The Harlem Chamber Players Commemorate 100th Anniversary Of The Tulsa Race Massacre With Streamed Juneteenth Concert

The Harlem Chamber Players announce Pity These Ashes: Tulsa 1921-2021, an online concert program on Juneteenth, to be held on June 19, 2021 at 7:00 PM, in partnership with The Greene Space at WQXR and WNYC, Harlem Stage, and the Harlem School of the Arts.

The program will feature the world premiere of TULSA 1921 (Pity These Ashes, Pity This Dust) by Dr. Adolphus Hailstork, commissioned in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, with a libretto by Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin. The concert will also include performances of Starburst by Jessie Montgomery, Prema by Alice Coltrane, and The People Could Fly by Trevor Weston.

The event will be filmed and broadcast from The Greene Space at WQXR and WNYC and will feature mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, WQXR host and author Terrance McKnight, violinist Jessica (Lady Jess) McJunkins, conductor Amadi Azikiwe, harpist Ashley Jackson, as well as musicians from The Harlem Chamber Players.

Liz Player, founder of the Harlem Chamber Players, said of the program: "Our wish for this program is to use music to confront our painful past that has been buried from us for too long. These brilliant works by Black composers - underrepresented in the classical music canon - tell a story of endurance and resilience, and we hope it helps people to move forward and heal."

Pat Cruz, Harlem Stage Artistic Director and CEO, added: "The intersection of art and social justice is at the very foundation of Harlem Stage. We are so pleased to partner on this critical work that shines a light on truth and injustice, and showcases the immense, diverse talent of artists of color."

PROGRAM

JESSIE MONTGOMERY Starburst for String Orchestra

ALICE COLTRANE Prema for Solo Harp and Strings

ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK TULSA 1921 (Pity These Ashes, Pity This Dust) for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra (World Premiere) with libretto by Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin

TREVOR WESTON The People Could Fly for Narrator, Solo Violin, and String Orchestra

FEATURED ARTISTS

Amadi Azikiwe, Conductor
J'Nai Bridges, Mezzo-Soprano
Terrance McKnight, Narrator
Jessica (Lady Jess) McJunkins, Violin
Ashley Jackson, Harp