From Dawn to Dusk: a unique day celebrating the Psalms as songs of exile, diaspora, and devotion.
'The Psalms are songs of exile - sung, recited, remembered, prayed, danced and translated across centuries and cultures. They are central to Jewish and Christian traditions, and resonate also with the Islamic tradition of the Zabur. They have inspired music, poetry, sacred art and dance. This is a day that celebrates this plurality: one history reaching out to another, a palimpsest of voices.' – Edmund de Waal
Edmund de Waal curates a day-long immersion in the Psalms as texts of exile, faith and shared human experience. Spanning music, poetry, spoken word, visual art and craft, this multidisciplinary programme celebrates the Psalms’ enduring power across cultures.
Visitors are invited to curate their own journeys through this day-long takeover of the Schwarzman Centre.
Schedule
Pop-up performances and free, unticketed activities
Dawn to dusk: Pop-up performances
Great Hall
Expect song, poetry, recitation and movement. An open call to students and community groups to perform as part of the day.
8am-6.30pm: The Poetry Library of Exile
South Entrance Seminar Room - 00.307
Curated by Exiled Writers Ink, the Poetry Library of Exile is a space to dwell, browse and reflect on the landscape of exile throughout the day. If they wish, visitors are invited to write about their Psalmic experiences.
9.30am-5.30pm Bitesize Talks
Bate Collection of Musical Instruments
A programme of short, 20-minute talks delivered by University of Oxford academics, exploring the Psalms from a range of perspectives. Speakers will include the Revd Canon Professor Susan Gillingham, Emeritus Professor of the Hebrew Bible; Professor Wes Williams, Professor Henrike Lähnemann, Elizabeth Apps and Professor Karen Leeder from the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages; Dr Audrey Southgate from the Faculty of English; Professor Christian Leitmeir from the Faculty of Music; and Dr Andrew Dunning from the Bodleian Libraries. Please check back on the website for a full schedule of talks.
10.45am-6.45pm: another hour
Black Box
Edmund de Waal’s reflective installation another hour I–VI (2017) draws on the ‘monastic hours’, a series of services held throughout the day. This is accompanied by Sanctuary, created by Cities and Memory, a sonic tapestry featuring 20 newly commissioned sound works with field recordings from around the world, Sanctuary asks: ‘What does sanctuary sound like?’
11am-4pm: Psalter Making
Great Hall
Join Edmund de Waal in creating a multilingual Oxford Psalter, decorated with marginalia inspired by historic manuscripts. No artistic experience is needed – just a willingness to pick up a pencil. Everyone is welcome to take part, regardless of age or belief, whether for five minutes or five hours.
4-4.30pm: Gifting of the Oxford Psalter
Great Hall
As the Psalter-making draws to a close at sunset, Edmund de Waal will gather and box the pages before formally presenting the completed Psalter to the Bodleian Library. It will then go on display at the Weston Library as part of the Little Lower than the Angels exhibition.
Ticketed events
7am-10.30am: Blue Hours
Black Box
As darkness gives way to the first light of dawn, audiences are invited to a special, intimate opening to the Day of Psalms. Arriving at the Schwarzman Centre during nautical dawn (‘the blue hour’), visitors will experience a performance beginning on the cusp of sunrise. Within the windowless black box space, subtle lighting will evoke the changing natural light outside throughout the day.
10.30am-12pm: Exiled Writers Ink Lit Cafe: How shall we sing in a strange land?
South Entrance Seminar Room
Drawing inspiration from the Psalms of exile, this poetry performance and discussion explores how poetry gives voice to the despair, longing and resilience that emerge from experiences of displacement, dispossession and alienation. Featuring poets Leo Boix, Amir Darwish, Jennifer Langer and TK Sebastian.
12.15-1.15pm: Edmund De Waal on the Psalms
Theatre
Join Edmund de Waal for a special talk exploring his fascination with the Psalms and the creative journey of his Cultural Programme Fellowship that inspired the Day of Psalms. Discover the ideas and inspirations behind the event, with an opportunity to ask Edmund your questions.
1.30-2.30pm: Colin Currie Group: Tehillim
Sohmen Concert Hall
Join acclaimed percussionist Colin Currie and his ensemble for a captivating performance of Steve Reich’s Tehillim, a mesmerising setting of Hebrew psalms exploring the composer’s Jewish heritage, alongside Clapping Music and Pulse.
2-4pm: Exiled Writers Ink creative writing workshop: Aftermath
South Entrance Seminar Room - 00.308
Explore the emotional, linguistic and personal dimensions of exile through a collaborative poetry workshop, bringing different voices and experiences together to create a shared poem. Guest poets will also reveal their ‘boxes of exile’, sharing objects of personal significance.
3-4pm: Katherine Rundell: John Donne and the Psalms
Theatre
Join Katherine Rundell for an exploration of poet and preacher John Donne’s interpretations of the Psalms.
5.30-6.30pm: Breaking Bread: the long table
Cafe
Take your place at a long table and share good food and conversation as part of our Day of Psalms. Inspired by the simple tradition of breaking bread together and sharing hospitality with friends and strangers, this one-hour communal meal includes a generous sharing board, fresh bread and a glass of wine.
7-8.30pm: Aurora Orchestra: Bernstein and Bach
Sohmen Concert Hall
A luminous celebration of the enduring musical resonance of the Book of Psalms, devised and presented by Edmund de Waal, Aurora Orchestra and the BBC Singers.
