At exilio, we believe in delivering messages that we think need to be heard. Our collaboration with Leighanne Saltsman on her newest work, SEEDS: A Holocene Passion, begs a central question: “What if we reframed the story of ecological destruction through the lens of the Passion narrative, a framework humans have used for centuries as a way to guide ourselves though climate grief to the hope of something new?”

Leighanne Saltsman has brilliantly channeled this idea through the traditional "passion" setting. In choral music, the “passion” setting has historically been used to portray Jesus's death through the eyes of the apostles. While the passion grapples with grief, it is ultimately a narrative of salvation. We can hope for the same for our home planet. 

SEEDS will be exilio's largest, most important project to date. In our five years as a vocal ensemble, this is the largest production we have undertaken. We are planning to stage two full-length concerts, on March 6th and 7th, with professional audio and visual recording, along with livestream. This project also includes percussion from both singers and a professional percussionist. We are aiming to raise $10,000 to help offset these costs, as well as our venue rental. For a cost breakdown, please see the chart below.  

We are honored to have fulfilled our most recent fall campaign less than a month after launching it. And with your help, we can repeat that success with SEEDS. Our recommended donation amounts start at $60. But no matter how you can support us, whether through your financial support, spreading the word about us, or attending a concert, we appreciate you. We hope you'll consider joining us on this project! To be added to our mailing list, click here. 

For a sneak peek of the music, click here to listen to a selection from SEEDS, “Let This Darkness”.