Description
Cannons into Bells focuses on themes of transformation and a compassionate response to human suffering. The concert title, and Jodi French’s commissioned cantata of the same name, is taken from Martín Espada’s inspiring poem “Heal the Cracks in the Bell of the World” which tells the true-life story of 20,000 shell casings collected by Albanian children, melted into a Peace Bell. Joby Talbot’s “León”, from his astonishing “Path of Miracles”, tells the story of personal transformation, as pilgrims journey on foot along the famous Camino de Santiago to the city of León, seeking healing and spiritual transformation. Finally, Caroline Shaw’s “To the Hands” draws a connection between the suffering hands of Christ and the suffering hands of the displaced poor around the world seeking refuge. Just as metal can be turned into both cannons and bells, we can transform ourselves into a more compassionate people. “I was born of cannons, but now I sing of a world where cannons melt into bells”. Recorded May 2025.
