A Psalm of Silence

Music by Lucas Marshall Smith
Libretto by KJ Wendell

This 30-minute opera, a world premiere by one of Illinois' doctoral composition candidates, presents a special collaboration between the Lyric Theatre and the Illinois Modern Ensemble.

The enemies of Israel continue to invade the Holy Land. The once-anointed King Saul falls from Yahweh's favor for his failure to uphold divine will; yet Saul still clings to his power. Now the Prophet Samuel must move to protect the chosen people of Israel from certain annihilation. An unlikely hero, David, a shepherd boy, is chosen by Yahweh to lead Israel to victory. When David falls in love with the son of the mad King Saul, will he fall from God's grace as well? Based on the Book of Samuel, A Psalm of Silence reexamines a timeless question: Can one song of love echo through the silence to conquer hate?