Reverend Michael Riggs and Dr Mark McKnight and the upcoming Liturgical Arts Festival

Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices. I'm your co-host, Jeff Williams. In the studio and on the phone today, I've got Reverend Michael Riggs.
Rev. Michael Riggs:
Yes, hello, and it's great to be back on the show.
Jeff Williams:
And on the phone, we're doing something new for me at least here. Dr. Mark McKnight. Mark, how's it going?
Dr. Mark McKnight:
Wonderful. How are you doing?
Jeff Williams:
Good. All right. We're all synced up and ready to go. We are here to talk about the Liturgical Arts Festival coming up. Michael, I'll have you start.
Rev. Michael Riggs:
Yeah, thanks so much, Jeff. Yeah, so the Liturgical Arts Festival of Springfield is a really unique thing in the nation. There are not too many interfaith arts festivals in the nation, and we're the only one in Illinois, actually.
Jeff Williams:
Really? Okay, I didn't realize that.
Rev. Michael Riggs:
Yeah, but it goes back to the idea that liturgy is, it's from that Greek word liturgy, it's the work of the people, the whole faith community. Every 2 years, our festival brings disparate groups from all over the Springfield area, Illinois, some artists from beyond Illinois to celebrate all the ways our communities of faith bring creativity and beauty to all the ways that we make a connection with the divine. And that can be in music, in dance, or drama, poetry, visual art, architecture, just to name a few.
Jeff Williams:
It is cool to see the range of contributors from different areas. Linda Chapman, my mom's always fired up to go check it out also. Dr. Mark McKnight, you will be performing at this, is that correct?
Dr. Mark McKnight:
Yes, that's correct. I've put an ensemble together that includes my former professor, Mr. Ron Bridgewater, and he's part of the Bridgewater family of Jazz Legacy. His older brother, Cecil Bridgewater, and Cecil was formerly married to Dee Dee Bridgewater, a jazz vocalist.
Jeff Williams:
Nice.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
That resides in Chicago... still… I believe, a famous jazz family in Champaign area. So, he'll be on tenor saxophone.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
And then on piano will be Mr. Jim Pryor, a child piano prodigy that actually took lessons from Deacon Willie Somerville of Urbana…. and last but not least is Troy Robertson. And we haven't met yet, but he's a grad student at U of I, which is my alumni on bass. This will be the four of us our first time essentially coming together, but I've played with Ron and with Jim quite a lot previously.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
I'm doing my stint at the University of Illinois.
Jeff Williams:
Right, on, right on. So, Dr. Mark McKnight, what instruments or instrument will you be playing?
Dr. Mark McKnight:
Oh, so I would be on drums.
Jeff Williams:
The drums, not.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
I did my dissertation on Elvin Jones, the drummer for John Coltrane's classic quartet from this album.
Jeff Williams:
Love it.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
And so to have the extensive knowledge and information, I'm doing my dissertation on him about John and the rest of the group. It's just fitting that I have my degree and dissertation on Elvin, which was the pinnacle part of the group, and now getting a chance to come back home, per se, and do a performance, him with co-training and the music that they produce together.
Jeff Williams:
Love it.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
He's been a part of this classic group quartet.
Jeff Williams:
So, then Michael, Reverend Michael, or I'm not sure if that's the best way to say it.
Rev. Michael Riggs:
You can call me Michael, just don't call me late for dinner. (laughter)
Jeff Williams:
Oh, my goodness gracious. Okay. We see how it's going to be now! (laughter) We see what's up. We see… Okay!
Rev. Michael Riggs:
We'll cut that later. (more laughter)
Jeff Williams:
So, could you tell us a little bit about as far as the location and when it starts?
Rev. Michael Riggs:
Yeah, so the festival is across an entire week. It starts on Saturday, May the 2nd, and it goes all the way to Saturday, May the 9th, culminating in that concert, A Love Supreme. And I, as a jazz musician myself, cannot wait to hear this one. I mean, one of the greatest albums of all time. And Dr. McKnight and his quartet, they are on. It's going to be great. So, we're starting out the week ahead, Saturday, May the 2nd, with a Journey Art Exhibition at the Springfield Art Association. Every festival, we invite artists from all over the country of various works of art that relate to the theme. This year's theme being Sacred Rhythm, Sacred Pattern. And all the different ways in faith communities and faith traditions all over the world, they have their own unique patterns that we embody in our own practices and sacred rhythms to not just in our own motions or in our own embodiment, but in what we do together. and gesture and form. So, the artists are free to interpret that however they may, submit a work. And so there will be a juried exhibition that afternoon, May the 2nd, 530 to 730 P.m.
