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JOURNEYS TO JUSTICEDIGITAL PROGRAM / PORTLAND OPERA PREMIERE: APRIL16, 2021
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GThe compositions & company:JOURNEYS TO JUSTICESongs for the African VioletWords and music by Jasmine BarnesSoprano SoloistCollaborative PianistCellistLeah Hawkins *Nicholas FoxDylan RieckTwo Black ChurchesComposed by Shawn E. Okpebholo Text by Dudley Randall, Marcus AmakerBaritone SoloistCollaborative PianistMichael Parham Nicholas Fox“Your Daddy’s Son” from RagtimeMusic by Stephen Charles Flaherty Lyrics by Lynn AhrensSoprano SoloistCollaborative PianistBass ClarinetistLynnesha Crump Nicholas FoxLouis DeMartinoWords and music by Damien GeterJ U S T I C ELance Inouye *Ithica TellJasmine Johnson Kari Burgess, Eva WolffAnDee Compton, Anna JablonskiJoseph Michael Muir, Bryan RossGregory Brumfield, Erik HundtoftSequoiaT OConductorNarratorMezzo-Soprano ianistJ O U R N E Y SThe Talk: Instructions for Black Children WhenThey Interact with the Police 1
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GThe compositions & company continued:JOURNEYS TO JUSTICENight TripMusic by Carlos Simon Libretto by Sandra SeatonConductorConchettaUncle MackUncle WesleyGas Station AttendantPolice OfficerPianistLance Inouye *Jasmine Johnson David Morgans Sanchez Edwin Jhamal Davis Joseph Michael MuirErik HundtoftSequoiaSongs of Love and JusticeMusic by Dr. Adolphus Hailstork Text by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Lynnesha Crump Nicholas FoxCuratorDirectorScenery & Projection DesignerCostume & Hair DesignerLighting DesignerSound DesignerProduction Stage ManagerPrincipal AccompanistsDiction & Dialect CoachDamien GeterChip Miller*Tyler Buswell*Dominique Fawn Hill*Jennifer Lin*Brian Mohr*Jon WangsgardNicholas Fox, SequoiaKathryn LaBouffJ U S T I C EScenery, costumes, and props created by Portland Opera.Performed in English with English titles. English titles written and produced by Portland Opera.Total running time is approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes.T O* Portland Opera Debut Member of the Portland Opera Resident Artist ProgramJ O U R N E Y SSoprano SoloistCollaborative Pianist 2
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GFrom General Director Sue DixonJOURNEYS TO JUSTICEWelcome to our first hybrid theatrical film in Portland Opera’s history. This has been quite ajourney, leaning into the digital streaming world as we continue to make art.Here we are, nearly a year later, preparing for the premiere—while witnessing the recentmurder of Daunte Wright, and the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin—adding even moreintensity into our songs, and a renewed sense of urgency in sharing these important pieces.J U S T I C EThese songs of love and justice are shared with hope.T OMusic has the capacity to lift our hearts, to share our pain, and to soothe our souls. I hope youshare in the inspiration behind these pieces: to have a moment of solace, of mourning, torenew our actions and commitments towards racial justice and social change; to helpunderscore the ongoing realities that Black community members face daily in our nation, andin our city.J O U R N E Y SWhen we decided to program Journeys to Justice, it was at a time when our nation andcommunity had just witnessed the senseless murder of George Floyd. With broken hearts, wewere moved by these beautiful compositions, and the sum of their parts became moreprofound as each piece came into focus, together. 3
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GSynopses:JOURNEYS TO JUSTICESongs for the African VioletWords and music by Jasmine BarnesCommissioned for Carl A. Alexander and the Voice(ed) Project, Chicago, Illinois; April, 2018Songs for the African Violet is a song cycle that embraces and celebrates the Black Woman through song.“Home” “Is it Fair?” “Flowers” “Crowned”Two Black ChurchesComposed by Shawn Okpebholo“Ballad of Birmingham” text by Dudley Randall“The Rain” text by Marcus AmakerTwo Black Churches is a song set in two movements composed for baritone Will Liverman and pianistPaul Sánchez. This work is a musical reflection of two significant and tragic events perpetrated at thehands of white supremacists in two black churches, decades apart: the 1963 16th Street Baptist Churchbombing in Birmingham, Alabama, which took the lives of four girls, and the 2015 Mother EmanuelAME Church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, resulting in the deaths of nine parishioners.The text of the first movement is a poem by Dudley Randall, Ballad of Birmingham, a narrative accountof the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing from the perspectives of the mother of one victim and herchild. Stylistically, this movement includes 1960s black gospel juxtaposed with contemporary art song. Atmoments, the civil rights anthem, We Shall