Holy Ground
an opera
Creators
Music: Damien Geter
Libretto: Lila Palmer
Commissioners
Glimmerglass Festival, 2022
Summary
“The Messiah must be wanted by his Mother. Must be chosen, as God must be chosen: freely.”
Part angelic office comedy, part dystopian Messiah tale, this anarchic exploration from Geter and Palmer tracks a familiar story with a new twist: a Messiah is due to save the world, but human women seem uninterested in taking part. Can heaven persuade the right girl to sign up, and should they even have to convince her? Holy Ground is that strange beast, a gut punch comedy with a loving hand that refuses easy answers, reilluminating the only experience to which the entire human race has a relationship: motherhood.
Run Time: 50 minutes
Photos by Karli Cadel
What People Are Saying
“Holy Ground explores spirituality quite differently. With a fanciful, skillfully written score, the piece presents a beguiling present-day story of a group of hapless Archangels having trouble recruiting a young woman to bear God in human form.”
— The New York Times
“Holy Ground posits tech-savvy, screen surfing archangels searching for a woman willing to birth the Messiah (489 have refused). Geter’s compositional virtues include singable vocal lines and good word- setting. Holy Ground’s more groundbreaking elements...stemmed from Palmer’s libretto... admirably advocates female agency, a social conscience and – in a broad sense – faith informed choice.”
— Opera News