Sacred Grounds, Sacred Sounds:
A Journey through the History, Mystery,
and Music of Père Lachaise Cemetery
Sacred Grounds, Sacred Sounds takes it audience on a whirlwind tour of the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, the final resting place of artists ranging from chanteuse Edith Piaf and composer Frederic Chopin to Carmen's auteur Georges Bizet and The Doors' legendary frontman, Jim Morrison. Sacred Grounds brings the exquisitely tranquil beauty of Père Lachaise home to the viewer, through Artistic Director Susan Wilson's delicate and lovely photographs, and by moving original arrangements of music from the many geniuses interred in Père Lachaise, played to perfection by a string quartet and flute. 
At turns somber and lighthearted, contemplative and charming, this highly original piece of performance art offers its audience a unique emotional and intellectual experience, even thousands of miles from the City of Light.
At turns somber and lighthearted, contemplative and charming, this highly original piece of performance art offers its audience a unique emotional and intellectual experience, even thousands of miles from the City of Light. In Sacred Grounds, Sacred Sounds, the audience experiences a unique multimedia performance. More than two hundred-fifty slowly dissolving photographs capturing the details of Père Lachaise are projected overhead. 
These images include beautiful stone and bronze sculpture, including remarkable faces and sinuous human figures, poignant remembrances of those interred below, as well as vintage photographs and the iconic tree-lined avenues of Père Lachaise and Paris itself.
These images include beautiful stone and bronze sculpture, including remarkable faces and sinuous human figures, poignant remembrances of those interred below, as well as vintage photographs and the iconic tree-lined avenues of Père Lachaise and Paris itself. Meanwhile, on the stage below, the chamber ensemble bring the images to life with familiar and evocative melodies, original arrangements and adaptations of works by the many renowned musicians interred in Père Lachaise. The program features nearly twenty different selections of music, including the infectious "Can Can" by Jacques Offenbach, music by Carmen composer George Bizet, “Blue Moon” and other pieces played by esteemed jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli, classical quartet pieces by Cherubini, Rossini, Lalo, and Pleyel, and even chamber ensemble renditions of Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" and Jim Morrison's "Light My Fire."
The performance itself is approximately an hour in length, introduced with a brief lecture by Melodic Vision's Director of Photography, Susan Wilson, who is also a popular and prolific author of histories of Boston and a local specialist on rural garden cemeteries. Those who study or delight in history will find themselves enlightened and entertained by this introductory talk.
Sacred Grounds, Sacred Sounds has been performed in numerous venues—from prestigious French and American libraries in Boston to Trinity Church/Wall Street in New York City, as well as in various concert halls and cemeteries—and as an integral part of various lecture series. This program is ideal for a broad spectrum of audiences, including those who enjoy or study both classical and contemporary music, and students and admirers of art, sculpture, photography, and nineteenth century rural garden cemeteries.
Those who hold a special place in their heart for France and Paris, who admire some of the many artistic geniuses interred in Père Lachaise, or who appreciate the tranquility and beauty of romantically landscaped cemeteries will also fall in love with the Sacred Grounds, Sacred Sounds program.
Additionally, this performance may provide an excellent educational opportunity for educators and their students in the fields of history, visual arts, French studies, and music. Most importantly, this program is ideal for anyone who desires to be transported, through sight and sound, to one of the most restful and bucolic spots in the world.
More About the History of Père Lachaise Cemetery
An "outdoor museum" of lavish monumental art, beloved by millions of Parisians and international visitors alike, Père Lachaise is the permanent home for more famous residents than any other cemetery. Founded in 1804 under the reign of Napoleon, it became the world's first “rural garden cemetery”—a model later copied by Mount Auburn in Cambridge, Forest Hills in Boston, Laurel Hill in Philadelphia, Green-Wood in Brooklyn, and hundreds of other cemeteries around the globe.
Unlike earlier burying grounds, Père Lachaise was based on romantic notions of the early nineteenth century—including the link between man and nature, death as eternal repose, and the Cult of the Ancestor—and featured beautifully landscaped gardens filled with memorial sculpture by some of France’s most gifted artists.
The Parisian cemetery became so prestigious that Victor Hugo observed, “To be buried in Pere Lachaise is like having mahogany furniture.” Among the broad array of humanity interred there were musicians and composers like Chopin, Rossini, Lalo, Bizet, Cherubini, Pleyel, Poulenc, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Maria Callas, and Stephane Grappelli. A host of other notables—from Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Oscar Wilde, and Sarah Bernhardt to Isadora Duncan, Abèlard and Heloise, Molière, and Delacroix—share the sacred grounds as well.
Click below to watch a sample from Sacred Grounds
For more samples from our programs please to our
!["It was the highlight
of our season!"
—Monica Higgins,
Program Director,
Boston Athenaeum
“The Père Lachaise program was the one of the most enjoyable ones I have experienced in I don't know how long. … Susan Wilson's photos were wonderful. The idea of a string ensemble accompanying the images was a brilliant idea and an even more brilliant one was to have pieces composed by the memorialized played.“
—Sylvia McDowell, President, Boston Women’s Heritage Trail
“What a charming way to be introduced to the historic Père Lachaise
Cemetery. The concept of meandering through it via slides while the music of many significant musicians buried there is played is brilliant. Even better that the music is performed by a live ensemble. Bravo!”
—Karin Rosenthal, fine art photographer
“The Père Lachaise mixed-media show created by Susan Wilson and Rebecca Strauss truly enlightened, informed, and enchanted me. [It’s a] creation that is hauntingly personal and very moving … an exquisite piece that I believe deserves widespread viewing.”
—Patricia Van Ness, composer
“I especially loved,
‘Light My Fire.’"
—Alex Beam,
Columnist,
Boston Globe](Sacred%20Grounds_files/shapeimage_2.png)
Copyright © 2009 Melodic Vision
All photos copyright © Susan Wilson
