The Mount Hope World Singers are set to captivate audiences with their latest production, Bright Threadsa unique blend of music, movement, and compelling themes. This performance promises to be an a healing musical immersionaccording to artistic director Annika Bentley, who finds the show’s theme particularly relevant in today’s world.
Bentley emphasizes that the show focuses on various aspects of healing, including physical, emotional, and intercultural connections. The performance is a testament to the power of music in fostering unity and encouragement, making it a timely and resonant experience for audiences.
The Creative Process Behind Bright Threads
Annika Bentley has been the driving force behind the Mount Hope World Singers’ productions, conceiving and arranging each program herself. For Bright Threads, she spent over a year researching and developing the approach and content. Unlike her previous works, which were inspired by single sources, this performance draws from a diverse range of cultures and traditions.
The program features choral music from 10 countries, including Australia, Haiti, Mongolia, and Mexico. Each piece addresses themes of physical, mental, and cultural healing, evoking a spectrum of emotional states from calm to sadness to euphoria. Bentley collaborated with musical director Brian White to curate a list of songs and choral pieces, including contemporary classical works and arrangements from various world cultures.
A Personal Touch: Sun Breathes Birdsong
For each Mount Hope World Singers show, Bentley composes a choral piece that reflects her personal journey. In Bright Threads, she introduces Sun Breathes Birdsonga vocal incantation inspired by her experiences with ME/CFS, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. This condition affects the mitochondria, the tiny structures within cells responsible for energy production.
Bentley’s piece is a unique call to galvanize and increase the power of the mitochondria, a concept she explores in depth in her recommended reading, Nick Lane’s 2005 book Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life.
Instruments and Staging: A Multisensory Experience
Bright Threads will feature a variety of indigenous instruments, each bringing a distinct cultural flavor to the performance. Local world musicians Ken Luk, Leah Ou, and Alyssa Rodriguez have composed new music for the project, representing Swedish nyckelharpa, Zimbabwean mbira, and Chinese pipa traditions, respectively. Percussionist Don Sherman will also join the ensemble.
The staging, designed by Donetta Tchoroleev, combines ritual movement and interpretive dance with the notion of healing as a circle. Singers will use large natural sticks as props, creating elements like an archway and a pyre to reinforce the connection between the physical and spiritual realms. Bentley describes these sticks as magical-looking staffs, some still bearing lichen and bark.
The Singers: A Collaborative Journey
The Mount Hope World Singers ensemble consists of 25 members with varying degrees of musical skill but a shared adventurous spirit. Bentley notes that the music is often challenging, with unusual vocal effects and irregular metrics. All choral numbers are sung in their original languages, and the movement is equally unconventional, with everyone on stage for the entire show.
Bentley acknowledges that the initial stages of the performance can be daunting, but the collaborative effort transforms the experience into something beautiful. The singers’ willingness to step outside their comfort zones is a testament to their dedication and the power of collective creativity.
The Mount Hope World Singers will present Bright Threads on Wednesday, June 10, and Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m. at the Monroe Community College Theatre, Building 4, Brighton Campus, 1000 East Henrietta Road. Both performances will be ASL interpreted and followed by a reception. For more information and tickets, visit the event page.
