free world citizens (“inside sing- ers” and “outside singers,” as they call themselves). Each week, they meet inside the IMCC to rehearse a diverse repertoire drawn from both familiar and original sources, including many songs written by the choir’s own members. Twice annually, the group performs for a public audience in the prison gym, and these concerts routinely attract influential community lead- ers, members of law enforcement, and representatives from the local government. On the night I was there, the


choir offered an emotionally-rich program that was both entertain- ing and challenging. As a thematic call to action, the singers encour- aged us to “lead with love” – that is, to determine that love would be the controlling impulse in how we respond to adversity. Interestingly, relatively few of the songs dealt explicitly with crime or prison (my own piece being one of the excep- tions). Nevertheless, the combi- nation of musical selections and performance context ensured that the final impact of the concert was to erode listeners’ easy stereotypes about prisoners and to promote a more hopeful vision of community healing in the aftermath of crime – one less slavishly committed to retribution as the only valid expression of justice. After the performance, sing-


ers freely interacted with audience members in a scene that was ut- terly foreign to my own experience. Prisoners and free world citizens hugged and shook hands, unen- cumbered by shackles or plexiglass windows. Correctional officers and community volunteers cooperated like seasoned partners with a com- mon mission, not like begrudging accomplices to competing agendas. Smiles abounded all around in an atmosphere fervently charged with optimism; and even if it was for


just one night, authentic joy filled that prison gym. For several long moments


I just stood there, taking it all in. As I did, I couldn’t help silently rehearsing the psalmist’s words of praise for God’s restorative justice: “Mercy and truth have met togeth- er; righteousness and peace have kissed” (Psalm 85:10, NKJV).


An exposition of grace Well before that night, Dr.


Cohen and I had begun a cordial, ongoing conversation about prison music-making and restorative justice. I learned that inside sing- ers frequently report increased gratitude and self-esteem, coupled with a strong desire to give back to their home communities. Outside singers describe deeper feelings of compassion and empathy for prisoners, recognizing that even people who commit serious crimes are still human beings – not nearly so “different” as popular culture would suggest. So when Dr. Cohen invited


me to compose something for the group, I decided the piece should be autobiographical, reflecting upon my own transformative ex- periences of grace and community behind bars. Hence, “Life within These Walls” is an insider’s sober exposition of prison life as well as a hopeful affirmation of the inner freedom prisoners feel when peo- ple opt to treat them with dignity and compassion. It begins from a place of utter despair but ends at a place of real joy – all while still within the institution’s walls. The first half of the text con-


__________________________________________________________________________________________________ January-February 2018 • WorshipArts • www.UMFellowship.org


fronts us with the “death by institu- tion” that is modern incarceration. It’s a “secret, dangerous game,” a purposeless existence devoid of love and hope. It’s an environment where all vestiges of individuality are stripped away, and a person’s identity is reduced to just one


through, however, around the idea of a “stranger’s unseen grace” – an overture of compassion that takes place out of sight of the general public, but which isn’t lost on the prisoner who receives it. Some- times this grace comes from kind- hearted correctional officers who discharge their duties with profes- sionalism and a hint of tenderness.


19


word: “offender.” Sadly, in the eyes of some, that’s all these people will ever be, and that licenses their treatment as something less than human. As any seasoned prisoner will attest, this is what “life within these walls” is really like.


Choral work text


Life within these walls: Secret, dangerous game Death by institution


Life within these walls: Love, hope, compassion So far away, just a faint, Luminous memory


Stranger's unseen grace: Where the prisoner languishes Dawns a new freedom


Community mends broken hearts


Souls move forward, Dignity restored


Stranger's unseen grace: Life within these walls.


For a sample page of the music and a recording of the work, see bit.ly/Walls-WAJF2018


The text pivots halfway


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