Best known to moviegoers as Gimli in The Lord of the Rings, or as Indiana Jones' (Harrison Ford’s) comic sidekick, Sallah, in two of Paramount's INDIANA JONES adventure films, Rhys-Davies will lend his talents as a guest performer, masterclass instructor and gala host during the annual Annie Moses Summer Music Festival. This performing arts intensive for young musicians will be held July 8 -15 at The Factory at Franklin (conveniently located just south of Music City) and other premier Nashville performance venues.
As part of the week’s festivities, Rhys-Davies will perform the starring role as the narrator in the world-premiere of the brand-new Broadway-style musical by Robin Donica Wolaver and Bill Wolaver, Merry Christmas Uncle Scrooge!, which is based on the Charles Dickens classic story A Christmas Carol. Additionally, Rhys-Davies, a notable alumnus of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), will teach a masterclass for young actors at the event and then host the final gala featuring all of the festival performers alongside Annie Moses Band.
“We are so excited and honored to announce our special guest John Rhys-Davies!” exclaims Annie Wolaver Dupre, founder, lead vocalist and violinist of Annie Moses Band. “Not only is John an iconic character and exceptionally talented actor on the world stage, he has a true heart for the same mission and purpose of the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival and Annie Moses Foundation – a passion for the world of the arts and raising up a brand new generation of young artists who are committed to godly excellence in the arts.”
The Annie Moses Summer Music Festival takes a kaleidoscope of instruments and artistic disciplines and fuses them together in a series of professional shows through exceptional instruction from faculty that includes alumni from prestigious music programs such as The Juilliard School, Boston College and Belmont University. Combining instruction with live performance opportunities, the festival is designed to give students life-changing experiences of real-world excellence, while building life-long friendships and taking their art form to the next level.
This flagship event has become the centerpiece for the band’s vision for the arts and the mission of the Annie Moses Band’s music education 501C3 non-profit – the Annie Moses Foundation. Celebrating its 15th year, the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival was founded by the Annie Moses Band, whose members write, direct and arrange the performances for the 200+ young performers who will gather to put on five shows over a single week. The shows are genre-specific and include Jazz, Americana, Singer/Songwriter and Classical and will be open to the public as ticketed events.
