FREE and OPEN to the Public.
The Scent of Grief, spoken word performance led by Moon Machar, former Indigo Arts Resident. Open mic after the performance.
This event is part of The Gospel Messiah Project, a series of performances presented by the collaborators of Gospel Messiah: A Refugee Oratorio, leading up to the project's culmination on November 14-16.
Join Moon Machar for an intimate solo performance from her poignant collection of poems, The Scent of Grief.
This collection is a living altar a tribute to her late father, the first storyteller she ever knew. The man who carried words like seeds and planted them in her spirit. Through his love, his absence, and the scent of his leather, Moon unearths the stories that shaped her voice and continue to shape her grief and her commitment to her people. He had raised her with the discipline of the Nile in the salty air of northern New England.
Raised in Maine but born in East Africa , Moon’s journey is one of dual belonging. Of being the daughter of tall men, tribal marks and riverbanks, of braided histories and rocky coastlines. Through testimony, poetry, and unflinching truth, she brings her father back into the room, word by word.
In this performance, expect reverence and reflection, devastation and beauty, silence and baritone woven into a homecoming that has no map.
Following the show, stay to hear from other poets and writers and bring your own poem for a powerful open mic circle in community.
Come witness grief, not as an ending, but as an altar. A bridge. A scent that remains.
Other events in the series include:
A Community Concert by Akiwacu and Pihcintu Multinational Girl’s Choir. Saturday, September 6 at 4:00 p.m. Registration Requested.
Gospel Music Lecture/Demo by composer/arranger Jack Maeby: "Soul stirring gospel joy that will knock you down and leave you speaking in tongues... (Maeby) burns rubber on your immortal soul." LA Weekly. Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Free event
Main Event
The Gospel Messiah is more relevant than ever, given the ever-increasing number of refugees seeking shelter worldwide. The performances will feature local musicians and a core group of singers, along with the multi-national girls' refugee choir Pihcintu, interlaced with spoken word pieces by Moon Machar, former Indigo Arts Resident along with alumni of The Telling Room. The power of Handel's music in a dynamic gospel interpretation will create a riveting theatrical experience you won't soon forget! November 14 - 16, 2025. Matinee and evening performances. $15 and $5 community tickets.
Generously funded in part by The Onion Foundation, Maine Humanities Council and The Nichols Fund.
Moon Machar
The Gospel Messiah: A Refugee Oratorio. Graphic designed by Moon Mashar.
Generous Funding for The Gospel Messiah: A Refugee Oratorio provided by The Onion Foundation
Generous Funding for The Gospel Messiah: A Refugee Oratorio provided by Maine Humanities Council
Generous Funding for The Gospel Messiah: A Refugee Oratorio provided by The Nichols Fund