Langston Hughes once wrote, “To make words sing is a wonderful thing / Because in a song words last so long.” It’s the spirit of this short poem — and another one of his works — that’s at the center of the upcoming “I Dream A World” Youth Choral Showcase.
The event, which will take place on Saturday, April 11 at the Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center, will bring together three local youth choirs to perform pieces featuring the work of Hughes and Boston’s own Phillis Wheatley, the first published African-American poet. The showcase is also part of Everyone 250, a campaign “celebrating America’s 250th [anniversary] with untold stories, cultural events and community voices.”
Robin Baker, associate director of community engagement at Vivo Performing Arts and the organizer of the “I Dream A World” Youth Choral Showcase, said this performance is a great opportunity for these choirs — Boston Children’s Chorus, Boston City Singers and the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses Chamber Choir — to collaborate.
“I love all three of these choirs. They all do wonderful work, and they all cross over many of their musical activities,” Baker said. “So it’s just a great way to have them all — all 120 singers — on a stage for the 250th.”
Each choir will perform individually, with every ensemble singing a different arrangement of Hughes’ poem, “I Dream A World.” The performance will also include the world premiere of “Freedom Hymn,” a piece commissioned by Vivo Performing Arts for the occasion and written by Atlanta-based educator and composer B.E. Boykin. All three choirs will combine to perform the piece, featuring music set to a poem written by brittny ray crowell. The lyrics to “Freedom Hymn” are a cento: a poem made up entirely of lines, phrases or passages taken from another poet’s works; in this case, the lines come from 15 of Wheatley’s poems.
Boykin said her aim is to honor Wheatley’s work through “Freedom Hymn.” She also wants audiences to reflect on the trailblazing poet’s hardships and achievements by allowing Wheatley to “speak directly” to listeners.
“While Phyllis [Wheatley] had this very difficult life and difficult journey, she was able to triumph and still get her work published,” Boykin said. “I think this is another beautiful way to try to champion that, to champion her, to champion her work and to give people something else to possibly be curious about.”
For 17-year-old high school senior Daniel Valz, a member of the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses Chamber Choir, the opportunity to sing in this showcase, and especially in the world premiere of “Freedom Hymn,” is not one he takes lightly.
“I feel immensely privileged,” Valz said. “In the classical-music world, it’s not very common to find Black musicians, be it as composers or performers. And so as a Black American, I am extremely excited to be premiering a piece composed by a Black musician. It’s such a joy for me.”
The “I Dream A World” Youth Choral Showcase will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, at Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center. Click here for more information.
Guests
- B.E. Boykin, composer, conductor and pianist, director of choral activities at the Georgia Institute of Technology
- Robin Baker, associate director of community engagement at Vivo Performing Arts
- Daniel Valz, high school senior, member of the Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses Chamber Choir
