Photos by Owsley Brown Presents
Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Kiera Duffy, Laquita Mitchell, Nicholas Phan, Jake Heggie and others headline Sing with Haiti’s Oct. 2 benefit in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. The event is part of an international campaign to rebuild an important classical-music school, destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. Says Voigt:
I was very moved when I heard the tragic and at the same time very inspiring story of the Holy Trinity Music School, and am truly honored to host and perform at this event for “Sing With Haiti.” The fact that music plays such an important role in the elevation of the human spirit is evidenced by the courage of the teachers and students there. Because of their belief in music, they have persevered in the face of tremendous adversity.
The organization's executive director, Philip Wilder, says:
Many of Haiti’s most beloved cultural institutions remain in ruins, and are struggling to survive. As a musician, I find none of these losses more heartbreaking than the destruction of the Holy Trinity Music School. We have all witnessed the power that music education has to transform communities, and enrich the lives of children around the world. My colleagues and I at “Sing With Haiti” are committed to continuing this trend. We are proud to assist the ongoing work of the Holy Trinity Music School, and thrilled to have artists of such stature lending their support to our inaugural event.
Along with most of the Haitian capital, the school in Port-au-Prince was destroyed in a massive earthquake, one of the most devastating natural disasters of modern times, on Jan. 12, 2010. The school, which has educated thousands of children, giving hope to them and their families for over 50 years, was left in utter ruin.
The students’ classrooms, their auditorium, their rehearsal spaces, and instruments were completely destroyed. There was nothing left but music-making itself, and an undaunted will among the students and faculty to continue their education. The students never stopped playing. The faculty never stopped teaching. In parking lots, next to piles of rubble, in tents and under tarps, these remarkable young musicians continue to play and sing.
Les Petits Chanteurs and La Chorale des Fillettes, children’s choirs from the school will also participate in the Oct. 2 concert, which is followed by a reception in the Fairmont Hotel. For ticket information, see Ticketmaster.