On July 1, 2012 – the Sunday before the July 4th holiday, a unique concert was held in historic Christ Church in Philadelphia. This church located in the Old City section of Philadelphia was founded in 1695 and is a National Historic Landmark. It is the birthplace of the American Episcopal Church and many founding fathers and patriots worshipped here. 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence attended this church and Benjamin Franklin and 4 other signers of the Declaration are buried in the Christ Church Burial Ground. There are brass pew markers showing where George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and others sat.
At The Sacred Fire Concert held in the altar area of the Christ Church on July 1, 2012, an ensemble of singers and musicians called Sri Chinmoy Sacred Fire Singers performed songs and recitations centered on the theme of the ideals of the American founding fathers, patriotism and a spiritual interpretation of central moments in American history. The music and writings featured in The Sacred Fire concert flowed from the pen of Indian born spiritual leader and humanitarian Sri Chinmoy.
Based in New York for more than half his life, Sri Chinmoy valued the ideals of American freedom and held a special fondness for Philadelphia. He composed a song about Philadelphia in 1970 and in a play about America that he wrote in 1975 called The Sacred Fire, he portrays the song about Philadelphia as a gift from the “World Soul” to William Penn and Benjamin Franklin.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia,
Philadelphia, Philadelphia!
O sweet city of brotherly love,
O God-Perfection below, above.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia,
Philadelphia, Philadelphia!
Your world-attention Liberty Bell
Proclaimed the death of our bondage-hell,
O freedom lovers’ Utopia.â€
– Sri Chinmoy, 1970
For a more detailed look at Sri Chinmoy’s writings related to America, a book entitled America the Beautiful was published in 2010 by Illumine Press. The audio version of the book is narrated by Richard Dreyfuss. The U.S. section of the International Sri Chinmoy Centres also offers in-depth information about Sri Chinmoy’s views on America.
[jwplayer file=”http://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/wp-content/uploads/media/philadelphia-59/149-1-1.m4a” image=”http://www.radiosrichinmoy.org/wp-content/uploads/featured-images/old-posts/philadelphia-59-291×300.jpg” width=”320″ height=”25″] Source: Radio Sri Chinmoy
Click above to listen to a beautiful arrangement by piano teacher Archee Moffitt of a song about Philadelphia composed by Sri Chinmoy. The sweetness and clarion call of this song (which was performed at the concert) offers a glimpse of the soul-stirring inspiration that this concert contained in full measure.
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