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At the 2018 Parliament of World Religions in Toronto, soprano Cheri Jamison will take listeners on a musical and spiritual journey inspired by two women who changed the world: Anne Frank and Mirabai. This unique, musically bold double bill includes an excerpt from the one-woman opera, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” music by Grigory Frid. The second half features the hauntingly beautiful song cycle, “Mirabai Songs” music by John Harbison, featuring the religious poetry of Mirabai.  The Parliament of the World’s Religions
Toronto, ON • November 1 - 7, 2018 www.parliamentofreligions.org "The Promise of Inclusion & the Power of Love: Pursuing Global Understanding, Reconciliation, and Change." The Largest, Most Diverse and Inclusive Global Interfaith Event brings together more than 10,000 people to share, build relationships, and create a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world. Cheri's exact presentation time is still TBD. More details coming soon! Use Cheri's code to receive a friends and family discount: Full Week: n8depnxfe Day Pass: d3cty6c7b www.parliamentofreligions.org *** More about Cheri's presentation: “Anne Frank and Mirabai - Women’s Spiritual Legacy in Opera” relates to the 2018 Parliament themes of inclusion, love, understanding, reconciliation, and change by transporting the listeners into the emotional storylines of two strong women, who under very challenging circumstances, were examples of these qualities. Anne Frank’s story is a reminder of the dangers of exclusion and discrimination. Yet, Anne’s legacy is not in what she could have been had she not been murdered in a concentration camp, but her resilience, self-reflection, and ultimate core belief that mankind was still “good at heart.” If a 15-year-old girl in her circumstance could choose that mindset, it calls us forward to do that, too. Mirabai’s story is equally compelling as young Hindu woman going against a brutal patriarchal tradition at the time, and through her love of Krishna, blazed a trail to become one of the most important poet-saints of the Bhakti movement. Mirabai’s poetry set to the music of John Harbison is like a glimpse into the soul and dharma of one dedicated to the path of devotion, humanizing and thus inspiring a more global understanding of that movement. As a Millennial opera singer and someone deeply involved with spirituality myself, I think it’s important to show the world that spirituality can be expressed and experienced in the Arts, and specifically, opera. While religious themes are often present in opera, I found the personal spiritual journey of these two pieces to be unique. Music and poetry has a way of getting into the soul and sharing a message that goes beyond the intellect. The listener is not told of these qualities, they are shown it, they are connected to it by a visceral emotional experience, and thus are more likely to remember it. ~Cheri Jamison http://www.cherijamison.com |