July 2026 | Rebecca Hass . Creative Living

Singing the Land | 2026

Opera America Conference

Opening Ceremony – Extended Land Acknowledgement

Wilmington, Delaware May 12-15, 2026

Respectful Visiting

I was honoured to be asked by Opera America colleagues Vincent Rutter-Covatto and Quodesia Johnson to assist with a respectful Land and People Acknowledgement for this years’ Opera Conference.

I was able to share with those in attendance the teachings I have received about how to be a respectful visitor on the territory of other nations. With my passion to sing and to have others sing as well, it was a gift to be asked to create a call and response song for this occasion. As a visitor to Lenape territory myself I took time to learn more about the local nation and the history they share about this place. It was clear to me that the river was important, and as we were close to the Delaware River, also known as the Lenape Sippu River, I decided to create a song of gratitude for the river that I could share. Singing together is a good way to open and close gatherings.

For this Land and People Acknowledgement I was joined by three guests (Kate Morton, Jasmine Barnes and Stefanos Koroneos.) We met ahead of time and talked about what it means to be a visitor on Indigenous land, and how to be a good guest. We explored our own connections to place, and the families we descend from. I shared with them the respectful personal introduction I have been taught, and invited them to introduce themselves and their ancestors to the land. Each of them followed this by speaking powerfully about how they connect to land through the songs and the stories of their ancestors and personal lived experience. Each story so different, and full of heart. I always find I can see myself in all the stories I hear. It connects me to people, and this time was no exception. Between each guest sharing, I returned and my assembled colleagues sang the River Song.

I like to hear the music of a place by spending time on it, but that wasn’t going to be possible this time as I was flying in on the day of the opening of the conference. The River Song came to me as I looked at arial maps of the area that showed the shape of the river through the land.The melody, the song of the river, was in that shape. After the melody arrived I began to search for language. I know that the language of the people of a place also holds the music and the spirit of the land. I was lucky to mention in conversation with Dr. Lorna Williams that I didn’t know any Lenape speakers and I was at a loss. I was thrilled that she knew people involved in the energizing of the Lenape language and assisted me in finding Ian McCallum, a member of the Munsee-Delaware First Nation. With the assistance of Ian I was able to add language, and the minute I did that the song burst into life

Lunaapeewi siipuw-Lenape River

xwat-siipuw -Big River

Anushiik- Thank-you

I know that singing in public is terrifying for most people, but I also know the power of drumming on your body, breathing and releasing your voice. I trusted the drum in my hands, and the feeling of the vibrations of all our voices in the room that day, and we sang. We sang to the river. To the land. And each other. We felt ourselves as community, as humble visitors to the beautiful territory of the Lenape. It was an honour to be part of this opening ceremony.

Watch the video of everyone singing in the ballroom at the as part of the closing ceremony on my YouTube Channel

https://youtu.be/uU6NXA_f2-Q

The Song Blanket | 2026

The Song Blanket

Commissioned by Sparks and Wiry Cries, Sorel Foundation Grant.

Learn more about the show

The Story

An old woman turns to the quilts of her Métis grandmother to rediscover forgotten ancestral teachings, uncovering through story and song the generational cost of family secrets — and, ultimately, the wisdom of a matriarchal line that cannot be denied.

The Song Blanket is a 75 minute theatrical gathering that blends story, song, and audience participation to explore memory, ancestry, and the wisdom carried across generations. With the support of three guest artists, the old woman searches her grandmother’s quilts for what has been forgotten, uncovering the hidden costs of family secrets and the enduring strength of a matriarchal line. Audiences are invited not just to witness her journey, but to sing and participate — creating a living tapestry of voices. Through music, storytelling, and reflection on sewing and matriarchal arts often overlooked in Western tradition, the show reminds everyone gathered that they carry ancestral teachings in their bones. It’s an uplifting, interactive experience that encourages, unites, and inspires — a chance to reclaim, reconnect, and remember.

“In The Song Blanket, I bring forward the quilt as a holder of traditional teachings. An ordinary item, familiar to many cultures, the quilt lives in the world of ‘craft’ and ‘folk art’ and is often identified as ‘women’s work.’ I see the quilt as part of our collective memory, and I place it at the centre of this project. Through the teachings held in the quilts my grannie made, I explore cultural loss, the impacts of colonization, and matriarchal knowledge as blood memory. I view this as a grassroots movement — one that unites the classical musician with their work as storyteller, using voice and community music-making to create change.”

— Rebecca Hass

Through the character of the old woman, Rebecca calls forward the matriarchs who travel with us, wrapping all in the transformative vibration of music. Joined by local guest artists, audiences journey through stories and songs — both new and old — as the old woman seeks to remember and reclaim.

NEW MUSIC

The Song Blanket features a commissioned song cycle, with music by Ian Cusson and words by Michelle Poirier-Brown and Rebecca Hass. The evening also premieres several new compositions by Rebecca, including a piece for solo voice, a work for solo voice and Native flute and a participatory song written for audience and solo voices.

JOURNEY TO THE STAGE

November 2025 — Workshop development, hosted by Pacific Opera Victoria (British Columbia, Canada)
February 2026 — Second workshop, Ithaca College (New York, USA)
February 20, 2026 — World Premiere, Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre, Symphony Space (NYC)