The Holy Gasp presents "Grief"
Joe Szekeres, Supervisory Toronto Critic
During a Zoom conference call with front man Benjamin Hackman who formed ‘The Holy Gasp’ in 2011, one of John Donne’s Holy Sonnets - ‘Death, Be Not Proud’ - kept coming to my mind. When I heard the name ‘Holy Gasp’ and its upcoming performance of Grief, I couldn’t help but keep making Christian, faith filled, and sacred connections based from a Catholic perspective because that is who I am. It’s part of my DNA and what makes me, me.
To be clear, Benjamin believes that if my personal connection helps to enhance or to appreciate the art, all the better. But ‘The Holy Gasp’ has only existed since 2011 so there was no intentional connection made based on any specific faith denomination. Instead, the performance piece of Grief is “a communal mourning ritual of being secular and non-denominational that has been fabricated in hopes of being of service to those who have suffered the sorrows of losing a loved one” according to Hackman. Wow! Very heavy in nature indeed, especially if potential audience members may not have dealt with the subject of grief privately.
It is in the press release where I learned further about the concept and execution of Grief. Mr. Hackman “wishes to facilitate community and ritual in which it is normal to talk about death, and where people can witness grief and have their grief witnessed in return, if even remotely via live stream and a message board.” This information combined with my initial 15-minute conversation with him, I found Benjamin to be an extremely deep philosophical thinker who clarified patiently what appeared to be my initial confusion about this July 1 performance art event and what it entailed.
Benjamin describes ‘The Holy Gasp’ as a “multi-genre, multi-disciplined umbrella term to put various types of artwork out under it, usually musical in nature but sometimes literary, sometimes performance art and theatrical.” He is the only consistent member of the ensemble, but at its core, “The Holy Gasp is concerned with renegotiating the parameters of a ‘band’, and seeks to find the intersections between music, literature, theatre and performance art” according to the press release.
The performance piece of Grief is a choral performance bilingual in nature of English and American Sign Language (ASL). Grief is intended to be performed from sunset to sunrise straight through beginning Wednesday July 1 from 9:03 pm – Thursday July 2 at 5:41 am. There is a public interaction component where members can go online before Canada Day to name individuals who have died and who have had a significant impact on their lives. Those names of deceased family members and friends who have been entered online will later be inscribed into a scroll from which Benjamin Hackman will read the names throughout the evening as the ensemble continuously performs Grief without a break in the performance.
The performance will be considered complete only after every name has been read and the sun has come up the next day.
Originally, Grief was planned as an outdoor performance with a 30-person choir. Sadly, given the restrictions of COVID-19, the concert has been scaled back due to limitations and will now congregate in the performance space in the Historic Kiever Synagogue in Toronto’s Kensington Market for a live stream performance. This new performance piece is written for 10 vocalists, 2 pianists and percussion.
The press release ensures the performance space in the Kiever Synagogue will allow for physical distancing between all performers and every precaution will be implemented.
To comprehend all this might leave some wondering if this performance event might be a very sad one since everyone experiences and deals with grief differently. In the press release, Benjamin acknowledges that death and grief are awkward and painful. But he wants audiences and participants to consider the following: “In the midst of a global pandemic, I wonder if enough models exist in our culture to teach us how to support the grieving, and exemplify healthy ways for us to mourn.”
Yes, I’m intrigued as to what Grief will deliver.
Details:
Where: The Historic Kiever Synagogue in Kensington Market
When: July 1 from 9: 03 pm – July 2 at 5:41 am. EST
Free Live Stream: https://www.facebook.com/TheHolyGasp
www.youtube.com/user/TheHolyGasp
If you wish to enter any names of loved ones in the Database of the Dead to be read at the performance: https://theholygasp.com/grief/
Press shot of Benjamin Hackman by Alex Grey.