It was an evening of music performed by several choirs interspersed with comments about the psalms as Regina Archbishop Donald Bolen and Rabbi Jeremy Parnes continued their public discussions in areas of mutual interest. This time it was the psalms, specifically psalms 100,29,92, ,126,150,33 and 27 in that order.

Seated on chairs placed ahead of the steps leading to the sanctuary, they were angled so they could face each other and still be seen by the 150 people seated in the main body of the Cathedral.

The two alternated reading the psalms and explained the psalmists’ intent. After each reading one of several choral groups performed music and lyrics.

The Leo Morgan Community Choir with Parnes as Cantor led off the evening engaging the audience with their first piece. The Leo Morgan Community Choir is really the Choir of the Beth Jacob Synagogue. In a telephone conversation, the Rabbi explained Leo Morgan is a former President of the synagogue, who after his election to the post explained a wish to have a choir. So, one was formed and named in his honour. The Holy Rosary Cathedral Choir with Matthew Dipple as Cantor followed. La Famille Myriam des Prairies and members of the Madonna Apostolate that operate the Marian Centre. Soup Kitchen also performed.

The first time Rabbi Jeremy and Archbishop Donald got together in the Synagogue they discussed the music of Leonard Cohen; the second time they invited Pastor Sarah Dymond  of Trinity Lutheran to join them in a second discussion of Leonard Cohen’s music.

In a telephone conversation Rabbi Parnes said the two expect to get together again in the near future, perhaps in the Fall to discuss other topics of mutual interest. Archbishop Donald engaged in similar discussions with Rabbi Claudio Jodorkovsky of Agudas Israel Synagogue in Saskatoon, when he was Bishop of Saskatoon. He contacted Rabbi Parnes upon his appointment as Archbishop of Regina and proposed a similar arrangement with Parnes who readily accepted.


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