Jeff Williams:
Okay. And you said that it was going to be at the Art Association, which I believe is probably Edwards Place then on 4th Street.
Rev. Michael Riggs:
Is that where it's going to be? 700 North 4th Street. And every year I'm just blown away by the quality of the work and the diversity. It's going to be a real feast. And then the next day, we have another art exhibition, Sunday, May the 3rd from 2 to 4 P.m. at Temple Brith Shalom. That's at 1004 South 4th Street. There will be a tour of their art collection in Judaica. This comes from the idea, the concept of a Hiddur Mitzvah, the beautification of the commandments through their performing of rituals in an aesthetically pleasing way. And so different artifacts and artistic representations of that through the many years and through their collection. That's going to be a very, very special exhibit. That includes manuscripts, books, artwork, liturgical vestments, and clothing. So that'll be Sunday afternoon, 2 to 4. And then that same evening from 7 to 8 P.m. at First Presbyterian Church downtown, we're going to have a Las Posadas. This is sacred drama. This is a tradition that comes from Spain and Latin America where they reenact the holy family of Joseph and Mary searching for a room at the inn and getting turned away house by house, end by end, until finally they find their shelter. In the real world, they do this over 9 nights at, you know, different households would host each night. Well, we're going to do it all in one night. But it's a wonderful experience with traditional Latin American and Spanish Christmas carols. There's A procession of the Virgin of Guadalupe painting that'll be down the center of the nave into the chancel. The knocking ceremony of, you know, please let us in. Oh no, there's no room in English and Spanish music. And I think there's even going to be a pinata at the reception.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, really? Yeah. All right. Back to Dr. Mark McKnight, going to be playing the drums. Do you play any other instruments, or do you stick mostly with percussion?
Dr. Mark McKnight:
Mostly with percussion, but have dabbled in and can play piano, bass, and guitar. Went to all school of arts growing up. So one of the prerequisites for my high school was that if you want a piano player, you have to take piano lessons.
Jeff Williams:
Okay. Yeah.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
So, I took, you know, piano all four years of high school class piano. So, you know, I'm proficient and can read and, you know, chords and all that kind of stuff. So, and just, the piano is a universal instrument, just like music is the universal language. Right, Just, being able to play piano opens and broadens the horizons and doors to more things and more opportunities, especially with arranging and with writing and just being able to be a well-rounded, musician as well as individual.
Jeff Williams:
Absolutely. And that is the thing where by doing that, by learning more than your one, than the one craft, the one particular instrument, you then you have this wider range, this wider understanding, seeing things from a different standpoint. And that's kind of also what's happening with this festival where it is bringing in, a way, different standpoints, all trying to get to that one, to that higher understanding?
Dr. Mark McKnight:
Exactly. And that's why it's a Love Supreme.
Jeff Williams:
Love it, love it, love it. Then now back to you, Michael. Did you give some of the times? When some of those programs will be happening?
Rev. Michael Riggs:
So almost all our events start at 7 P.m. We have a few afternoon events on various days. And you can get the full schedule at our website, which is www..lafspringfield.org. Or you can check out our Facebook page, facebook.com slash Liturgical Arts Festival. And it has the full schedule, calendar of events, dates, places, and descriptions of what's going on. We've got everything from art exhibits and hands-on workshops for adults and children. to sacred drama. There's a prayer and guided meditation, both dance concerts and communal dance programs. So, if you like to get your kinesthetic spirituality on, you can. There are music concerts and of course, Love Supreme to culminate the festival on Saturday night. Beautiful. Love it. I'm especially excited about Love Supreme. Oh, yeah. Not just because I'm a musician and play some jazz and remember carving up that vinyl album so much growing up and listening to it. But especially for this festival, this, you know, Love Supreme by Coltrane, this album is timeless. And I think part of the reason why… it’s his tone poem, his essay on what it is to be gifted with music, and then how then to honor that gift, and to name it, to acknowledge it, to pursue it with everything you have and to offer it. So many ways this love supreme is a... is an intentional interfaith testament of what it is to offer one's gift and connection to the divine. We are so lucky here in Springfield that the McKnight Quartet is going to be here to bring that album to life, fully embodied in the flesh, real life, and to experience that as part of our exploring what sacred rhythm and sacred pattern mean to us.
