Angel’s Share: mɔɹnɪŋ [morning//mourning]

“Sly and sweet, wistful and winsome and altogether lovable... Gelsey Bell’s wonderful, uncategorizable guide to what might unfold on Earth in the millions and billions of years after human history”

– The New York Times

mɔɹnɪŋ (the phonetic spelling for the word "morning" as well as the word "mourning") is an operatic masterpiece by singer and composer Gelsey Bell, which begins just after humanity has disappeared entirely from the Earth, and traces the weeks, months, years, and millennia that follow. What emerges is a journey through time that is simultaneously whimsical, fantastical, playful and profound, offering a poignant reminder of what it means to be human – despite taking place entirely after our species has vanished from the planet. This specially-adapted production of this critically-acclaimed opera was created just for the Catacombs. 

Nothing lasts forever, but let the magnificent Gelsey Bell welcome you to the Catacombs with her merry band of virtuoso music-makers, as they spin us a tale that takes us to the heart of what truly matters in this life.

Now in its sixth season, the Angel’s Share presents intimate classical classical music concerts, with repertoire ranging from medieval through to contemporary works, specifically chosen to highlight the unique presence and acoustic power of Green-Wood’s Catacombs, and the singular character of the Cemetery grounds. The series is curated and directed by Death of Classical Founder Andrew Ousley, in partnership with the Cemetery. Each Angel’s Share concert features a pre-show spirits tasting, included in the ticket price, and the series takes its name from the distiller’s term for whiskey that evaporates while maturing in the barrel, thus going to the angels. Concerts have been praised in major cultural press throughout the country, with Vogue Magazine describing it as “one of the most riveting and unusual chamber music performances of my lifetime,” and The New York Times saying “In a Cemetery, music lives.”

Gelsey Bell
Gelsey Bell is a Brooklyn-based songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and scholar. She has been described by The New York Times as “one of New York’s most adventurous musicians” and “a charismatic and fiercely intelligent performer.” She is a core member of thingNY, Varispeed, and the Chutneys. She is currently a resident artist at the HERE Arts Center and is looking forward to a music residency at Pioneer Works in November 2022. She has received awards from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Opera America, the Japan Foundation, and others. Recent residencies include Mount Tremper Arts and the Kinosaki Arts Center in Japan. Her recent works include Cairns (2020), a soundwalk for Green-Wood Cemetery (included on the New York Times Best Theater of 2020 list); shuffleyamamba: Yamamba as a Bear (2021), a dance piece created with Yasuko Yokoshi; Meander (2021), a soundwalk created with Joseph White for Brooklyn Botanic Garden; SubtacTTTTTTTTT (2020), an early pandemic online performance created with thingNY; and Skylighght (2019), created with saxophonist Erin Rogers. She has released multiple albums, including the EP This is Not a Land of Kings, and performed her work Performance highlights also include Dave Malloy’s Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway) and Ghost Quartet, Robert Ashley’s Improvement and Crash, Kate Soper’s Here Be Sirens, Gregory Whitehead’s On the Shore Dimly Seen, Anthony Gatto’s Wise Blood, and a great many of John King’s Micro-Operas. She has a PhD from New York University in Performance Studies, and is part-time faculty at the New School.

• Where To Go: Check-in begins 15 minutes before your ticketed start time and ONLY takes place at the Gothic Arch near the Main Entrance on Fifth Avenue and 25th Street (500 25th Street). There are no paper or e-tickets! Attendees will be checked in by name. 
• Food and Drinks: We will start with a 45-minute reception at the Modern Chapel to enjoy a whiskey tasting and snacks (all free!), and the beauty of the Cemetery, before the program begins. Tasting is for those 21 years of age or older with proof of ID.
• Early Evening Performance (6pm): Arrive for check-in at the Gothic Arch no later than 6:45pm.
• Twilight Performance (7:30pm): Arrive for check-in at the Gothic Arch no later than 8:15pm.
• For Your Comfort and Safety: We strongly encourage attendees to wear suitable footwear and dress appropriately for the space as it can be chillier inside the Catacombs than outside. Please note that the Catacombs are not ADA accessible or compliant.
• More for Your Comfort and Safety: The journey to and from the Catacombs takes approximately 20-30 minutes, which includes walking over hilly and uneven terrain; proper footwear and flashlights are strongly recommended. A trolley service to and from the site will be available.
• The Green-Wood trolley is fully accessible and ADA compliant. In order to accommodate a wheelchair or other mobility aids on the trolley, arrangements must be made in advance. Please call 718-210-3080, ext. 1 or email [email protected].
• Ticket sales are final. No exchanges or refunds unless the event is canceled.
• Attendees must follow ALL instructions and guidance from Cemetery staff and ambassadors.
• Feeling Sick? Stay home if you are feeling sick or running a fever.

Photo Credit: Walter Wlodarczyk

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Brooklyn, United States