Story
LeRoy Dysart
The IMAGO DEI Story
1985: The IMAGO DEI story began in the early summer of 1985 when LeRoy Dysart, Director of Music at Metropolitan Community Church in the Valley (MCCV) in North Hollywood, California, had an idea for MCCV’s annual Christmas Concert. He spoke with Rev. Elder Ken Martin, pastor of MCCV, about the idea. Ken had recently preached a sermon series on Creation-Centered Theology and LeRoy’s idea was to write a Christmas mass based on that theology. LeRoy would write the music and Ken would write the words.
Rev. Elder Ken Martin
MCCV’s Associate Pastor , Rev Yolanda Vierra-Allen, would contribute to the words of the Credo, the ninth movement of the mass. It was she who coined the phrase “Holy Wonder” to describe a fourth way in which the Divine Being is made manifest in our world. We are God’s good creation, God’s image and likeness, that is indeed a “Holy Wonder!”
Rev. Yolanda Vierra-Allen
December 15 was the date for the Christmas concert that year, and it marked the one and only performance of the entire mass at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Studio City, California. It was a memorable evening. Taking the stage were 40 voices and a 26-member orchestra, all under the direction of maestro LeRoy Dysart.
There was no applause after the first few movements of the mass, and one might have assumed this was in keeping with the tradition of holding applause until the end of a multi-movement classical work, but the truth was the audience was mesmerized, and if not speechless, perhaps “clap-less.” But by the end of the tenth movement, the audience could hold back no longer and broke into thunderous applause. What was the movement that brought them to their feet? “The Lord’s Prayer.”
The entire Christmas concert was recorded that year, we think by Chuck White, a well-known member of MCCV and an audio expert with many community and professional credits to his name. Copies were later distributed on cassette.
The entire Christmas concert was recorded that year, we think by Chuck White, a well-known member of MCCV and an audio expert with many community and professional credits to his name. Copies were later distributed on cassette.
2005: It was not until twenty years later that interest in IMAGO DEI rose again. Although “The Lord’s Prayer” became a part of every MCCV worship service, by 2005 many members didn’t even know that this moving version was a part of a much larger and equally moving work. Thankfully, Jack Becker and Lyle Swallow decided to convert one of the few remaining cassettes to CD. Although the cassette was, by 2005, twenty years old, the quality of the conversion was excellent. In addition, Jack created a comprehensive CD insert booklet with the complete text of the mass and a listing of all of the choir and orchestra members. Copies of the CD were distributed to those who had been part of the original 1985 performance and to others who were interested in the mass.
Jack Becker & Lyle Swallow
2022: At the age of 67, LeRoy Dysart passed away on January 2, 2022, and was buried in his hometown of Fulton, Missouri. Over the years, those friends in Southern California who knew him had lost touch with each other, and word of his death did not reach the West Coast until November 2022 – almost ten months after his passing. The news spread quickly in the online community, and those who knew LeRoy began to consider ways to honor his memory.
Rev. Elder Ken Martin mentioned that he would be listening to IMAGO DEI to remember LeRoy and to celebrate their co-authorship of the mass. Someone else suggested perhaps we could all listen together on a conference call. Other suggestions included adding visual imagery to the audio, and perhaps including the words on screen.
And so the revival of IMAGO DEI began.
David Ranck
2023: In January, David Ranck began the task of matching the music of IMAGO DEI with visual images that would enhance the message of Creation-Centered Theology. After 200 hours of development, the original audio CD of IMAGO DEI had been enhanced with 373 images and assembled into the multimedia DVD that is available today. April 16 marked the premiere of the video to an in-person and on-line audience of 25 including six of the original 1985 participants, many other friends and members of MCCV, and a variety of new faces and names who had never heard of IMAGO DEI.
IMAGO Dei Premiere Party
April 16, 2023
