As the nights grow longer and the days shorter, share in an audio celebration of Seasons of Light, Harvard Divinity School's beloved annual multireligious service honoring the interplay of holy darkness and light in the world’s religious traditions. Performances include choral and instrumental music, readings by HDS students, the ritual kindling of many flames, and communal prayers and songs. Explore these offerings to the season in part or as a whole.

Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Prelude | “Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms” (Meihua Sannong 梅花三弄) Huan Yi (桓伊)| Tianyi Yuan, MDiv III, guqin (古琴)

Meditation | Sound Meditation | Joyous Noise, HDS’ Chanting Community

Congregational Song | “Tov L’Hodot L’Hashem” Jewish Shabbos Song | HDS Choir and Seasons of Light Band

Excerpt from Walden by Henry David Thoreau | Owen Yager, MTS II

“The Eight Verses of Mind Training” (Lo jong Tsig gye ma) by Langri Tangpa Dorje Senge, Read in Tibetan and English| Tulku Tenzin Gyurmey, Dorjey Dolma, and Deung Myoung Sunim, Buddhist Ministry Initiative Resident Fellows

Meditation | “Solstice Carole” by Kim Baryluk | Nicole Newell, soloist and the HDS Choir

“Little Prayer” by Danez Smith | Charlotte McAdams, MDiv II

“Born Again” by Lynn Ungar | Rosemary Dodd, MDiv III

“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry | Laurie Sedgwick, MDiv III

Meditation | “Winter—The Hearth” from Songs for the Seasons | Composed and performed by Ro Robinson, MDiv I

From the Writings of Caroline Fox and Isaac Penington | Patrick Downes, MDiv III

Isaiah 45: 7–8, the Bible and from the Writings of Victor Cadette | Ebony West, MDiv III

Congregational Song | “La Ténèbre” Jacques Berthier, Taizé Community | Stephanie Hollenberg, MDiv II, leader and cantor, Luke Concannon, guitar

“Stone Soup,” Adapted by Lizzy Lincoln from a European folktale | Lizzy Lincoln, MDiv I

Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28 (pavamāna abhyāroha) | Bhavi Bhagat, MTS II

Satguru Nanak Pargateya | Read in Gurmukhi and English | Prabhroop Chawla, MTS II

Meditation | ساري الليل (Stargazing in the Solstice)| Written and performed by Eilaf Farajalla, MTS II

“Dark Things” Serbian poem translated by Charles Simic | Contributed by Emmeline Cordingley, MDiv I

“The Coming of Light” Mark Strand | Francesca Rubinson, MDiv II

The Qur’an, Surah Nur, Chapter 24, Verse 34–35 | Esedullah Uygur, MTS II

Meditation | “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” Dolly Parton | Sophia Doescher, MDiv III and Nicole Newell, MDiv III, voice

From The Doctrine and Covenants 88: 2, 5–15 | Jaxon Washburn, MTS II

“An afro is a halo.” For those who have never seen themselves depicted in celestial art | Written and offered by Suzannah Omonuk, MDiv III

Meditation | “Sweet Surrender” by Satigata | Chris Berlin, Counselor to Buddhist Students, vocals and guitar, Darren Becker, MDiv ’15, guitar, HDS Choir and Seasons of Light Band

Benediction | David N. Hempton | Dean of the Faculty of Divinity

Closing Song | “I Love the Lord” by Richard Smallwood | Aric Flemming, MDiv ’19, voice, Chris Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, piano

Seasons of Light 2022

As the nights grow longer and the days shorter, share in a virtual celebration of Seasons of Light, Harvard Divinity School's beloved annual multireligious service honoring the interplay of holy darkness and light in the world’s religious traditions. Performances include choral and instrumental music, readings by HDS students, the ritual kindling of many flames, and communal prayers and songs. Explore these offerings to the season in part or as a whole.

Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life.

Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2022/12/8/audio-seasons-light

“The Eight Verses of Mind Training” by Langri Tangpa Dorje Senge | From the Buddhist Tradition

Excerpt from Walden by Henry David Thoreau | From Those Who are Unaffiliated with Any Tradition

“Tov L’Hodot L’Hashem” | HDS Choir and Seasons of Light Band

Sound Meditation | Joyous Noise, HDS’ Chanting Community

Prelude | “Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms” | Tianyi Yuan, MDiv III

Meditation | MUSIC: Xavier I. Sayeed, MTS I and Eilaf Farajallah, MTS I 
Five Prayers: A Pageant of Formative Sounds and Souls 

Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual 

The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587sLife.

Five Prayers: A Pageant of Formative Sounds and Souls | Meditation

Expand your understanding of the ways religion shapes the world with lectures, interviews, and reflections from Harvard Divinity School.

Excerpt from Walden by Henry David Thoreau | From Those Who are Unaffiliated with Any Tradition

Harvard Divinity School

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