New York musicians usher in a new era of Buddhist music and Broadway medleys | Mayor shows support as music heals and uplifts hearts after the pandemic.
As wildfires ravage eastern Canada and air quality in the greater New York area drops, outdoor activities have been moved indoors. However, a remarkable music concert took place on May 9th at Queens College in New York.
The concert featured international musicians from the New York Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and Broadway vocalists, who jointly performed a captivating indoor music extravaganza, encompassing “Human Connections,” Disney film scores, and classical music.
Mayor Eric Adams of New York City, in an interview, expressed that amidst the ongoing pandemic and economic slowdown, communities are in dire need of deep engagement with arts, culture, and music. He recognized the healing power of music, which has the ability to uplift spirits and provoke contemplation.
Ven. Jue Lin, the abbot of Foguangshan New York Temple, quoted the founder of Foguangshan, Grand Master Hsing Yun, saying, “Music can express the emotions of the human spirit. A sacred melody or a devout Buddhist chant often elevates the human soul to a sacred realm. Therefore, in the propagation of religion, music holds a very important place.”
New York City Council Member Sandra Ung also attended the event and interacted with the participants. She shared that she had frequently accompanied her parents to Foguangshan’s activities since childhood. She commended Foguangshan for not only serving its members but also extending its services to the wider community, and she took this opportunity to express her heartfelt remembrance of Grand Master Hsing Yun.
Although New York Governor Kathy Hochul was unable to attend the event, she sent a letter of gratitude and wished the concert success.
The concert 【Eternal Star】opened with a Buddhist hymn called “Hymn to the Three Jewels,” composed by Grand Master Hsing Yun.
The highlight of the concert was the performance of Buddhist music on Western-style pipe organ. This indoor music concert, which aimed to commemorate Grand Master Hsing Yun’s contributions to promoting Humanistic Buddhism, also attempted innovative combinations of Buddhist and classical music.
It featured instruments such as the French horn, violin, and vocal performances, as well as adaptations of popular songs, all weaving together to create the songs of Human Connections. Chen Cheng-hui, the president of the Buddha’s Light International Association New York, expressed the hope that through this concert, people would be able to connect with Grand Master Hsing Yun across time and space.
Mayor Adams visited during the rehearsal and interacted with the participating chamber musicians. Not only did Mayor Adams try his hand at percussion instruments, but he also sat down to listen to the medleys and vocal performances. He expressed his gratitude to the Buddha’s Light International Association New York for organizing this charity concert for the benefit of the community. He encouraged the community to actively engage in the promotion of arts and music.
Drawing on the example of the Great Depression, he mentioned that as the community emerged from economic hardship, former President Roosevelt invested millions of dollars in arts and culture. Although the COVID-19 pandemic brought pain, uncertainty, and anxiety, Adams emphasized the importance of actively pursuing arts, culture, and music in various forms.
He stated that music, being inspiring in nature, has the power to heal. Music concerts, in their various forms of inspiration, serve as a means of healing and reflection. Adams expressed his gratitude to the devoted efforts of the Foguangshan community in New York and urged for the promotion of this cause not only in Queens but also in the heart of Manhattan and throughout the entire city.
The concert repertoire included compositions such as “Carmen Suite,” Mozart’s “Nocturne in G Major, K. 525,” the theme song from “The Wizard of Oz” called “Over the Rainbow,” the musical “Les Misérables” with “I Dreamed a Dream,” Tchaikovsky’s “Song without Words,” and the musical “The Phantom of the Opera” with “Music of the Night,” along with other film and musical themes.
There were also well-known melodies like the theme song of the Buddha’s Light Youth Conference, “Harmony,” the theme song of the World Members’ Representative Conference, “Love and Peace,” the theme song for the 30th anniversary of the Buddha’s Light Association, “It’s Wonderful with You,” as well as the homage to Grand Master Hsing Yun, “Ode to the Master,” and “Eternal Star.” The vivid and splendid performances deeply moved the audience.
Ven. Jue Lin, at the opening of the concert, stated that Grand Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Buddha’s Light Mountain, dedicated his life to promoting and advocating Humanistic Buddhism. This form of Buddhism encompasses what Buddhism requires, what people need, progress, and beauty. This year marks the 57th anniversary of Buddha’s Light Mountain’s founding and the 30th anniversary of the propagation of Humanistic Buddhism by the New York branch. When Grand Master Hsing Yun established Buddha’s Light Mountain, he set forth clear guidelines, and both Buddha’s Light Mountain and the International Buddhist Light Association have been guided by four principles: culture, education, charity, and spiritual cultivation, in the propagation of Humanistic Buddhism.
Ven. Jue Lin continued by saying that Foguangshan began promoting Buddhist music in 1979, and now 45 years later, the 【Eternal Star – Musical Spectacular of Human Connections】 is not only a commemoration of Grand Master Hsing Yun’s blessings but also a reinterpretation of Buddhist music through singing, playing, and arranging, as Grand Master Hsing Yun envisioned. It demonstrates the development of music towards greater accessibility and integration into daily life, ultimately achieving the purification of the human heart.
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