A personal story about life choices and finding Grace within oneself.
GRACE
Andas.
Breathe. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. Just, breathe…
Walking my own path led me to create SOLITUDE in 2018 – and now, my second solo show, GRACE.
In GRACE, I share a personal story through music, through percussion, and – for the first time – my voice.
This time, I’ve also written the lyrics that I both recite and sing.
The concert is transparent, raw, and poetic.
GRACE is part of finding grace within myself – coming home, rising above life choices I regret, and moving forward with poise.
Joining me on this journey, artist Hilde Grønner Flikke has worked closely on the scenography, and live, Thomas Hildebrand serves as “chief of sound.”
Both have helped bring out the expression I’m after: intimacy, spaciousness, shadow and light.
Below, you can read an excerpt from the opening piece BREATHE.
In this piece, I mostly use Swedish, but as I often do in my journals, I blend Swedish and English.
You’ll find the English translation at the bottom.
Andas. Ingenting att göra, ingenstans att gå. Bara, andas.
Stillestånd är det svåraste jag vet.
Jag springer livet som en vildhäst.
Så mycket jag vill, så många band kring mina fötter.Drömmar och tvivel, outtalade tankar och känslor som övertagit min kropp.
Ljus, och mörker.
Jag vill berätta om det som brinner inuti
och höja mig över livsval jag ångrar –
med förlåtelse och självrespekt.Andas. Breathe.
Ingenting att göra. Ingenstans att gå.
Bara – andas.English translation
Breathe. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. Just – breathe.Standstill is the hardest thing I know.
I run through life like a wild horse.
So much I want to do, so many bonds around my feet.Dreams and doubts, unspoken thoughts and feelings that have taken over my body.
Light, and darkness.
I want to speak of what burns inside me
and rise above life choices I regret –
with forgiveness and self-respect.Breathe.
Nothing to do. Nowhere to go.
Just – breathe.”
— Maria Bovin de Labbé