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Community Corner

Blessed Lament - a concert of talks and original music inspired by Korean "Han"

Korean American Cultural Foundation (KACF - www.koreancultureboston.org) is presenting an evening concert of original music and talks by the composer on the theme of Korean "Han", the universal and defining sensibility of the Korean tradition and its people. 

The concert will be presenting the works of composer Jae Hyeok Jang (currently a professor at the Moody Institute of Bible in Chicago). He will also accompany the performances with lectures on each piece and his outlook on the subject of Korean Han. 

Jang says: "The sentiment of “han” is precious to Koreans. Han contains love and pain, joy and sorrow, and longing; there is spirituality in han. I believe that the sentiment of han can be sublimated into a life of hope, beyond the lament. If han lets one meet God and come to know His providence and guidance, then it is a blessing. To know God’s providence means that a life of pain and despair changes into a life of blessing and hope. This is what I understand to be the sentiment of han. I am pleased to be able to introduce han as a blessing through my music at this concert. Various ensembles will portray the sentiments of violent anger, understanding and acknowledgement, longing and hope, and blessing. As a contemporary classical composer and a church musician, I am happy to share the sentiment of han with the audience and to teach about traditional Korean music such as shijo-chang."

The performances are by veteran musicians in the Boston area including Jinwook Park (conductor of the Hwaum Boston Chamber Orch), Youmi Cho (soprano), Jisun Oh (flute), Yoengsin Kim (mezzo), Eunae Koh (violin), Eunhee Seok (piano) as well as the composer himself on piano.

KACF is the Brookline based organization which aims to promote cross-cultural communications between the Korean and local artists and educators. The concert will be held at the Children's Chapel in ECC, 32 Harvard Street, Brookline on April 26th (Sat) at 7:30 PM. Suggested donation of 10 $ at the door. Students/Seniors free. 

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