Electric Earth Concerts presents The Sarajevo Haggadah: Music of the Book, on Friday, November 1, 2019, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Church in Jaffrey Center, New Hampshire.
Bosnian-Dutch accordionist–composer Merima Ključo and pianist Seth Knopp perform The Sarajevo Haggadah: Music of the Book, Ključo’s riveting musical depiction of Jewish heroism through the ages in the face of violence and prejudice. Performed with visual accompaniment, The Sarajevo Haggadah features original paintings digitally animated by video artist Bart Woodstrup.
Using the musical traditions of Spain, Italy, Austria, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ključo illustrates and illuminates the Haggadah's travels from medieval Spain to 20th-century Bosnia, where it was rescued and hidden during World War II by Muslims, to its restoration by the National Museum in Sarajevo after the 1992-95 war.
Inspired by the historical novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks and commissioned by the Foundation for Jewish Culture, The Sarajevo Haggadah: Music of the Book creatively interprets this miraculous artifact as a universal symbol of exile, return, and co-existence.
"Powerful music. An incredible story. Haunting images..." The Cleveland Plain Dealer
There will be a short talk before the concert by the Honorable Patti Whalen. "In 2007, Whalen was appointed to serve as an international judge in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo — the busiest war crimes court in the world. She held the position until the end of 2012, and so for five years she lived in Sarajevo. The testimony was harrowing, and the personal stories of injustice are ones that will stay with her forever. Whalen, though, doesn’t want to forget. “Once you’ve been exposed to genocide and once you’ve been exposed to the horrors of conflict, you want to do everything you can to educate people to prevent it. I feel like I have to just never forget, and teaching is a way of honoring the memories. In 2014, Whalen started teaching Genocide and International Law as a part of Keene State College’s Holocaust and Genocide Studies program.” SentinelSource.com
On April 30, 2019, Whalen was one of two recipients of an annual award from the Keene State College Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies for her work in Sarajevo. She will speak for 20 minutes on November 1 about her work in Sarajevo, Geraldine Brooks' novel, People of the Book, and challenges currently facing us.
Another recipient of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies’ Susan J. Herman award was David Blair, co-founder of Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center in Peterborough, NH. From their site: “The Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center fosters peace, global awareness, and understanding across cultural boundaries through compelling exhibits, performances and programs, and regional educational partnerships.” David accompanied co-founder of the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding,
Paula Green, to Sarajevo in 1999. There, they worked to facilitate communication between polarized groups. David will be available to answer questions at the reception following the performance.
Tickets are $30, and are available online at http://electricearthconcerts.org or at the door. This event is free to all students (college students are asked to bing ID).
For further information, email eeconcerts@gmail.com or call 603.499.6216.
Sponsor: Belletetes Building Products