storyteller - a proposal by dianne tittle de Laet

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 Dianne Tittle de Laet is the Executive Director of The Arete Fund and an artist who is dedicated to the recreation of the oral tradition at the harp as a means of bringing the wisdom of the ancient voice to bear on the modern day. This praise song for peace is a recitation of myth, sacred verse and poetry which involves both harp and drum. In a time of religious war, it may be wise to recall those voices that remind us of our obligation to the moment at hand. As a poet, I cannot stop a war in the Middle East, but I can tell a story in defense of our shared humanity. This very old story is not only part of our inheritance as human beings, but proof, as if proof was needed, that you can break the stone but not the voice.    

We will recall verse from that fabulous time of poetic beginning and give voice to a story of a shared cultural and spiritual legacy. From the cradle of civilization in ancient Ur, in what was once Sumer and the birthplace of Abraham, to the voices of women from Judges in the Old Testament, come the oldest of stories and the oldest of songs known to man. I recite simply, and in the belief that there are those among us who can imagine the whispers and echoes from the past speaking to us in the present time, to us. Also, I give answer, now and again, with verse of my own and make dialogue with the voice that is our shared human inheritance as Muslims, Christians and Jews, as Children of the Book, inheritors of a shared gift of sacred text.

We will recall verse from that fabulous time of beginning and give voice to a story of a shared cultural and spiritual legacy. From the cradle of civilization in ancient Ur, in what was once Sumer and the birthplace of Abraham, to the voices of women from Judges in the Old Testament, come the oldest of stories and the oldest of songs known to man. I recite simply, and in the belief that there are those among us who can imagine the whispers and echoes from the past speaking to the present time, to us. Also, I give answer, now and again, with verse of my own and make dialogue with the voice that is our shared inheritance as Muslims, Christians and Jews, as Children of the Book.

 While Old Story is a creative work that represent decades of study, research and reflection, it is at the same time a leap in a new direction and an entirely novel ceremony of hope that I am prepared to present. I hope to continue to share this story with live audiences at appropriate venues and occasions that celebrate the theme of peace in our time. I invite you to review The Proposal, The Background to Old Story, as well as the various links that follow.