To Leto: Orphic Hymn 35. Theocharakis Foundation. Bettina Joy de Guzman.

For full program: Incarnation of the Goddess: Ancient Greek Music and Myths. Theocharakis Foundation of Arts and Music. Musician and Classicist, Bettina Joy de Guzman, and storyteller Vasileia Vaxevani invite the community to walk a path that interweaves ancient Greek Music, poetry and myth with our contemporary essence. Why are the mother goddesses of Ancient Greek myth— Rhea, Demeter, Leto, and Thetis— still relevant today? The simple answer is that we see ourselves reflected in them, and they in us. But what aspects, exactly, do we mean? They are the divine partners of gods, the mothers who birthed powerful beings, dangerous and chaotic to the ordered world and cosmos. Are we that important? Are we truly comparable to them? We are. Each of our worlds we create as women, mothers, or partners, or all the above affect other lives directly. Mothers create a world, a dynasty that lasts forever. Our actions— how we raise our children, how they model themselves after us, how we treat our families and members of our communities— will echo throughout time. Program: Each poem will unravel as storytelling and musical performance. Vasileia will tell the tale of the goddesses in English, followed by Bettina performing excerpts of the Ancient Greek text with a replica Ancient Greek lyre. After the performance, the audience can ask questions and post comments. Songs and Myths To Rhea: Orphic Hymn 14 To Leto - Orphic Hymn 35 To Demeter - Homeric Hymn 2 Thetis and Achilles - Iliad Books 1 & 9 To Gaia- Homeric Hymn 30 To Hygeia- Orphic Hymn 68 The Orphic Hymns are a collection of 87 short poems composed anytime from 3rd century A.D. during the Roman Imperial Age or as early as 4th century BC during the Hellenistic Period. Some scholars believe it had much earlier oral traditions. They are based on the beliefs of the religious philosophy called Orphism, related to the mythical hero Orpheus. TO LETO, (incense - myrrh) Dark-veiled Leto, revered goddess and mother of twins， great-souled daughter of Koios, queen to whom many pray, to your lot fell the birth pains for Zeus’ fair child. You bore Phoibos and arrow-pouring Artemis, her on Ortygia and him on rocky Delos. Hear, lady goddess, and with favor in your heart come to this all-holy rite and bring sweet end.