Sacred Threads

Sacred Threads, words by Teresa Howard, music by Laura Reid. Vocals Gweneth Ann Rand, piano Allyson Devenish. Image by Heidi Stellar.

Teresa Howard is a writer, librettist, lyricist. Her most recent work is GHOSTWOOD, an Immersive VR Project for the Mayor of London!s Liberty Festival (Albany Theatre) working with Immersive Technologist Carl Guyenette (War of the Worlds, Somnai) as Concept Writer, Lyricist and Creative Producer; MINI-BREAK libretto for a One Act Opera composed by Victoria Bernath (Royal Opera House and Casco Phil – St Pancras International); Libretti for composer Sun Keting include: UNSUNG a Song Cycle commissioned by Conrad Sclar, One Act Operas ONE CUP OF MILK (RAM) & NEW GENUS (Tête à Tête Festival ‘22). She is also the book and lyric writer of THE WIND SINGER musical, based on the "Young Adult!#novel by William Nicholson composed by Sarah Llewellyn (RSC Residency/Performance) and book and lyrics of I CAPTURE THE CASTLE composed by Steven Edis (UK tour). Emily Dickinson's poem inspired me to write about Crinoids, one of the most ancient forms of sea life from the Echinodermata family, it looks like a bunch of feathers floating gracefully in the deep. Its presence in the sea, having outlived extinctions of other creatures like the dinosaurs, makes it a symbol of survival and hope. The poem is a prayer in homage to the ancient line of the Crinoid. SACRED THREADS Phy-lum Echin-o-der-mata Phy-lum Sacrum Genitori, genitoque Ad Phylum Crinoidae Five hundred million years of life. Five hundred million years. We heard the dying moan of beast from ice and fire, and air and sea. You thought we were the lilies of ancient shallow waters, but animal adaptable we learned to move, evolve, survive. We have nothing that a human needs. We take nothing that a human wants. We were here before and will watch you leave, unless you hold the door, amid your blast and roar! Hear my secret scripture Hear me call beneath the wave Hope is floating feather lilies Hope learns to weather any change. Phy-lum Echin-o-der-mata Phy-lum Sacrum Genitori, genitoque Ad Phylum Crinoidae. Copyright Teresa Howard 2023 Translation: Phy-lum Echin-o-der-mata (Latin name for the genus they belong to, including starfish etc.) Phy-lum Sacrum (sacred thread) Genitori, genitoque (begotten and begotten) Ad Phylum Crinoidae (the thread of crinoids)