Of Thee I Sing! Songs of Love and Justice

November 12. 2024

Upcoming Dates

November 12. 2024

Of Thee I Sing! Songs of Love and Justice

Of Thee I Sing! Songs of Love and Justice is a critically acclaimed recital created by Lyric Unlimited Artist-in-Residence Karen Slack in the late summer of 2020 during the height of the pandemic and just after the murder of George Floyd. The center of this moving program is the raw and powerful yet hopeful Langston Hughes poem, The Kids Who Die (1938) as set by American composer Scott Gendel. The program also features works that explore themes of love and justice by H.T Burleigh, Clayton White, Undine Smith Moore, H. Leslie Adams, Ricky Ian Gordon, Adolphus Hailstork, and Jake Heggie.

Angela L. Owens, Visual Content Creator, will be providing striking images to complement this concert. Accompanied by Kamilla Arku, this musical journey will be immediately followed by a Q&A moderated by Lyric Unlimited’s Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Antonio C. Cuyler, and a reception.

  • Location: Rice Grand Foyer

Program book

The Of Thee I Sing! Songs of Love and Justice program book includes artist bios, background on the recital’s inspiration, and powerful poetry and song texts that explore themes of love and justice. Dive into the context for each piece and gain a deeper understanding of the social themes woven throughout the performance.

Download program book

Header photo: Lawrence Agyei