Jeff Williams:
Mark, I was just going to ask you this real quick. So as far as playing Coltrane, playing Love Supreme, that's got to be something that you've got to be pretty fired up about that… to be able to. I'm sure that's a big influence on so many people. If you wanted to talk about that a little bit.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
Yes, well, there's a lot of pressure, I'll put it that way. But I was actually talking with the piano player last night because we were trying to make an executive decision about Steinway grand piano versus a keyboard for the performance and how that would affect the sound and the overall, you know, performance. And it's just this music was birthed out of community. And so, if we, you know, go back to New Orleans, to Congo Square, it was community. And it was, you know, one day that, you know, everyone was able to get together in all different capacities and all different classes, if you will, of society. Just the weight and the magnitude of performing not just one song, but four songs, which is essentially a prayer in four separate parts. So, with any of my performances, I try to instill in my bandmates that are performing with me that it's not just a stage that we're performing. coming on, but it's also a pulpit because we're ministering to the audience. growing up in church, that was one of the chemical things that I learned and, grew and birthed out of that experience, that communal. Like, you never know what life you may be touching. In the past, I've done what I call a jazz vespa service. That's all it is, the music coming back home, the blues and the jazz and the funk and the soul, all of that is a result of the lived experience, primarily of, African Americans, but it's not just limited to that experience. Having all that knowledge and all of this academic learning in the process, it has all prepared me to be able to perform an album like this, if that makes sense.
Jeff Williams:
So.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
So just going back into what I was saying at the first beginning, I was talking with the piano player about having the authentic sound of a grand piano to perform this music. All that matters. The little things, the little minor details that can make the major difference in how people feel during the performance and what they remember. And even though we're four individual people, just like with the Coltrane court track, they came together as one. The other thing is that with music, we can play notes that words cannot express. And so, for those that may be going through, you know, health concerns, because I know I am, like, it's music therapy for me. Like, my prayer is that, you know, we can help and heal whoever may be coming through those doors that may be troubled or despondent or in despair.
Jeff Williams:
And once again, we're in the studio with Reverend Michael Riggs. and Dr. Mark McKnight, both board members for the 2026 Liturgical Arts Festival, which will be happening here in Springfield, May 2nd through May 9th. Thanks a lot, to both of you. Michael, did you have anything else you wanted to add?
Rev. Michael Riggs:
You know, this is all about sacred rhythm and sacred pattern, those things that bring us life, those touchpoints in our common experience of humanity, and celebrate that and share it in community and connect with the divine. I'd encourage you, come to the festival. We've been doing this since 96. It gets bigger and better every year. Last year we had well over 1000 people participated. We've got the art, the Judicated art show, the Judaica. There's the Latin American drama, sacred Islamic geometry and workshop and that Buddhist meditation, Children of Abraham workshop, dance programs, contemporary Catholic music concert, and of course, a Love Supreme for May the 9th. There's something for everyone. All events are free and open to the public, and we hope that you can make it.
Jeff Williams:
Love it, love it. Definitely, I will be there, and a beautiful thing, once you're there and you're part of it, it's not to be overlooked. It's there to, in a way, be grateful for the moment. Let yourself see and feel. everything that's kind of going on.
Rev. Michael Riggs:
We just abide, we connect, and we feel that sacred rhythm.
Jeff Williams:
Love it. It's beautiful. Love it. Beautiful. Well, once again, thank you both for coming in to speak on the 2026 Liturgical Arts Festival. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Mark.
Rev. Michael Riggs:
Thank you so much.
Dr. Mark McKnight:
Thank you, Jeff, for having us.
Jeff Williams:
Thank you very, very much. Community Voices is a production of NPR Illinois.