“The place where brothers and strangers are one…”
– Jalal al-Din Rumi, 13th-c. Persian poet
Premiered last year to sold-out crowds, Jeannette Sorrell’s evocation of Old Jerusalem blends music and poetry from the Jewish, Christian, Arab, and Armenian quarters of the Old City. Selections from Monteverdi’s great Vespers of 1610 echo with Arabic love songs and rapturous singing of Jewish cantors. The performers, including musicians of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian backgrounds, join in celebration of brotherhood and sisterhood.