Artists of sung and spoken word will bless audiences at the upcoming Religious Education Congress with a sound-tapestry inspired by the 2006 convention theme: "Step into Freedom."

Bob Halligan, Jr., founder of the pop/rock/Celtic/Christian band, Ceili Rain, and musical composer of this year's convention theme song, said his bilingual English/Spanish anthem cowritten with Pedro Rubalcava seeks to express the "liberation of the spirit from darkness and doubt."

Halligan, who has written over 140 songs recorded by pop/rock artists, including Cher, Michael Bolton, KISS, Jump 5 and Maire Brennan, will perform with fellow Ceili (pronounced KAY-lee) Rain musicians in an April 1 evening concert in the Anaheim Convention Arena featuring songs from their latest album, "Change in Your Pocket." The band is also scheduled to perform March 30 during the Congress' sold-out Youth Day.

After songwriting for 15 years, Halligan reached back to his Irish Catholic roots and added Celtic/Christian musical influences to a new group he put together in 1995. Ignoring the warnings of peers who said the melded music with Christian themes wouldn't be very marketable, Halligan has enjoyed the most success with any band he's ever had.

He looks at Ceili Rain as a calling rather than a career. "God's in charge instead of me. What a relief!" said Halligan, a New York state resident who spends one-quarter of his time on the road performing in mostly church-sponsored concerts.

Ceili Rain's band members, who play an eclectic mix of tin whistles, bagpipes, button accordion, drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, describe themselves as a "six-headed joy monster for Jesus."

Their catchy music and socially-conscious lyrics earned the band a number of awards last year from the United Catholic Music and Video Association, including "Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year" for "Change in Your Pocket" and "Rock Song of the Year" for their joyful tune, "Stomp."

Change-agent poet
Best selling author David Whyte, who uses poetry and storytelling to help people "navigate the difficult transitions of life," returns to Congress this year for two workshops.

Drawing upon his repertoire of 300 memorized poems, Whyte recites poetry as a way to "create the experience and emotion of change in the room" whereby audience members can begin to embrace creativity, courage and engagement.

A native of Wales, Whyte started out as a scientist, receiving a degree in marine zoology and spending time as a naturalist guide in the Galapagos Islands. Over time, however, he realized that science didn't provide all the answers to the human condition.

"I returned to poetry as a more precise way to describe the world --- more precise than science," said Whyte in a phone interview from his home in Washington state. A sought-after speaker with blue-chip clients such as Ford, Kodak, Shell and Mattel, Whyte believes poetry opens people's minds, removes self-imposed limits, and helps elicit new answers to entrenched problems.

Besides his own poetry, Whyte may recite works by Dante, Coleridge, Eliot or Blake during his upcoming Congress appearance. His workshops include "The Three Marriages: Work, Self & Other" (March 31, 3-4:30 p.m.) and "Through the Eye of the Needle: Life, Work and the Poetic Imagination" (April 1, 10-11:30 a.m.).

For further website information on David Whyte and Bob Halligan, Jr., log on to davidwhyte.com and ceilirain.com.