for baritone, mezzo-soprano, tenor and piano
Commissioned by Mirror Visions Ensemble
PROGRAM NOTES
This iconic poem by Langston Hughes is often presented in a optimistic, encouraging context. The words inspire us as well as warns us that “if dreams die life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” How often do we hear words that urge us to continue to dream? Do we always believe them? Depending on the deliver, those words can fall on deaf ears. You may ask, “is this a true or false statement?” To show that interpretation, I have composed four separate movements in different musical moods using the same text. The first three movements are for solo voice, while the last movement is performed by all three singers. Do the words ring true or false?
TEXT
Langston Hughes
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow.
Langston Hughes, "Dreams" from The Collected Works of Langston Hughes. Copyright © 2002 by Langston Hughes. Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates, Inc.
Duration: 6 min