Nov. 10, 2015

The concert was awesomely beautiful and deeply meaningful. An hour and a half. The Durban Philharmonic orchestra with some compositions especially for the occasion, and there were also, aside from two beautiful choirs (almost all African), some African soloists--soprano woman and two male tenors, Bhuddist drummers (huge drums, 8 of them, and what a sound they made), Hindu dancers (very graceful), a Muslim mad singing an invitation to prayer (lovely voice), a Jewish celloist (they were remembering the horrible Krystalnacht, when, 77 yrs. ago, there was a pogrom against Jews in Germany and someone composed some very moving music that expressed the sadness of that terrible occasion). All religions was represented there and the plea was that they should be an example to the world that the world can be like the Hurley center, all religions working together to make a better world. I wept for most of the time because it was just so beautiful, and meaningful. I am sure that even the angels rejoiced together with Hurley up there.
(I am taking about a concert to celebrate the 100th birthday of Archbishop Denis Hurley at the newly blessed Denis Hurley Center which is a building next to the cathedral in Durban which caters to the poor and marginalized. They have a soup kitchen and feed hundreds of down and out people every day, there is a clinic staffed 24/7 by volunteer doctors and nurses for the homeless people, and there are several offices for migrants where they can get help of one kind or another. All is done on a volunteer basis. It is open to everyone regardless of race or religion. It is a part of the dream of Archbishop Hurley that has finally come true.)