This winter concert rings in the golden anniversary, with a program including works by Johannes Brahms, René Clausen, Rollo Dilworth, Gabriel Fauré, Elaine Hagenberg, David Hurd, and Karen Siegel, and new pieces written for the occasion by Artistic Director and Conductor Colin Britt and former Artistic Director Michael Conley!
Merriweather joins former conductors Gwen Gould, Andrew Megill, and Michael Conley,
Emmett Till, A New American Opera, conceived by playwright and librettist Clare Coss and composer Mary D. Watkins, will have its world premiere March 23 with an encore performance on March 24 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre at John Jay College. Both performances begin at 7 PM. The production is co-presented by John Jay College, Opera Noire International, The Harlem Chamber Players, and Harlem Arts Alliance.
The opera will star mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford as Mamie Till, tenor Robert Mack as Emmett Till, mezzo-soprano Abigail Wright as Roanne Taylor, soprano Amanda Rose Austin as Carolyn Bryant, baritone Justin Ryan as Roy Bryant, contralto Karmesha Peake as Aunt Lizzy, and baritone Markell Reed as Maurice Wright. Malcolm Merriweather serves as chorus master, with Kyle Walker as rehearsal pianist.
Conducted by 2021 Pulitzer Prize winner Tania León, the production centers around the murder of Emmett Till and explores themes of social justice, the flaws within the justice system, white silence and allyship, racial inequality, and the complexities of the human experience.
Based on Coss’ award-winning 2013 play Emmett, Down in My Heart, the opera reimagines the events around the tragic murder of Till, a 14 year-old African-American boy from Chicago who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955. Following his mother’s brave decision to have an open casket funeral so that the world would see what was done to her son, the lynching of Emmett Till became a catalyst for the Civil Rights movement and stands as a turning point in the racial reckoning of this country.
Emmett Till: A New American Opera is an exciting profoundly moving New York Premiere concert performance by composer Mary D. Watkins and librettist Clare Coss featuring 8 soloist performers and 24-piece orchestra, conducted by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tania León. Merriweather serves as chorus master.
Merriweather sings the role of “Pilate.” Trinity ensembles join forces with the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and New York Baroque Incorporated to present Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, one of the quintessential masterpieces of western classical music. The Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244, is a dramatic integration of scripture, new poetry, and great hymns of the Lutheran tradition. Bach’s sublime setting creates a portrayal of the Passion that is both profoundly human and divine.
Merriweather sings the role of “Pilate.” Trinity ensembles join forces with the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys of Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and New York Baroque Incorporated to present Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, one of the quintessential masterpieces of western classical music. The Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244, is a dramatic integration of scripture, new poetry, and great hymns of the Lutheran tradition. Bach’s sublime setting creates a portrayal of the Passion that is both profoundly human and divine.
Bach’s St. John Passion is an artistic triumph, not only for its music, but the brilliance with which Bach set the Passion narrative. In this premiere of Madeleine Marshall’s new English translation of this masterpiece, the expressive words of the Passion shine through for Anglophone audiences, giving new life to the piece whose imagery, intensity, and ardor has inspired audiences, musicians, and composers through the ages.
Merriweather sings the role of Jesus.
Merriweather conducts the Brooklyn College Symphonic Choir and Conservatory Singers. The concert, modeled after events curated by Coretta Scott King, will include other inspirational pieces promoting unity, peace, and reconciliation. The concert will feature music by Margaret Bonds, Mary Lou Williams, Undine Smith Moore, and the Jazz Mass by Gregg Smith.
Bach’s St. John Passion is an artistic triumph, not only for its music, but the brilliance with which Bach set the Passion narrative. In this premiere of Madeleine Marshall’s new English translation of this masterpiece, the expressive words of the Passion shine through for Anglophone audiences, giving new life to the piece whose imagery, intensity, and ardor has inspired audiences, musicians, and composers through the ages.
Merriweather sings the role of Jesus.
Dessoff continues its mission to perform rarely heard choral masterpieces with the world premiere of Margaret Bonds’ Credo. Portions of the work were performed in 1972 just four weeks after the composer’s untimely death. In the mid-1960s, Bonds focused her attention on the writings of W.E.B. Du Bois, another leader dedicated to African-American causes. Du Bois’ essay Credo (1913) so inspired Bonds that she immediately set out to compose the work. The seven movement piece was dedicated to the memories of poet Langston Hughes and singer-actress Abbie Mitchell. The text promotes unity and social equality and Bonds expertly portrays the sentiment with rich harmonies and exciting motifs. Dessoff is proud to finally share the orchestral version with the world.
Simon Bore the Cross, an Easter cantata, is another rarely performed work of Bonds and Langston Hughes. Like Ballad of the Brown King, the Christmas cantata, the protagonist is a black man, whose life was a role model for helping lift the lives of others. By performing and recording both these overlooked works, we will shine a light on Bonds’ neglected but significant contribution to the American music canon.
PROGRAM:
I BELIEVE: CREDO (New York premiere) – Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)
Simon Bore the Cross – Margaret Bonds
Merriweather sings the role of Henry “Box” Brown.
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec has collaborated with librettist Mark Campbell to create the second of his “American historical oratorios.” Sanctuary Road draws on the astonishing stories to be found in William Still’s book The Underground Railroad, which documents the network of secret routes and safe houses used by African American slaves to escape into free states and Canada during the early- to mid-1800s.
