David Lang’s poor hymnal *
The Crossing @ Christmas 2023
The Jeffrey Dinsmore Memorial Concerts
Sunday December 17, 5pm
The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
imagine a religion
with the less fortunate at its center;
this is their hymnal
The Crossing @ Christmas returns with the world premiere of a major new work from David Lang: poor hymnal. The concert-length work considers the words of hymnals, which are woven into many varying religions as a catalog of ideals that worshipers agree upon; ideals such as how we treat and care for others, particularly those who are less fortunate. In poor hymnal, Lang poses the question: "are the hymns we’re singing today truly reflective of a society that feels a responsibility to care for and support one another?"
* world premiere
poor hymnal is co-commissioned for Donald Nally and The Crossing by Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting, Jill and Loren Bough, and Peggy and Mark Curchack.
