LOUIS BIRRO

One of the hallmarks of something that is done well is the fact that people are totally unaware of how it works. It just is. It just happens. This is something for which I strive in every aspect of worship, from the time a worship service begins until it finishes. Not everything is always perfect, but the goal is to take the congregant on a journey, if you will, of holy peace and beauty. Worship for me is an art form and when done well, can be transformative for the soul.

When we began broadcasting our worship services online, things happened very quickly and I was tasked with trying to bring the beauty of the in-person worship experience to online viewers. This was not easy. How can you adequately capture the music, the ambiance, the "feeling" one gets when just sitting in the space, surrounded by the holy beauty of our sanctuary?

As we progressed with technology, we ended up with a multi-camera A/V system which allows us to bring high-quality live-streamed broadcasts to the world. From the beginning of the Covid-era live-streaming, I asked my good friend and videographer colleague, Louis Birro, to video-tape several special services such as our very first online Covid service as well as Easter and Christmas. His knowledge of liturgy and sensitivity to the nuances of worship were paramount in creating these videos and it was a no-brainer to bring him on board to operate our newly acquired A/V system in the sanctuary.

His creativity and dedication to providing a "BBC quality" experience for the person watching at home have been invaluable. As I said earlier, one should be unaware of how something works. It should just happen. It should just be. Louis makes it all happen so beautifully and seamlessly. However, the behind-the-scenes work is never-ending! Each broadcast requires hours of computer work programming titles, setting camera angles and lighting, knowing the music being played or sung, and meticulously going through the printed program making sure that every aspect of the service is conveyed and portrayed in such a way as to give the online worshiper the "sitting in the pew" experience. Louis' goal has always been to capture the beauty of the worship service as artfully and spiritually as possible.

I'm so very thankful for Louis and his dedication to our online ministry. He's making a difference each and every week in the lives of so many by bringing St. Gregory's to them in a beautiful, spiritual, and holy way.

Tim Brumfield