It’s fleeting. And you’re invited.

The CFCA documentary film, “Zamboanga: Poverty, War, Music” is in the last phase of post production, and the companion CD is ready to launch!

As a gift to our sponsors and the Kansas City area, CFCA is presenting a CD release concert at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, at Yardley Hall, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.

Find driving directions to the Carlsen Center here.

The music was written by Kansas City musician Barclay Martin during his travels in the Philippines for the documentary, and some of the songs are featured in the film. Barclay Martin Ensemble will perform the songs at the concert, joined by special guests.

Guest performances include the Sampaguita Choir and Sinag-Tala Dance Group from the Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City.

Admission is free, but seating is limited. Please contact Yardley Hall to make reservations: (913) 469-4445.

Listen to a song from the CD – and download it for free.

The concert is being sponsored in part by Bank of Kansas City.

For more information about the documentary, visit www.zamboangathemovie.com. Please sign up for the eNews to keep current on the film.

The CFCA scholar students were diligent musicians, learning how to play traditional Filipino instruments, which they performed on in front of the audience of about 10,000!

Want to join the kids for a minute of one of their rehearsals? They start by counting out the beat (the main voice you hear in this clip is Xarina). Then they launch into the last segment of the piece they learned.

Father Jack Wintz of St. Anthony Messenger magazine received an Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Award, honorable mention, for his article “Zamboanga: Land of Hope for Christian-Muslim Dialogue.” The story appeared in the magazine’s August 2008 issue. The award was presented during the 2009 Catholic Media Convention in Anaheim, Calif.

The article competed in the category, “Catholic Magazines, For Single Article with Worldwide Missionary Theme.” The O’Meara Awards recognize excellence in world mission news coverage.

Father Jack traveled to the Philippines in January 2008 to attend the concert, document the making of our film and report on Christian-Muslim dialogue in the Philippines. His article gives a vivid look at his trip, including interviews with Fatima, a 15-year-old Muslim girl in the CFCA-Zamboanga program; Maribel, a CFCA-Zamboanga staff member; and CFCA President and Co-founder Bob Hentzen.

Executive Producer Paul Pearce, Producer Loretta Kline and I traveled to Anaheim, Calif., where we conducted a workshop about the making of the documentary for attendees of the Catholic Media Convention, May 27 – 29).

The workshop was part of the annual conference, a joint effort of the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy of Communication Arts Professionals. Our associate Bernadette joined us for the conference and manned the CFCA booth during our talk.

The documentary was also the theme of our booth, as you can see in the photo.

CFCA Booth

It piqued a lot of interest, and we grew our newsletter list and had the opportunity to introduce the attendees to the story of the kids, the concert, CFCA’s work in the region and Music Director Barclay Martin’s journey.

During our presentation, Paul read from Barclay’s journal. The audience connected with the depth and beauty of the passages. As the film reveals the lives of and insights from vibrant teens facing daily struggles, it’s also an invitation for everyone to reflect on the path each of us takes and coming to new realizations about our shared journey with the poor.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were full of enthusiasm for the film, for Barclay’s music and for sharing ideas for screening the film when it’s finished. Feel free to chime in, too, with any group-screening ideas – and please e-mail us if your group or organization would like to screen the film when it’s ready.

Special thanks to the conference organizers and to all of the people we met. We were really pleased by the interest everyone showed in the film, but we were overwhelmed with the warmth and generosity of spirit that reached out to embrace us and the people CFCA serves.

The theme of the event was “New Media for the Good News,” so social media messaging abounded. A constant Twitter stream flowed throughout the weekend.

Barclay uses traditional Filipino instruments to create a moviing score to the documentary. In this video, he demonstrates and explains the use of two gongs – the kulintangan and the agong, on loan from our friends at the Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City.

Musician and music director for “Zamboanga: Poverty, War, Music,” Barclay Martin, took some time out of his busy schedule to explain and demonstrate how to play the Kubing, a Filipino mouth harp. Barclay uses the kubing to create an exciting musical score for the documentary.

It’s been a disturbing and escalating news story all year – danger has flared up in Mindanao, including Zamboanga City. In the last week, there have been more reports of conflict, primarily between government forces and a regional group that often uses violence to deliver its message.

News this week includes the following stories: Philstar.com reported on a clash between insurgents and government troops. OneWorld.com wrote about “Displaced Filipinos Return Home Amid Violence.” The BBC posted a slideshow, “In Pictures: Mindanao conflict.”

Please keep the teens from the documentary, their families, Zamboanga CFCA staff and all of the citizens of Mindanao in your prayers.