I Dream A World Youth Choral Showcase
SAT APR 11 3PM
Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center
I Dream A World Youth Choral Showcase
Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center
Fast Facts
- Recommended for ages 8 and up: contains longer pieces based on literary texts, so more attentive listeners will get the most out of it. Younger siblings welcome!
featuring
Boston Children’s Chorus
Boston City Singers
Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses Chamber Choir
Mike Block cello
Ricardo Sardinas cello
This must-see event for the United States’ 250th anniversary year brings together a stage full of talented young singers, the words of American literary luminaries, two amazing Boston-based cellists, and the world premiere of a new choral work by B.E. Boykin.
Each youth choir presents a unique musical setting of Langston Hughes’ poem “I Dream A World,” in compositions by esteemed composers Rollo Dilworth, Mike Block, Andre Thomas, Dan Welcher, and more.
The program also brings new life to the words of Boston’s Phillis Wheatley, a brilliant poet, trans-Atlantic literary celebrity, and the first published African American author. Cellists Mike Block and Ricardo Sardinas collaborate for a stirring arrangement of Wheatley’s “A Farewell to America,” while composer B.E. Boykin and author brittny ray crowell set other Wheatley texts to music for the assembled choirs.
This event is part of Everyone 250, Boston's living movement that makes history visible and inclusive.
Performance Program
Read about the selections that each choir will perform, and the newly commissioned work that they will join together to sing.
Boston Children’s Chorus
Kenneth Griffith, Conductor
Emily Howe, Conductor
Jacob Hiser, Collaborative Pianist
Holding the Light, B.E. Boykin
Dream Keeper, Rollo Dilworth
Stardust, B.E. Boykin
I Dream a World, Rosephanye Powell
Boston Children’s Chorus
Kenneth Griffith, Conductor
Emily Howe, Conductor
Jacob Hiser, Collaborative Pianist
Holding the Light, B.E. Boykin
Dream Keeper, Rollo Dilworth
Stardust, B.E. Boykin
I Dream a World, Rosephanye Powell
Jane E. Money, Founding Artistic Director
Kimani Lumsden, World Rhythm Ensemble Director
Sepehr Davallou, Collaborative Pianist
I Dream a World, Lyrics by Langston Hughes, music by André Thomas
Emlanjeni (“By the River of Babylon"), Traditional Zulu, arr. Soweto Gospel Choir
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Manning Sherwin, arr. Michael Neaum
Peze Kafe, Traditional (Haiti), arr. Sten Källman and Boston City Singers
Shosholoza (“Go Forward”), Traditional Zulu, arr. Boston City Singers
Jane E. Money, Founding Artistic Director
Kimani Lumsden, World Rhythm Ensemble Director
Sepehr Davallou, Collaborative Pianist
I Dream a World, Lyrics by Langston Hughes, music by André Thomas
Emlanjeni (“By the River of Babylon"), Traditional Zulu, arr. Soweto Gospel Choir
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, Manning Sherwin, arr. Michael Neaum
Peze Kafe, Traditional (Haiti), arr. Sten Källman and Boston City Singers
Shosholoza (“Go Forward”), Traditional Zulu, arr. Boston City Singers
Alyson Greer Espinosa, conductor
Dr. Pei-Yeh Tsai, collaborative pianist
Wander-Thirst, Florence B. Price
Ambe, Andrew Balfour based on an original song gifted by Cory Campbell
"Dream A World," from JFK: The Voice of Peace, by Dan Welcher
Ricardo Sardinas, cello soloist
Alyson Greer Espinosa, conductor
Dr. Pei-Yeh Tsai, collaborative pianist
Wander-Thirst, Florence B. Price
Ambe, Andrew Balfour based on an original song gifted by Cory Campbell
"Dream A World," from JFK: The Voice of Peace, by Dan Welcher
Ricardo Sardinas, cello soloist
Farewell to America, song by Mike Block, text by Phillis Wheatley
Farewell to America, song by Mike Block, text by Phillis Wheatley
Kenneth Griffith, Conductor
Jacob Hiser, Collaborative Pianist
Music of Life, B.E. Boykin
Freedom Hymn, composed by B.E. Boykin based on Poem by brittny ray crowell (Commission by Vivo Performing Arts)
World Premiere
Kenneth Griffith, Conductor
Jacob Hiser, Collaborative Pianist
Music of Life, B.E. Boykin
Freedom Hymn, composed by B.E. Boykin based on Poem by brittny ray crowell (Commission by Vivo Performing Arts)
World Premiere
brittney ray crowell created the Freedom Hymn (A Cento): Ode To Our Muse of Morning text from various Phillis Wheatley source materials.
Her footnote to the poem says:
A cento is a poem formed entirely from lines from another author’s work.
With the exception of a few words for clarity, this poem is formed from lines found throughout the following texts by Phillis Wheatley: “On Imagination,” “On Recollection,” “On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield.1770," "To S.M ,a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works," "To His Excellency General Washington," "To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth,” “Ode to Neptune,” “On Imagination,” “A Funeral Poem on the Death of C. E., An Infant of Twelve Months,” “To a Lady on the Death of Three Relations,” “To a Clergyman on the Death of His Lady,” “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” “To the Honorable T. H., Esq; on the Death of His Daughter," "To a Lady and Her Children,” and “Goliath and Gath.”
These works all exist within the public domain.
brittney ray crowell created the Freedom Hymn (A Cento): Ode To Our Muse of Morning text from various Phillis Wheatley source materials.
Her footnote to the poem says:
A cento is a poem formed entirely from lines from another author’s work.
With the exception of a few words for clarity, this poem is formed from lines found throughout the following texts by Phillis Wheatley: “On Imagination,” “On Recollection,” “On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield.1770," "To S.M ,a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works," "To His Excellency General Washington," "To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth,” “Ode to Neptune,” “On Imagination,” “A Funeral Poem on the Death of C. E., An Infant of Twelve Months,” “To a Lady on the Death of Three Relations,” “To a Clergyman on the Death of His Lady,” “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” “To the Honorable T. H., Esq; on the Death of His Daughter," "To a Lady and Her Children,” and “Goliath and Gath.”
These works all exist within the public domain.
Videos
Boston Children’s Chorus – Lift Every Voice and Sing
Boston City Singers – Resilience
H+H Youth Chorus – I Dream a World
Everyone is welcome at all of our performances, especially our free performances in the community through our Neighborhood Arts series. Seating is first come first serve, and all of our venues have the ability to provide Accessible seating. You can also learn more about Accessibility at this venue by visiting the venue page linked in the "Related Links" section.
Please fill out the form below to notify our team of any accommodations you'd like to request in advance.
Roxbury Community College Information
This performance is supported in part by an Alfred Nash Patterson Grant from Choral Arts New England.
This performance is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Garden of American Heroes grant.
This performance is made possible in part by support from Vivo Performing Arts' Amy & Joshua Boger Innovation Fund.
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