About the Series
We are the Home Music Series, a collective musical exploration of the concept of home through the lenses of citizenship, homelessness and belonging. Tune in from November 16th-20th for works written by American composers and poets of different backgrounds, including works by immigrants, veterans, and DREAMers (those who would be affected by the proposed DREAM Act), interviews, and reflections. This will be followed by a culminating full-length concert on November 21st.
What does home mean to you?
PROGRAM
Meg Jones, soprano
Pauline Tan, mezzo-soprano
Wayne Arthur Paul, baritone
Sung-Soo Cho, piano
Home
The Wiz
Music by Charlie Smalls (1943-1987)
Text by William F. Brown (1928-2019)
And I've learned
That we must look inside our hearts to find
A world full of love
Like yours
Like mine
Like home...
I’d Give it All for You
Songs for a New World
Music and text by Jason Robert Brown (1970)
Loisaida, my love
Music by Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)
Text by Bimbo Rivas (1939-1992)
“I have recently been writing music that is inspired by my upbringing on Manhattan’s
Lower East Side. Bimbo Rivas was a Puerto Rican-born poet, activist, and community
builder who became a hero of the Lower East Side, leading in the affordable housing
development projects that shaped our community in the 70s and 80s, bringing it out of
the ashes of neglect and decay that had taken over in the previous decades. Loisaida
is an ode to the community he loved and fought for most of his adult life. I have set this
poem to music in tribute to Bimbo who fostered my upbringing in immeasurable ways.”
- Jessie Montgomery
Me vacila tu cantar
Y yo me las juego
Fria pa’ que vivas
Para siempre.
En mi mente, mi amada
Yo t llamo Loisaida
Increible
Una mezcla, la perfecta
Una gente bien decente
De to ‘as rasas
Your singing cheats me,
and I’d take a bullet
so you will live
forever
In my mind, my loved one,
I call you Loisada.
Incredible,
a mixture, the perfect one.
Very decent people
of all races
Que estiman
Que te adoran
Que no saben explicar
Lo que le pasa
Cuando asuente de
Tus calles peligrosas
Si te aman
A ti, mi hermosa Loisaida
that esteem you,
adore you,
can’t explain
what happens
when they stay away
from your dangerous streets
if they love you,
my beautiful Loisaida)
Back to Before
Ragtime
Music by Stephen Flaherty (1960)
Text by Lynne Ahrens (1948)
Life Changes
Music by Jorge Sosa
Text by Joel Lewis
China Gates (1977)
Music by John Adams (b. 1947)
Painting by Meg Jones, 2020
The Wider View
Music by H. Leslie Adams (b. 1932)
Text by R. H. Grenville (1917-2017)
There is no barrier nor wall between us
and the All-in-All.
There’s always more to do and be.
You can’t exhaust infinity.
Such As
Music by Reinaldo Moya
Text by Wo Chan
A City Called Heaven
Traditional
Travel’s End
Music by Florence Price (1887-1953)
Text by Mary Folwell Hoisington (1874-?)
Letter from Sullivan Ballou
Music by John Kander (b. 1927)
Text by Sullivan Ballou (1829-1861)
Where the Music Comes From
Music and text by Lee Hoiby (1926-2011)
Homesick Blues
Music by H. Leslie Adams (b.1932)
Text by Langston Hughes (1902-1967)
I Will Breathe a Mountain
Music by William Bolcom (b. 1938)
“The Bustle in a House”
Text by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
“Nevermore Will the Wind”
Text by H.D. (1886 - 1961)
Fodder in Her Wings
Music and text by Nina Simone (1933-2003)
Psalm 23
Music by Bobby McFerrin (b.1950)
Adapted from Psalm 23 of the Bible
Bobby McFerrin wrote this song in dedication to his mother. He was inspired to honor the
way he saw God’s unconditional love was manifested in how she nurtured and
protected him as her child. We honor the divine feminine as a way of reorienting where
we imagine looking for solace in a world that abounds with pervasive patriarchal
violence. There is a dehumanizing force that goes unchecked in our society, as well as
the violence that unjustly took Breonna Taylor’s life. We dedicate this piece to Breonna
Taylor, a twenty-six year-old black woman who was murdered in her own home earlier
this year.
About the Artists
Sung-Soo Cho is a Korean pianist who continues to captivate audiences with his profound interpretations of and musical depth. Each season, He performs at venues across the United States, Korea, Poland, Italy, and Bermuda, where he presents creative theme-based programs. His 2016 album “Minimum | Maximum | Modern Piano Music by American Composers,” was released on Albany Records. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, he has connected with online audiences in the community, over the states, and abroad.
Megan Jones is a soprano from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who takes great pride in filling the stage with her vivacious voice and dynamic storytelling. Her favorite completed project to date was putting together a concert at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY to promote mental health awareness, which included vocal music, dance, painting, and poetry. During this time of unprecedented global disruption, Meg is exploring new ways to create, communicate, and collaborate virtually. She is thrilled to be able to work with musicians, teachers, and organizations to continue shedding light on important current events and people.
Wayne Arthur Paul is a versatile baritone who imbues his work with a heartfelt intelligence that is well-suited to many genres. He made his debut in the ensemble of The Metropolitan Opera’s 2019-2020 seasons production of Porgy and Bess. Wayne is passionate about performing the works of living composers, particularly those who historically have been underrepresented in the classical canon.
Pauline Tan is a Filipino mezzo-soprano whose deep love for poetry and song has taken her across the globe to pursue a career in music, striving to not only communicate honestly with her audiences but also to bridge connections to little-known musical worlds. As a recitalist, Pauline has collaborated with several organizations that share in her lifelong goals, including Aural Compass Projects and Wear Yellow Proudly, initiatives that hope to create equality and widen representation in the arts.
In collaboration with Deeds for AIRs
About Deeds for AIRs
A fundraiser by Performance Space New York organized to secure long-term, stable housing for Black and trans artists experiencing houselessness. Performance Space New York's Artists-in-Residence cohort includes Danyele Brown, Donte McKenzie, Rj Eve Mertus, Stev, and Angel Robertson.
For more information:
https://performancespacenewyork.org/shows/deeds-for-airs/
To donate:
