From the acclaimed composer, choreographer, and MacArthur "Genius" Award-winner Meredith Monk, Lively Arts has commissioned Songs of Ascension. Performed by Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble and a guest string quartet--directed by the violinist and Ethel co-founder Todd Reynolds--the piece fuses music, theater, and movement, incorporating visual elements from renowned artist Ann Hamilton. With the architecture of a cathedral tower as a metaphor, and the historic example of devotional rituals that evoke ascension, Monk draws inspiration from the processionals of Buddhist stupas, Moses' journey up Mt. Sinai, and the Tawaf around the Ka-Bah in Islam.