A Musical Celebration of World Interfaith Harmony Week

Across cultures and centuries, human beings have searched for words — and sounds — large enough to hold gratitude, longing, awe, and love. We have named the sacred in many languages, sung it through different melodies, and carried it forward in prayer, chant, and song.

One World, Many Lamps is a musical gathering that honors this shared human impulse. Each piece in tonight’s program arises from a distinct spiritual tradition, yet all point toward the same truth: while our rituals may differ, our hopes are strikingly similar. We seek peace. We seek belonging. We seek a way to live together with dignity and care.

World Interfaith Harmony Week invites us not to blur differences, but to listen deeply across them — to recognize that every tradition offers a lamp of wisdom, illuminating a common human path. These songs remind us that harmony does not mean sameness. It means resonance.

Program Selections & Reflections

One Voice
The Wailin’ Jennys (Canada)

This contemporary folk anthem begins in quiet intimacy and gradually rises into a collective declaration. “One Voice” is not tied to a single faith tradition — and that is precisely its power. It speaks to the universal act of joining together, reminding us that harmony begins when individual voices choose to listen and blend rather than compete.
 

Allah Hoo
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Pakistan / Sufi Islam)

A towering figure of Qawwali music, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan brings ecstatic devotion to this Sufi chant. “Allah Hoo” translates loosely as “God is,” a repeated invocation meant to dissolve the boundary between singer and the Divine. The intensity of the performance is not about spectacle — it is about surrender, reminding us that love of the sacred can be fierce, joyful, and all-consuming.
 

Ave Maria
Bobby McFerrin (United States / Christian tradition)

Stripped of orchestration and carried only by the human voice, Bobby McFerrin’s interpretation of “Ave Maria” feels like a private prayer whispered into a vast space. By removing grandeur, McFerrin returns the prayer to its essence — humility, devotion, and trust — showing how sacred music can live inside the breath itself.
 

Gayatri Mantra
Deva Premal & Miten (India / Hindu tradition)

One of the oldest known mantras in human history, the Gayatri Mantra is a prayer for illumination — for the light of wisdom to guide thought and action. Deva Premal and Miten present it not as performance, but as meditation, inviting listeners into stillness. The mantra’s meaning transcends language: May our minds be enlightened.
 

Metta Chant (Loving-Kindness)
Imee Ooi (Malaysia / Buddhist tradition)

Rooted in Buddhist teachings, the Metta — or Loving-Kindness — prayer offers blessings first to oneself, then outward to all beings. Imee Ooi’s gentle chant transforms intention into sound, reminding us that compassion is not abstract; it is practiced, cultivated, and shared. Peace begins internally, then radiates outward.
 

The Prayer
Andrea Bocelli & Céline Dion (Italy / Canada)

A modern interfaith hymn, “The Prayer” weaves Christian and universal spiritual imagery into a plea for guidance, protection, and faith. Sung as a duet, it becomes a metaphor for dialogue itself — two voices from different traditions meeting in trust, asking for light in uncertain times.
 

Rivers of Babylon
Boney M. (Caribbean / Biblical tradition)

Based on Psalm 137, “Rivers of Babylon” carries the sorrow of exile and the ache for justice. Boney M.’s global hit transformed an ancient lament into a modern anthem, reminding listeners that spiritual texts often emerge from displacement and suffering — and that remembering is itself a sacred act.
 

The Peace Prayer of St. Francis
Sarah McLachlan (Canada / Christian tradition)

This musical setting of the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi asks not for comfort, but for courage: to sow love where there is hatred, pardon where there is injury, and hope where there is despair. McLachlan’s restrained delivery allows the words themselves to lead, offering a blueprint for compassionate action.
 

Let There Be Peace on Earth
Alex Boyé & BYU Men’s Chorus / Philharmonic (Global Christian tradition)

With roots in both African and Western choral traditions, this performance expands a familiar hymn into a global affirmation. Peace here is not abstract — it begins with me, with each of us taking responsibility for how we live, speak, and love.
 

Peace Through All People
Emma’s Revolution (United States / interfaith justice tradition)

We close with a song of commitment. Emma’s Revolution blends activism and spirituality, reminding us that harmony is not only sung — it is built. “Peace Through All People” affirms that justice, compassion, and solidarity are sacred responsibilities shared across faiths and cultures.

Closing Reflection

In a world of many lamps, none shines alone.
When we listen deeply — across traditions, across differences — we discover that the light we seek is already among us.