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Musicians visit Tucson Sisters

Musicians visit Tucson Sisters - (25-04-2016)

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The Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Tucson welcomed violinist Monika Stauss Joensen and her friend, guitarist Olavur Jakobsen in April.

Both are professional musicians from the Fareo Islands and were guests of the Benedictine Sisters for a week. They played before Vespers services and Mass on three separate occasions during their stay.

“Monika visited about two years ago with a professional pianist and played for us,” Tucson Prioress Sister Ramona Varela, OSB said. “We got to know them through Frederic Balazs, also a violinist, a conductor of the Tucson Symphony in the early days and a composer whose music has been performed in many countries.”

Balazs composed "Prayers of the Ark," which was performed in the Sisters’ chapel with the Tucson Boys Choir during the monastery’s Preserving our Heritage Campaign in 2009.

“Monika and Olavur are wonderful musicians, we were were thankful they shared their beautiful gifts with us and those who attended our services,” Sister Ramona said.

The Fareo Islands are located between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean.