Bright Threads

Mount Hope World Singers (MHWS), in collaboration with local instrumentalists/composers Ken Luk, Leah Ou, and Alyssa Rodriguez, is thrilled to present a one-hour, immersive experience of musical healing. This collaboration draws on and reinterprets global historical examples of music as medicine, creating a transformative new work focused on common humanity and emphasizing healing connection. Annika Bentley (MHWS Artistic Director), Ken Luk, Leah Ou, and Alyssa Rodriguez have each composed new music for this project, in addition to selecting works from the world song traditions /instruments that each contributor specializes in.
Bright Threads features Swedish Nyckelharpa, Zimbabwean Mbira, Chinese Pipa, and selected choral music from around the world. Key reference materials include Healing Songs by Ted Gioia, The Soul of Mbira by Paul Berliner, and I Heard There was a Secret Chord by Daniel Levitin. The project favors explorations of chant and euphoric rhythms in addition to lyrical and thematic content about illness and healing. Types of healing explored will include body, mind, spirit, family, community, nature, intercultural connection, and the world at large.
Both performances will be ASL interpreted and will be followed by a reception. There will be latex-free balloons available, enabling audience members to feel sonic vibrations with their hands.