Overcome, and the hymn, Amazing Grace, are referencedsubtly. While there are strophic elements consistent with the poem's structure, the work is also rhapsodic,though serious and weighty.J U S T I C E“Your Daddy’s Son” appears in Act I of the musical Ragtime, which debuted in 1996, and is based on thenovel by the same name by E.L. Doctorow.T O“Your Daddy’s Son” from RagtimeMusic by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Book by Terrence McNallyJ O U R N E Y SThe text of the second movement is a poem called The Rain by Marcus Amaker, poet laureate ofCharleston, South Carolina, written specifically for this composition. This poem poignantly reflects theshooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church. Set in the coastal city of Charleston, which often floods, TheRain is a beautifully haunting metaphor on racism and the inability of blacks in America to stay abovewater—a consequence of the flood of injustice and the weight of oppression. In this composition, thenumber nine is significant, symbolizing the nine people who perished that day. Musically, this is mostevident through meter and a reoccurring nine-chord harmonic progression. At the first church service atMother Emanuel after the shooting, the hymn, 'Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus, was sung, testifying to acommunity that chose faith and hope over hate and fear. That hymn is referenced in this movement. 4
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GSynopses continued:JOURNEYS TO JUSTICEThe Talk: Instructions for Black Children When They Interact with the PoliceWords and music by Damien Geter1.2.3.4.Pull over. Don’t Run. Keep Calm.Keep your hands where they can see them.Be polite. Save your rage. (Yes, sir. No, ma’am. Please. Thank you.)Get home safely.Night TripComposed by Carlos Simon Libretto by Sandra SeatonThe uncles arrive in Chicago after dark at their sister’s apartment to pick up their niece Conchetta.Conchetta is thrilled to go “home” to see her relatives—her grandmother, her aunts, her “play aunts.” Shesings about the rough world of the big city and longs for the small-town life in Tennessee.The uncles sing about the good old days when they were in the service. Wesley shows off his fullyoperational A-11 Army watch to Mack. They enjoy using military language.The uncles remind her of their orders to take care of the box of money, the one under the seat. The menstop for gas in Indiana, ask the attendant if they can use the restroom, only to be told that none is availablefor them. In anger, they order the attendant to take out the hose then drive off without paying.As they’re speeding away, we hear sirens. They’re stopped by a policeman and the gas station attendant. Anargument ensues between the uncles, the attendant and the police. Conchetta steps out of the car and offersthem her food.Bittersweet. In the final solo Conchetta is still caught up in the experience of the road. Her uncles try toreassure her that all is well again. She has been changed by the experience.3.4.JusticeDifficulties, from “Loving Your Enemies”, delivered at the Detroit Council of Churches’ NoonLenten Services, March 7, 1961.Decisions, Montgomery, Alabama, 1957.LoveJ U S T I C E1.2.T OSongs of Love and JusticeComposed by Dr. Adolphus Hailstork Text by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.J O U R N E Y SWesley steps forward and directs the police officer to look under the seat for another box filled with dollarbills. With money in hand, there is still more hesitation by officer. The police and attendant drive off withthe box of money. 5
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GAbout the artists:JOURNEYS TO JUSTICEDamien Geter, CuratorDamien Geter is an acclaimed composer and diverse artist whosecredits include performances ranging from the operatic stage to thetelevision screen. As a composer, Damien infuses classical musicwith various styles from the black diaspora to create music thatfurthers the cause for social justice.Damien’s growing body of work includes chamber, vocal, andorchestral works. Recent highlights include commissions forResonance Ensemble (An African American Requiem), The WashingtonChorus (Cantata for a Hopeful Tomorrow), Washington National Opera,Opera Theater Oregon (Invisible), the University of Michigan (TheJustice Symphony), and All Classical Portland (Neo-Soul). His largework, An African American Requiem will premiere in 2021 inpartnership with Resonance Ensemble and the Oregon Symphony.Also a professionally trained classical singer (bass), Damien hasappeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, PortlandOpera, among other companies across the nation.Damien currently serves as the Artistic Advisor for the social justicefocused award-winning vocal ensemble Resonance Ensemble andwas recently (July 2020) named Artistic Advisor for PortlandOpera. The book he co-authored, Music