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“Let there be light” Was Only the Beginning

In the beginning, God commanded “Let there be light” and it was good. Since then the history of light and lighting technology in the church has always been at the forefront of the industry. After all, if all the world’s a stage, the pulpit commands the most power.

At their start, churches have traditionally used light not only to be able to see, but to set mood and tone. Ages before Genesis and Vari*Lite had their own “in the Beginning,” churches were being built with massive stained glass windows that not only visually portrayed their message. They danced multicolored light throughout the sanctuary creating a powerful emotional current that is still invoked today.

As time moved forward the church has been a historical early adopter of lighting technology. From gas lanterns and early electric lights to ellipsoidal and moving lights, some of the largest installations of these technologies are in the HOW (house of worship) market. This creates one of the biggest challenges and best tools that a worship lighting designer will encounter.

Over the course of this column, we’ll discuss everything from using the newest and best of the lighting world to how to properly execute a church lighting plot. All the while keeping in mind that its not about the toys you have, its about how you use them to create the environment your HOW client(s) are looking for. After all, to borrow from the Ringling Brothers, the church will always be the Greatest…Stage…on Earth.

John Hathcock is a a contributing writer here on iSquint.net and the author of the column, The Greatest Stage On Earth.

Tuesday Twitter Trivia – The Whistling Winner

Popeye the SailorThis weeks Tuesday Twitter Trivia question takes me back to college.  I learned alot back then, some to do with other things then theatre, but mainly theatre and lighting.  I have always been fascinated by some of the superstitions that we theatre folk come to live by such as this weeks question:

Why are we not allowed to whistle while on stage?

Seems like a weird one right?  We learn at a very early age that if you whistle while you work, time will just fly by.  So why can’t we whistle while say hanging lights or working on the set on a stage? It all has to do with the sailor. I am going to let Wikipedia answer this one for me.

…Whistling has long been used as a specialized communication between laborers. For example, whistling in theatre, particularly on-stage, is used by flymen to cue the lowering or raising of a batten pipe or flat. This method of communication became popular before the invention of electronic means of communication, and is still in use, primarily in older “hemp” houses during the set and strike of a show. Traditionally, sailors were often used as stage technicians, working with the complicated rope systems associated with flying. Coded whistles would be used to call cues, so it is thought that whistling on-stage may cause, for example, a cue to come early, a “sailor’s ghost” to drop a set-piece on top of an actor, or general bad luck in the performance.

So who got it right this week?  Well, everyone did actually!  But the first one in with the answer was @jhdesynz or better know as John Hathcock. Congrats John and thanks everyone for playing!

Thanks Wikipedia!

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