The English Patient

ISBN 9781622773633. English.

For those who trust in God, in the pain of sorrow there is consolation, in the face of despair there is hope, in the midst of death there is life. —Order of Christian Funerals Those who struggle with the inability to conceive, those who know the pain of losing a child before birth, and those who have faced their infant's death at the time of birth know that this season of mourning is often held inside, hidden and unseen. But God does not abandon us. Somehow, on the other side of loss an incredible story of resilience emerges. Bodies, though they are never the same again, heal. Couples try again, adopt, or reimagine. Those who mourn in isolation find not one, not two, but a community of others with whom they can identify. God's silence is not absence, it is the patient listening of a God who knows our grief first-hand, who weeps with us, who holds us as a mother holds her child. Death is never the whole story. The hope of new life surprises, confounds, persists. Of Womb and Tomb: Prayer in Time of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Stillbirth is a resource for individuals, couples, and parish communities who wish to accompany those on their grief journey. Filled with stories, prayers, Scripture, poems, and rituals this book may serve as a guide in creating prayer opportunities in a variety of settings. Together, let us bear witness to the Christian mystery—that new life is born of the womb and of the tomb.  Once in a great while we encounter a resource that fundamentally changes the way we do ministry. We are so moved and formed and challenged that it is difficult, perhaps even impossible, to forget the sacred treasures contained within. GIA’s Of Womb and Tomb is exactly that resource. —John Kyler.

SKU: PR.312418590

UPC: 680160595785. 8.5 x 11 inches. Text by Chen Yi.

Often called the Ellis Island of the West, Angel Island in San Francisco was used as an immigration station in the first half of the 20th century, processing some one million Asian immigrants. Because of U.S. policy of the time, many spent years on Angel Island awaiting entry. Recently named a National Historical Landmark, Angel Island and its history is the inspiration behind Chen Yi's Angel Island Passages, commissioned by the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Chen explores the experiences of the immigrants, even using poems carved in the walls, to express the mood, the patient yearning, and the ultimate release and embrace of a new country. Angel Island Passages was premiered June 4-5, 2010 by the SFGC and the Cypress String Quartet at the San Francisco Conservatory. For advanced performers. Duration: 15'.
Commissioned by San Francisco Girls Chorus (Executive Director Melanie Smith), and premiered by the SFGC and Cypress String Quartet on June 4, 2010, conducted by SFGC’s Artistic Director Susan McMane, at San Francisco Conservatory, CA, the 3-movement song cycle Angel Island Passages is written for children’s chorus and string quartet, with multimedia projection on the walls of the concert hall, produced by visual artist Felicia Lowe.  The creative idea of this work was initiated by Dr. McMane, who invited me to write the music, and sent me the book “Island, poetry and history of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940”, by Him Mark Lai, Genny Lim, and Judy Yung for reference in 2009; also inspired by the Angel Island stories, and through cooperation with Felicia, who shared with me her film “Carved in Silence” and video productions “Chinatown” and “Road to Restoration”.I named the first movement of my work as “1882”, which reflected the dark mood under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.  The collective poems carved on the wooden walls in Angel Island expressed deep emotion in sorrow and anxiety.  The music in the second movement “Longing” is sad and sentimental.  The third movement is called “We Are America”, which is ever-moving, energetic and optimistic.  The text sung in the beginning in Chinese means “I am an American”.  It’s sung in Cantonese dialect, then in Mandarin.  As the music develops, from homophonic to polyphonic with increasing layers, the climax is reached when the text is turned to English “We Are America”, which symbolizes the flourishing society with the great contribution from thousands of immigrants during the years.  The music fades out towards the ending of the work, which pushes the scene to a remote picture, to look forward to the future peace of the world.I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with such inspiring creative artists in this project, and hope the work is meaningful to our new society after the premiere performance.—Chen Yi.