david lang’s poor hymnal

The Crossing @ Christmas 2023
The Jeffrey Dinsmore Memorial Concerts

Friday, December 15 @ 6pm and 8:30pm

Iron Gate Theater, University of Pennsylvania

presented by Penn Live Arts

imagine a religion
with the less fortunate at its center;
this is their hymnal

The Crossing @ Christmas returns with the world premiere of a major new work from David Lang: poor hymnal. The concert-length work considers the words of hymnals, which are woven into many varying religions as a catalog of ideals that worshipers agree upon; ideals such as how we treat and care for others, particularly those who are less fortunate. In poor hymnal, Lang poses the question: are the hymns we’re singing today truly reflective of a society that feels a responsibility to care for and support one another?

poor hymnal is co-commissioned for The Crossing and Donald Nally by Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting, Jill and Loren Bough, and Peggy and Mark Curchack