“The Thread of Life was presented as part of the second Festival of Universal Sacred Music in November 2006. In mid 2006 I had finished a commission for the Festival and the option of a separate concert for the upcoming festival was discussed with the staff of the Society for Universal Sacred Music. The idea that formed was a meeting of a diverse range of near eastern players. The Thread of Life is a narrative of music that binds us across cultures in an exploration of the divine in music.” Dr. Kim Cunio. There is a fundamental premise to this. All cultures have music that is mystical or transcendent, and each of these is remarkable in their own right. Presenting them together offers an opportunity to experience an even greater mode of expression. By listening to diverse mystical pieces together we can transcend our everyday lives in a new way, and create an artistic interfaith experience free of dogma. We can make music a pathway to spirituality without borders. “The mystics of all ages have loved music the most.” Hazrat Inayat Khan