Traditions develop out of passionate reactions to events. The nativity story and themes that surround it have preoccupied us for centuries — there are miraculous aspects we celebrate like the unique relationship between birthing parent and child, and acts of generosity through gift giving; held alongside the challenging realities of genocide, forced displacement, and how the promise of new, or liberated, life is often accompanied by a threat and enactment of violence. That’s part of why at the end of each calendar year we seek out opportunities to consider the past cycles we find inescapable.
While the Christian doctrine is steeped in patriarchal structures and often shared through the lens of Western-European perspectives, “El Niño” brings the voices of women and Latin American poets to the forefront. Contrasting moments of intimate immediacy and ferocious power are what struck me when I first heard the original work by John Adams and Peter Sellars, and they’re what inspired me to find a way to share this piece with as many people and communities as possible.
It’s meaningful to present El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered in this distilled version — whether in the concert hall or a place of spiritual worship — because anywhere we choose to congregate can be considered sacred when we hear stories, reflect on lessons from those narratives, and witness each other in the process.
Thank you for joining us for this offering, which I hope will become a tradition.
With warmth and respect,
Julia Bullock
