Step Into the Magic!

Are you ready for an afternoon bursting with wonder, adventure, and unforgettable stories and songs? Join our community for an inspiring gathering of storytellers, musicians, and singers—an event where the power of words and music truly comes alive.

From heart-pounding journeys to faraway places, to laugh-out-loud moments, soulful tales and music that touch your heart, our performers will take you on an unforgettable ride.

This isn’t just a performance, it’s an experience. One that brings people together, celebrates creativity, and weaves a kind of magic that sparks your imagination and strengthens our sense of community.

Come for the music and stories… stay for the magic!

Schedule

1:30 pm – Doors open
2:00 pm – Monastic Monologues begins
3:30 pm – Reception and “After Glow”

Storytellers, Musicians & Emcee

Jane Barnard is a Madison-based writer, visual artist and watercolor teacher. She’s reading from her memoir-in-progress, entitled ” Poetry as Pain Relief,” about her spiritual journey of surviving dark times with beauty, with humor and grace. She celebrates the artists who have seeped into her bones, to soothe her loneliness and bring her joy.

You can learn more about Jane at her website.

Ann Baltes (right) and Bill Rosholt (left) are members of Sunday Assembly and have cherished being
connected to this beloved community of communities over many years, musically and
otherwise. They also consider it an extraordinary gift to have raised their daughter,
Grace, at Holy Wisdom as an ecumenical Benedictine. Ann has a background serving in
parishes and other settings in the areas of pastoral care, adult and youth faith formation,
liturgical music, and retreat facilitation. Bill works as a Systems Development Test
Engineer for Exact Sciences in Madison. Ann and Bill met as undergrads studying voice
and singing in choirs at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. They are both choral music
enthusiasts having sung continuously since high school students in various choirs in
Iowa, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Wisconsin. They have sung regularly in Madison and
surrounding areas as both choral artists and soloists with the Isthmus Vocal Ensemble,
Wisconsin Chamber Choir, Madison Choral Project, Cheers Madison, and Madison
Savoyards

Jean Feraca’s favorite 2024 Christmas gift is a coffee cup from an anonymous donor that reads, “I am Kind of a Big Deal in Wisconsin.” Famous as a talk show host on Wisconsin Public Radio, Jean was a writer before she became a broadcaster. The award-winning author of three books of poetry and the memoir, I Hear Voices: a Memoir of Love, Death, and the Radio, Jean teaches in UW-Odyssey, the humanities program she co-founded, and in Wisconsin prisons with the Prison Ministry Project.

Jean is a Sunday Assembly member, Benedictine Oblate since 2016, and one of the Monastic Monologues presenters. Jean’s a beloved voice of Wisconsin Public Radio and a true original. For 28 years, Jean was the host and producer on WPR’s Ideas Network, best known for the award-winning program Here on Earth: Radio Without Borders. Her work has beautifully blended humanities, poetry, curiosity, and community, making her one of the most respected and recognizable figures in public radio. She joined WPR in 1983 as a humanities producer and went on to host some of the network’s most memorable shows. Jean’s award-winning series, “Women of Spirit” was developed with the help of the Benedictine Sisters here at Holy Wisdom.

But what really makes Jean shine is her warmth, wit, and ability to laugh at herself. When asked about her funniest moments on air, she didn’t hesitate to share a few gems from her broadcasting life. There was the day she opened her own show with, “Good morning, I’m Jean Ferrara,” accidentally mispronouncing her own name. Or the time she invited her big brother on as a guest—“big mistake,” she laughs—only to have him greet her on air with, “You already made a mistake!” And then there’s the moment she’ll never quite live down: introducing “Wisconsin’s most famous baseball player… Brett Favre!”

Join us for a performance by Jean Feraca during Monastic Monologues and enjoy stories, humor, and insight from a master storyteller whose voice—and laughter—have been part of Wisconsin’s cultural fabric for decades.

Bill Frederick is the Director of Worship and Music at Holy Wisdom Monastery. He studied voice at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville while earning a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Gerald Darrow. He has been leading music and liturgy in various Churches full-time over the past 40 years. 33 years ago, Bill and Steve Johnson founded “Enter the Season With Song,” a group of musicians who gather for Christmas and summer concerts. The group has recorded three CDs and has given every dollar raised from every concert, a total exceeding $250,000, to various charities.

Max Harris earned his B.A. in English from Cambridge University and went on to complete a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. Over the years, he’s taught in a range of fields—from Latin American Studies to Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, and Religion and Literature at Yale Divinity School. He’s also written six books, including Carnival and Other Christian Festivals (University of Texas Press) and Sacred Folly: A New History of the Feast of Fools (Cornell University Press).

Beyond academia, Max has pastored Presbyterian churches in England, Virginia, Maryland, and Wisconsin. But if you ask him what really matters, he’ll tell you it’s not the titles or the books—it’s his 52-year (and counting!) marriage to Ann, and the gracious, saving work of the Holy Spirit that continues to shape their life together.

Steve Johnson is the Director of Music Ministry at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Madison. He has worked for the past 30+ years in various churches as Director of Liturgy and Music. Steve studied voice and piano at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while earning a degree in k-12 music education.

Terry Larson is a previous Protestant pastor who prefers poetry, pollinator plants, preaching, progressive people, polite politicians, pithy plots, pleasing prairies, plentiful portions of produce and…alliteration.

Janet Neurauter’s first time on stage was as a reindeer in her 2nd-grade holiday pageant and was actively involved in theater throughout school and with the Nicolet Players in Rhinelander, WI. She enjoys writing short stories and monologues and is working on her second play.

Originally from Michigan, Bill Santer II has called Wisconsin home since 1987. With a background in marketing, education and the arts, he now enjoys helping people find their perfect home as a realtor. At Sunday Assembly, Bill feels fortunate to be part of a welcoming, earth-conscious community that celebrates kindness, open-minded conversation and shared purpose. Whether he’s helping someone settle into a new home, concert-going, telling stories or connecting with his community, Bill brings a genuine spirit of curiosity, care and joy to everything he does.

Susan Santner is a passionate and versatile storyteller who loves to bring stories to life. She’s shared her tales at festivals, schools, libraries and community events across the region, captivating audiences of all ages. With experience as an actress, theatre director, puppeteer and library director, Susan’s creativity shines through in every performance. Her storytelling is lively, imaginative and full of heart, inviting listeners to step right into the world of her stories.

George Teague is a Madison-based cellist and teacher. He maintains an active studio at home and at UW-Steven’s Point. George received his performance degrees from Northern Arizona University and the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Eivind Hansen Photography

Patrick Terry was born and raised in Janesville, WI, and has been heard on operatic stages across the world. Career highlights include singing Eustazio at the Glyndebourne Festival, Rinaldo with the Minnesota Opera, Rosencratz with the Bayerische Staatsoper and premiering Brett Dean’s ‘In this brief moment’ with the Elbphilharmonie. He earned his degrees from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, The Royal Academy of Music in London and was the first countertenor to join the Jette Parker Young Artist program at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

Cost and Registration

There is no cost to register, but we ask that guests register so we may plan accordingly. We also ask that guests consider a goodwill donation to help support the monastery. There will be a physical donation box at the event for anyone who wants to donate in-person or you may make an online donation when you register with the button below.

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