The Light of Unity Festival Concert at the Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette on Oct. 20 was part of a global celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Baha’i faith, and his teachings on unity and the oneness of humanity.
Joyce Litoff, communications specialist at the U.S. Baha’i National Center, said the Baha’i faith teaches that music is a ladder to the soul and a universal language that uplifts people.
The concert was also a first collaboration between Philip Simmons, conductor of the Lincolnwood Chamber Orchestra, and Van Gilmer, director of the Baha’i House of Worship Choir, according to Litoff.
“This concert celebration is a dream come true for us,” Simmons said. “I have always seen the Baha’i House of Worship as a place of great serenity, spirituality, and of the highest aesthetic.”
More than 300 people gathered in Foundation Hall for the concert, which included classical and contemporary choral works, with lyrics from the Baha’i scriptures and other sacred writings.
“Music seems to have a power unlike all of the other ways we communicate,” Gilmer said. “It brings people from all cultures together, and when it is coupled with sacred writings from the religions of the world, it is even more powerful.”
The Light of Unity Festival Concert was part of a nine-week series of events that runs through Nov. 12. The weekend celebration included a lineup of public gatherings and devotional programs in Foundation Hall, as well as an exhibition entitled “The Journey of the Bahá’u’lláh from Nur, Mazindarean to Akka,” on display through Nov. 12th.
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Naheed Bolbolan of Skokie attended the concert with her daughters and niece. She said that “participating in this bicentennial celebration is a once in a lifetime opportunity, since none of us will be here to celebrate the next hundred years.”
Choir member Karl Slater of Wilmette said that singing supports his Baha’i faith and helps keep his heart open in a world where there are countless things to drag people down.
“Since Baha’i is welcoming to all people, it is our hope that with this concert, hearts will be touched through music,” Slater said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.