“Might Not a Song Awake…?”: A Lyrical Evening with MacDonald’s Phantastes

The evening will feature music inspired by George MacDonald’s novel Phantastes. Soprano Juliet Papadopoulos (ISM M.M. '24) and pianist Benjamin Harding(opens in a new window/tab) will sing and play works by Gustav Holst, Eric Paździora, and J.A.C. Redford. To accompany the music, excerpts from MacDonald’s Phantastes will be read by Malcolm Guite, immersing those present in the imagination of George MacDonald. 

This musical evening journeys through the land of Faerie through the songs from MacDonald’s Phantastes. Anodos and those he encounters tend to break into song, revealing both their hidden internal desires and the deep mysteries of the spiritual life. A highlight in the evening is the song of the girl whose globe was broken by Anodos but now can sing, “wherever I go, my songs do good, and deliver people.” This concert celebrates this awakening of the imagination and the healing powers of music where mystery, even for a moment, is grasped and wonder guides one’s knowing, immersing those present in the imagination of George MacDonald.

This event is free and open to the public. View more information here.

“Might Not a Song Awake…?”: A Lyrical Evening with MacDonald’s Phantastes is a part of The Genius of George MacDonald conference being hosted by the ISM on December 13-14. Although the full conference requires paid registration and has a limited number of open spots, this concert event is free and open to the public with no need for registration.

This event is sponsored by Marquand Chapel, The Genius of George MacDonald Conference, Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and private donors.

Contact: Chelle Stearns