Forgotten Promises

In my psychology class, we discuss the power of music. It can evoke an immediate emotional response or a memory so vivid that we are transported back to a specific moment in time. My students learn the neuroscience behind the intersection between our processing of sound, emotion, and memory, and even though I have been teaching the phenomenon for many years, it can still amaze me how one song can perfectly encapsulate an experience. No matter how much time as passed, listening to it can make the years disappear and take you back to that place.

I have found that song for my time in Germany and as the trip comes to a close, I am listening to it as I fly over the Atlantic. It is from the special evening we spent with the refugee community choir, Begegnungschor, in Berlin. In recent years, Germany has opened its borders to thousands of refugees, particularly from Syria, and in the city’s struggle to provide the influx of people with housing and other vital services, they have also come together to create some amazing programs that serve to bring dignity, community, and hope to a group of people who have been through so much and find themselves in a strange city.

This choir was a special project of some wonderful individuals who noticed that for some refugees, particularly those who do not know the language or those that are not working or going to school, meaningful engagement with people was not taking place. They had no one to turn to for help or even for basic social interaction. The premise is that regardless of your age, your language, or even your musical ability, you can come together for three hours each Wednesday evening to make music. However, as we quickly learned, so much more happens at these meetings. Since it is a mix of Germans from all walks of life along with refugees, those that become part of the choir now have friends who can help with activities in their daily life that might prove challenging…an issue with a landlord, a problem at a child’s school, access to medical care or legal advice. And while not all Germans are supportive of initiatives such as the Begegnungschor, the choir performs at special engagements around the city and many people have embraced and celebrated this amazing group. Others have even copied their model, forming additional programs around the city.

We had the pleasure of visiting during one their practices and were immediately welcomed and invited to participate. The hour that followed is easily one of the most impactful experiences from my trip. There is something about singing with people that makes you feel welcomed, and the emphasis that the choir director placed on connection, both physical with movements and emotional with the selection of powerful lyrics, made everyone feel elated and happy to be there. As a storm was rolling in outside, we began the evening by making rain, something I do not think I have done since my summer camp days. Next we sang a song about being present with everyone in the space. The simple words “I am here”, “You are here”, and “We are here” were repeated as we walked around the room singing the words to each person we encountered. While I enjoyed everything we sang, my favorite is a song entitled Forgotten Promises. Not only does it have a beautiful melody but verses were sung in different languages and the lyrics reflect a shared experience as humans. Although it was originally written in response to famine in the horn of Africa, the concept of everyone on earth being brothers and sisters and part of one humankind applied perfectly to the choir room full of people from all walks of life. Listening to the song below in the months, and even years to come, will bring me back to these two wonderful weeks in Germany with the Transatlantic Outreach Program where I encountered people who challenged my perspectives and ideas of a country with such a varied past and present.


"Forgotten Promises"

Tonight the world will sleep
But hunger will not wait
For promises we made
We share one soul
We share one land
We have one time to understand

We are one humankind
Brothers side by side
We'll have no regret
We will not forget
We are one humankind
Sisters side by side
We'll have no regret
We will not forget

[Arabic]
Samihna ya allah
Forgive us o lord

Wa irrhamna ya rabbah
Have mercy on us o lord

Wa imnah rizqaka lil-afwah
Give your bounty to the mouths

Wa abi'd anha kul al-aah
And keep away from them all the moans and groans

Our words must count
Hunger will not wait
For promises we made
We share one soul
We share one land
We have one time to understand

We are one humankind
Brothers side by side
We'll have no regret
We will not forget
We are one humankind
Sisters side by side
We'll have no regret
We will not forget

[Arabic]
Samihna ya allah
Forgive us o lord

Wa irrhamna ya rabbah
Have mercy on us o lord

Wa imnah rizqaka lil-afwah
Give your bounty to the mouths

Wa abi'd anha kul al-aah
And keep away from them all the moans and groans

Our words must count
Hunger will not wait
For promises we made

 

Songwriters: Sami Yusuf / Will Knox

Forgotten Promises lyrics © S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale, Resonance Music Fze