About the Artwork:
Annunciation, 1894
Edward Burne-Jones
Chancel arch mosaic
St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church, Rome, Italy
Photos: Maurizio Badolato (close up), Michael G. Smith (wide view)

In this Annunciation we see a land laid waste, the wilderness into which Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, as the world into which Christ—the Water of Life—is come. Gabriel hangs mysteriously suspended a few inches above the ground addressing Mary who has gone in search of water in a scene startling in its austerity and starkness. A small stream issues from the rocky hillside with three puddles of water on the ground where she has set her water jar. To the left of Gabriel, a pelican stands in a pool of water, pecking its breast to nourish its young with its own blood, an age-old symbol of Christ’s willing sacrifice. Gabriel’s opening words, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you,” and Mary’s response, "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1: 28 and 38) appear in the Latin inscription below. The perception of the modern world as a wasteland in desperate need of regeneration was widespread in nineteenth century England and in the artist’s circle of friends.

About the Artist:
Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement who worked closely with artist William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts. He was involved in the rejuvenation of the tradition of stained-glass art in Great Britain. In addition to painting and stained glass, Burne-Jones worked in a variety of crafts; which included designing ceramic tiles, tapestries, mosaics and book illustrations, most famously designing woodcuts for the Kelmscott Press' Chaucer in 1896.

About the Music:
“The Rose” from the album Winter Songs

Lyrics
The lily has a smooth stalk,
Will never hurt your hand;
But the rose upon her brier
Is lady of the land.

There’s sweetness in an apple tree,
And profit in the corn;
But lady of all beauty
Is a rose upon a thorn.

When with moss and honey
She tips her bending brier,
And half unfolds her glowing heart,
She sets the world on fire.

About the Composer:
Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) is a Norwegian composer and pianist living in New York. He is one of the most frequently performed composers in the choral world. An accomplished pianist, he is known for his trademark collaborations of improvisations played over his own published choral pieces. Although Norwegian by birth, it is Ola’s adopted country of America that has influenced the composer’s distinctive sound the most, evolving a style that is both contemporary and familiar. His music, with its thick harmonies and rich textures, is often described as cinematic and evocative. Gjeilo has had a special collaborative relationship with the vocal ensemble VOCES8, and during the 2015/16 season was their Composer-in-Residence.

About the Lyricist:
Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) was a Victorian poet who is known for her simple, lyrical work. She published poems in the feminist periodicals The English Woman’s Journal and Victoria Magazine, and in various other anthologies. Today her poetry is regarded as some of the most beautiful and innovative of the period. Critical interest in Rossetti’s poetry was renewed in the last decades of the twentieth century, a resurgence largely generated by the emergence of feminist criticism. Her work strongly influenced the work of writers such as Ford Madox Ford, Virginia Woolf, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Elizabeth Jennings, and Philip Larkin. Critic Basil de Selincourt stated that she was "all but our greatest woman poet … incomparably our greatest craftswoman … probably in the first twelve of the masters of English verse."  Rossetti's Christmas poem "In the Bleak Midwinter" became widely known after her death when set as a Christmas carol first by Gustav Holst and then by Harold Darke.  Her poem "Love Came Down at Christmas" has also been widely arranged as a carol.

About the Performers:
Choir of Royal Holloway and 12 Ensemble

The Choir of Royal Holloway is considered to be one of the finest mixed-voice collegiate choirs in Britain. Their recordings on the Hyperion label have attracted top reviews from all major music publications. Equally at home on the concert platform, the choir gives around 50 concerts a year with a particular specialism in music from the late renaissance and contemporary music, especially from the Baltic States. The choir enjoys regular work with different orchestras and instrumental ensembles including the Britten Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, Florilegium and the English Cornett, and Sackbut Ensemble.

Founded in 2012 by Artistic Directors Eloisa-Fleur Thom (Principal Violin) and Max Ruisi (Principal Cello), the 12 Ensemble has rapidly developed a reputation as one of the UK's leading string orchestras. A bold, versatile and virtuosic ensemble, the group is built around a core of twelve of London’s finest chamber musicians. Always playing without a conductor, the ensemble’s performances combine the raw energy, excitement, and creativity of a string quartet with the breathtaking sound afforded by twelve brilliant string players. Equally at home performing on a warehouse rooftop as an international concert hall, the group seamlessly cross musical genres and create experiences relevant to both existing and new audiences of classical music.  The group performs at leading venues throughout the UK and Europe, with recent headline performances at the Barbican, King’s Place and the Paris Philharmonie plus tours to South Korea, Iceland, Bulgaria, and Italy.

About the Poet:
Marie Howe (b. 1950) is an American poet who was named the 2012 State Poet for New York. Howe did not devote serious attention to writing poetry until she turned 30 when she was accepted at Columbia University where she received her MFA. She is presently on the writing faculty at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, and New York University. After Howe's brother died of an AIDS-related illness, she co-edited a collection of essays, letters, and stories entitled In the Company of My Solitude: American Writing from the AIDS Pandemic that sought to foster open dialogue about the plight of AIDS in the United States. Her poems have appeared in literary journals and magazines including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Poetry, Agni, Ploughshares, and the Harvard Review. Her honors include a National Endowment for the Arts and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

About the Devotional Writer:
Dr. Arianna Molloy
Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Biola University
Dr. Arianna Molloy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Biola University. She is an award-winning educator, who specializes in Organizational Communication and work as a calling. Additionally, Dr. Molloy is a workplace consultant, professional speaker, and Biola’s Pedagogy Development Consultant. She is married to Dr. Allen Yeh, and they are expecting their first child in Spring 2019.