Singer/Songwriter Elise Barrett in concert Nov. 21

Singer/songwriter, author and pastor Elise Erikson Barrett will present a concert Friday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. in Daniel Chapel on the Furman University campus.

The event, “The Gift of Emotion: A Concert for the Head and Heart,” is free and open to the public, and is presented by Furman’s Office of the Chaplain. A reception hosted by Furman’s Wesley Fellowship will follow the event, with Barrett’s CDs available for sale and signing.

A Furman Cultural Life Program event, the concert is part of a presentation in which University Chaplain Dr. Vaughn CroweTipton explores the cultural significance of emotion, the Christian tradition surrounding it, and then offers pastoral and theological reflection on emotion as a human expression. Barrett’s music is born from deep human emotions of loss and struggle. A Q&A session follows to allow a time to discuss the role and benefit/struggle of human emotion.

In 2012, Barrett’s husband was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In the difficult years that followed, Barrett was his caregiver through a failed course of chemotherapy and a successful bone marrow transplant. Throughout her life, music has been a cornerstone for Barrett. From her early years in the Indianapolis Children’s Choir through her education and experiences as a pastor and worship leader, she has found ways to integrate her singing and songwriting.

Barrett is a native of Indianapolis and is now living in Spartanburg, S.C. with her husband and three children. She is an ordained United Methodist pastor, a published writer and professional editor, an experienced retreat leader and speaker, as well as a singer/songwriter.

Barrett is author of “What Was Lost: A Christian Journey through Miscarriage,” which was awarded Christianity Today magazine’s “Best Book of 2011” in the Christian Living category. Her first full-length album, “Awake,” was recorded at the historic West Coast Fantasy Studios with producer Gabriel Harley.

To learn more about Barrett, visit www.elisebarrett.com. For more information about the concert, contact Assistant University Chaplain Maria Swearingen, maria.swearingen@furman.edu, or (864) 294-2133.