in Context: An Examination ofWestern European Music Through a Sociopolitical Lens is availableon Amazon, or directly from the publisher, Kendall Hunt.T OJ U S T I C E Chip Miller is a director and producer, currently in therole of Associate Artistic Director at Portland CenterStage at the Armory. They were previously the ArtisticAssociate / Resident Director at Kansas CityRepertory Theatre. Directing: Hedwig & The AngryInch, the world premiere of Redwood (Portland CenterStage at the Armory), School Girls; or, The African MeanGirls Play, Welcome to Fear City, A Raisin in theSun, (KCRep); the world premiere of Becoming Martin byKevin Willmott (The Coterie); dwb: driving whileblack (Lawrence Arts Center, Baruch Performing ArtsCenter). They have developed work at The WilliamInge Theatre Festival, NYU’s New Plays for YoungAudiences, Portland Center Stage’s JAW Festival, TheMidwest Dramatists Center, and KCRep’s OriginKCNew Works Festival. Education: BFA: New YorkUniversity, Tisch School of the Arts.J O U R N E Y SChip Miller, Director6
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GAbout the artists:JOURNEYS TO JUSTICELance Inouye, ConductorLance Inouye is Artistic Director/Conductor ofThe Portland Concert Opera and MusicDirector/Conductor of the Lewis & Clark Orchestra inPortland, Oregon. Inouye served on the Music Staff ofFlorida Grand Opera in Miami, as Assistant Conductorand Coach for Eugene Onegin, Un ballo in maschera, andFGO's premiere of Jorge Martin's opera Before NightFalls. He previously served on the conducting/musicstaff of Sarasota Opera for several years. Inouye madehis Sarasota Opera Orchestra debut conducting a highlyacclaimed Gala concert of scenes and choruses. AtSarasota Opera, Inouye was also Music Director andConductor of the Sarasota Youth Opera where heconducted Aaron Copland’s The Second Hurricane, JudithWeir's The Black Spider, the U.S. premiere of DeanBurry’s The Hobbit, and led the Youth Opera on its firstinternational tour in Italy. In 2010-2011, he servedas Music Director and Conductor of The Opera IntimiProject, Tel Aviv, where he conducted Puccini'sopera Le Villi at Hateiva Theatre in Tel Aviv, Israel.Leah Hawkins, Soprano SoloistJ O U R N E Y ST OJ U S T I C E A native of Philadelphia, soprano Leah Hawkins begins the2020-21 season as Desdemona in 7 DEATHS OF MARIACALLAS at Bayerische Staatsoper & Greek National Opera,joins Valery Gergiev and Accademia Nazionale di SantaCecilia in Beethoven Symphony No. 9, and presents a recital atThe Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. A recent alumnaof the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at theMetropolitan Opera, last season she appeared at the Met togreat acclaim as the Strawberry Woman in Porgy & Bess andMasha in The Queen of Spades. Ms. Hawkins is an alumna ofthe Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington NationalOpera, where stage appearances included Mazzoli’s ProvingUp; Champion, an “opera in jazz” by Terence Blanchard; andJustice at the Opera with the late Supreme Court Justice RuthBader Ginsburg. On the concert stage she has appeared withThe Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra,Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Colorado SymphonyOrchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and YalePhilharmonia, among others.7
P O R T L A N D O P E R A . O R GAbout the artists:JOURNEYS TO JUSTICEMichael Parham,Baritone SoloistPrior to joining the Portland Opera ResidentArtist program in 2020, baritone MichaelParham has performed with City Lyric Opera,Opera Las Vegas, Voccalis Repertory Company,and the South Florida Symphony. Parham was a2019-20 New York district winner of theMetropolitan Opera National Council Auditions,a 2019 Semi-Finalist in the Premiere OperaFoundation Competition, and a 2017 Finalist inthe Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria.He is also a member of the American SpiritualEnsemble. Originally from Chattanooga,Tennessee, Parham holds a master’s degree fromthe University of Nevada, Las Vegas andcompleted his undergraduate work at OakwoodUniversity.Lynnesha Crump,Soprano SoloistT OJ U S T I C E 8Photos of Portland Opera Resident Artists byGia Goodrich VEV Studios.J O U R N E Y SPrior to joining the Portland Opera Resident Artistprogram in 2020, Lynnesha Crump, soprano, wasrecently seen in numerous productions, includingGershwins’ Porgy and Bess at the MetropolitanOpera, Frances Pollock’s Stinney: An AmericanExecution with Prototype Festival, and she cover
“Your Daddy’s Son” fromRagtime Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Book by Terrence McNally “Your Daddy’s Son” appears in Act I of the musicalRagtime,which debuted in 1996, and is based on the novel by the same name by E.L. Doctorow. G 4 JOURNEYS TO JUSTICE Synopses: The Talk:Instructions for Black Children When They Interact with the Police Words and music by Damien .
