On October 11, in a dialogue at the First Lutheran Church in Houston, the means to overcome the present decadent woke culture and education destroying an entire generation of young people in the United States, came into view.  The Houston Schiller Community Chorus and Fe Bencosme, candidate for Houston Independent School District Trustee III showcased classical music with a performance by the community chorus and a dialogue between Bencosme, the church’s Pastor Evan McClanahan and Brian Lantz from the chorus. 

Lantz elaborated on the role of truth and beauty in music and art in developing divine creative powers in our children, by allowing them to recognize the beauty of God’s creation and their role in it.  He explored how real classical science education uses Socratic dialogue to help students relive great discoveries in their own minds, rather than memorizing empty formulas.  These immortal contributions of classical thinkers and discoverers can then resonate in the soul of the students for a lifetime, Lantz reiterated.

Fe then spoke of her personal intellectual development out of very challenging beginnings.  She is a popular local commentator and author. Her book, available on Amazon, is titled, You Are Not Your Race. She emphasized the deep inspiration she found repeatedly through the Socratic method of engagement with ideas.  She polemicized very strongly against the “woke standards” being imposed by an immense and bloated overhang of highly paid educational administrators, who have so lowered the reading standards in Houston that at this time, only 20% of HISD students are actually able to read at their grade level.

After these presentations, there was a lively question and answer with Fe from the Pastor and the audience on related, pertinent Texas and local issues. 

The Houston Schiller Community Chorus then stepped forward led by Maestro Dorceal Duckens, to deliver brief selections from a Haydn Mass and African-American Spirituals, concluding with a rousing performance of “Ain’t Got Time To Die”, featuring Brian Lantz as soloist.

Besides the active engagement of the attendees in the exciting dialogue and clear appreciation of the music, an example of the impact of the event was an email sent by one attendee, an official of the Texas Republican Party to a chorus member, “We need to feature you at more events!”  Of course, this is exactly how to spread the optimism that this current educational dark age can be overcome!