FREE and OPEN to the Public
The Scent of Grief, spoken word performance led by Moon Machar, former Indigo Arts Resident, along with alumni of the Telling Room. 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 performance by Pihcintu Multi-National Girls Choir: "What beautiful voices...isn't it incredible-BRAVO!" Yo-Yo Ma. Free event.
September, 2025. Date and Time TBD. Free Event
Gospel Music Lecture/Demo by composer 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
Gospel Messiah-A Refugee Oratorio. A gospel interpretation of Handel's Messiah, featuring musicians, singers and poets from the Portland community, along with Pihcintu, A Multi-National Girls Choir. This promises to be a Messiah you won't forget! November 14 - 16, 2025. Matinee and Evening performances. $15 and $5 community tickets.
This programming is funded in part by The Maine Humanities Council and The Onion Foundation.
Moon Mashar
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