Benefit Concert for the Interfaith Immigrant Legal Fund.Sunday, April 29, 4:00 p.m. at FUUSN

“Twenty years old and mother of five. Twenty years old and the only thing bigger Than my sadness and my fear Was my responsibility to feed them, Abused continuously by the coward, I was hungry and depressed all the time, I decided to come to the north.”

This excerpt is from Henry Mollicone’s composition Sueños de Esperanza. “These songs were composed for a benefit event held by Day Workers Of Mountain View, a strong organization that serves immigrants in Northern California. Having visited their offices, [Mollicone] was very impressed with the range of programs they provide for immigrants and the personal commitment of their director, Maria Marroquin.

“Maria interviewed four women and transcribed their true stories into poems which [were] set to music. The text is a transcription of words from a woman who emigrated to California. The composer writes, “The [four] stories have a common thread that suggests the difficult and painful experiences of immigration in our society. It is our hope that the stories of these brave women help to raise the awareness of this important issue.”

Please join us on Sunday April 29 at 4:00 pm in the FUUSN Sanctuary to hear two of Mollicone’s songs, along with “Armenian Songs” by Father Gomidas (Soghomon Soghomonian). “[Gomidas’] beautiful work is both a symbol of the genocide for the Armenian people and means of moving forward. As we approach another anniversary of this unspeakable tragedy, Gomidas’ songs let us behold the soul of the nation.”

“Nearly All Americans have ancestors who braved the oceans, liberty loving risk takers in search on an ideal. Immigration is not just a link to America’s past; it’s also a bridge to America’s future.” – George Bush, from his Remarks on the Signing the Immigration Act of 1990, November 20, 1990

Also on the April 29 program is a new cantata, The Immigrant Experience. Singers from several UU congregations will sing this work, which features texts by our founding fathers that establish the U.S. as a place of welcome for immigrants. The concert will benefit the Interfaith Immigrant Legal Fund, which connects families facing the threat of deportation with community resources and financial support to cover legal fees and bond costs. http://www.episcopalcitymission.org/                                                                                          – Anne Watson Born