This page features news and announcements from John Kersey and the Foundation.

News from the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church is posted here, while news from European-American University is posted here.

New releases from Romantic Discoveries Recordings can be sampled and purchased at the RDR catalogue page.

Recordings of Bergt, Huber and Jensen now issued

The three CD series of the collected piano music of Swiss master Hans Huber (1852-1921) is now completed and issued by Romantic Discoveries Recordings. In addition, two discs provide an overview of significant music by Adolf Jensen (1837-79), including the complete Romantic Studies, op 8. Adolf Bergt disappeared from musical history with his suicide aged forty in 1862, and it is doubtful his music was well-known even during his lifetime. We redress this balance in favour of his original and deeply-felt piano works.

All these recordings are the first ever of these works. These discs and more are available to purchase and listen to free audio samples at Romantic Discoveries Recordings.

Funeral of General vitéz Janós Karászy-Kulin

On 4 November, John represented the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church at the funeral in Rochester Cathedral of his friend General vitéz Janós Karászy-Kulin, Grand Master of the International Knightly Order Vitéz of St George and Deputy Commander of the Hungarian National Guard. John's tribute to Janós, who was one of the heroes of the 1956 Hungarian uprising, was read during the service.

John Kersey elected to Honorary Fellowship of the Academic Society of London

In June, John was elected to Honorary Fellowship of the Academic Society of London in recognition of his contribution to non-traditional education. The Society was founded in 2000 and has as its aims:

1. To provide and foster the opportunity for an open dialogue across all disciplines of academia
2. To foster and encourage a more combined interdisciplinary approach to research and study
3. To reconsider academic credentials and achievements within a framework of ‘connoisseurship’ as encouraged by the philosophy of Elliot Eisner.

First performances of Hopkins cycle Inscape

The first performance of John Kersey's song cycle Inscape, to poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, took place at St George's, Bloomsbury on 1 June with Sarah Tyler (mezzo-soprano) and John at the piano. This well-received concert was followed by two more performances at St Pancras and St Anne's, Kew, with one of the songs repeated at a sold-out concert in Grantham in November.

Inscape sets five of Hopkins' best-known poems, Ribblesdale, Inversnaid, Spring and Fall, The Sea and the Skylark and God's Grandeur.

Funeral of Archbishop George Boyer

On 2 April, John represented the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church at the funeral of Archbishop-Count George Boyer of the Church of the Ascension and the Apostolic Episcopal Church at Lambeth Crematorium, London. Bishop Boyer was one of the most important figures in the esoteric Christian tradition. Successor to Archbishop Richard, Duc de Palatine, in the Pre-Nicene Gnostic Church, he became an important teacher in the area of spiritual science, publishing many books, monographs, articles in magazines and authoring and directing many correspondence courses designed to introduce the public to esoteric wisdom. He is survived by his wife, Bishop Leila Boyer, who takes on responsibility for his church and clergy.

By commission of Archbishop Francis Spataro, Primate of the Apostolic Episcopal Church, John was designated Bishop Boyer's successor as Archbishop of the AEC for Great Britain on July 20.

John Kersey is invited speaker at Libertarian Alliance dinner

John was the invited speaker at the monthly Libertarian Alliance dinner in London in February, when he spoke on the work of European-American University and its importance from a libertarian perspective. Founded in 1977, the Libertarian Alliance is the leading non-partisan organisation promoting libertarianism in the UK, and the largest libertarian association outside North America.

John Kersey to be featured in new book on the Independent Sacramental Movement

John is among the featured biographees in the new book A Strange Vocation: Independent Bishops Tell Their Stories edited by Bishop Alistair Bate and to be published in 2009 by The Apocryphile Press in the United States. The book will raise money for the charity World Vision.

Two Works by Archbishop Bernard Mary Williams published

Two Works by Archbishop Bernard Mary Williams, Second Archbishop of The Old Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain: A Summary of the History, Faith, Discipline, and Aims of The Old Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain (1924); A Pastoral Letter for Advent, 1920. New edition edited and with a preface by John Kersey. Archbishop Bernard Mary Williams was the successor to Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew in the Old Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain and established the strongly traditionalist and conservative pattern still followed by that church's successors. These works speak of his conception of the ORCCGB as a Uniate Rite conforming to the Roman Catholic Church in most respects, but differing in the admission of a married priesthood and a vernacular liturgy. Unavailable for many years, this edition has a Preface by John Kersey and is available as a free-to-download e-book as well as in hardcover. 47 pages. To download or purchase a copy, please visit the European-American University Press page here.

Adolph Bergt (1822-62)
Andantino op 7 no 3 (excerpt)

Heinrich von Sahr (1829-98):
In Nordischer Weise, op 1 no 1

Hans Huber (1852-1921):
Adagio from the Sonate zu "Maler Nolten", op 47

Adolf Jensen (1837-79):
Lose (Fate), op 8 no 8