Sounds of Faith Concert Hopes to Bridge the Divide This Weekend at UM

​If you’re reading this blog, it’s because you appreciate music. The music, whatever it is you listen to, makes you feel something — it lifts your spirits, or comforts you when you’re down. In other words, all that mumbo-jumbo people try to feed you about the power of music is probably true. 
The Sounds of Faith concert at the St. Bede Episcopal Chapel this Saturday night will be a great opportunity to test this hypothesis. It’s presented by a coalition of University of Miami student organizations — Jews and Muslims, the University of Miami Hillel, Muslim Students of the University of Miami — as well as the St. Bede Episcopal Chapel. The celebration of sound will feature performers from each of the three Abrahamic faiths: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The student-led production aims to inspire communication and open-mindedness between people of all religions.  
Both University of Miami students and guests from outside the university will perform at the concert. Participating groups include the Christian Baroque Ensemble, Greater Miami Jewish Ensemble, Inspirational Concert Choir, Ismaili Ginan Devotional, Recitation of the Quran, and Sufi Poetry and Music Ensemble.  

Shakeela Z. Hassan, M.D., founder of Harran Productions Foundation and leader of the Chicago-based Sounds of Faith movement (soundsoffaith.org), will be the master of ceremonies for the night. Her partners from Noisemaker Films, including founder and director Greg Samata, will also film the production. 
Though the Sounds of Faith concert is free of charge, the organizers request that audience members donate a minimum of $2 for Haiti relief efforts. Members of all religions are welcome so open your ears and your minds at this interfaith event.
Sounds of Faith concert. 8 p.m. Saturday, April 17. St. Bede Episcopal Chapel, University of Miami, 1150 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables. Recommended $2 donation for Haiti relief efforts; 832-646-4343 
— Hilary Blake Saunders