Voices Amplified: An Evening of Poetry and Song
About the Program
Artists have always been catalysts for social change, sparking fresh ideas and pushing boundaries through creativity and free expression. Today, we celebrate the creative visionaries of Voices Amplified as they inspire us to embrace imagination and envision a brighter future together.
Waverly Alexander, Violinist; Adán Bean, Poet; The Wilson Trio, Musicians; Verena Lucía Anders, Conductor; William Buthod, Pianist; Choo Choo Hu, Pianist;
Challenge the Stats Community Choir
Fantasie No.1 in G Minor for Violin and Piano
Waverly Alexander, Violin; Choo Choo Hu, Piano
Florence Price (1887-1953)
Withering Heights
RailCar
The Spiral
Dark Matters
Call it Quits
Adán Bean and The Wilson Trio
Poetry and Original Music Curated for Voices Amplified Concert
Brea(d)th, Movement V Carlos Simon
Text: Marc Bamuthi Joseph (1986-)
Adán Bean, The Wilson Trio, and Waverly Alexander
Challenge the Stats Community Choir Will Buthod, Organist
Kochcha from Taloowa' Chipota
Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate
Text: Tate / Traditional Chikasaw (1968-)
Denielle Wilson, Cello
Challenge the Stats Community Choir
Even After all This Time
Reena Esmail
Text: Hafez / English and Persian (1983-)
Challenge the Stats Community Choir
Wanting Memories
Ysaye Barnwel
Text: Dr. Ysaÿe Barnwell / English (1946-)
Challenge the Stats Community Choir
Brea(d)th
V. Breadth
by Marc Bamuthi Joseph
CHORUS So much work has been done Who does the work that’s still left?
NARRATOR The breadth of the task… In 1619, Jamestown, enshrined a color-based American caste It took 244 years before Black people were enshrined a voting place in the franchise 1868 the 14th amendment was ratified Jamestown-citizenship 244 years in be-tween 244 years from 1868 will be the second decade of the NEXT century By the time there is a parity of Black enslavement and Black political agency, NO one in this room will be alive. And THAT is the breadth of the task To create the EQUAL positive effect Of THAT historical debt The debt of 12 generations of humans who were not permitted to be who they could have been THAT is the breadth of the sin Caste is the infrastructure of our divisions It is our country’s pre-existing condition If a person has high blood pressure, it’s not a surprise if they suffer a heart attack Why are WE surprised by the way law en-forcement disregards the dignity of Blacks The breadth of the task Is to make a future that remembers the breath of the stolen To think of joy as an economy To consider its theft with interest Consider the breadth of a man at the very end of a life He breaks no law that requires the death penalty But that is what he receives Consider at the time of his death There is a viral disease That literally sees no color Sees us for what we actually are As the same As an interconnected species It took a blind organism to make the planet stop And notice The breadth And depth And late spring carelessness by which American law Pre-sides over black death The breadth of a life The breadth of the lives of folks on the block who didn’t have activist intentions And the breadth of the local activists who supported them with intention The breadth of our intention to learn the cost of the debt our inten-tion to earn back what was lost with his breath the breadth of the people who ain’t out here for bread who are healing the city who the city often forgets The breadth of our intention to learn the cost of the debt our intention to earn back what was lost with his breath the breadth of the people who ain’t out here for bread who are healing the city who the city often neglects
CHORUS So much work has been done Who does the work that’s still left?
Text of Poetry Selections
NARRATOR Do you remember 2020? Do you remember its breadth Standing on the steps of the Supreme Court after Justice Ginsburg passed, or standing in Black Lives Mat-ter Plaza, near the white house, days after protesters were tear-gassed Do you remember 2020? Do you remember its breadth I found myself transported to the root of the Ameri-can experiment. Beyond anger, or grief, what led so many of us to gather in those mo-ments? What are the ties that bind us together? The breadth of common hope that we could be *better* than this... that with clear eyed understanding of our social pathologies, there existed a pervasive doe eyed idealism underneath. There was a ‘reason’ why we de-manded better of our country... because we collectively knew we were ‘capable’ of bet-ter...that like a teacher’s most gifted student after failing several critical tests, we collectively knew that we could be more accurately defined by our promise than by our failures. The promise of what’s possible That’s the breadth of the task To make possible The breadth of the promise…
CHORUS So much work has been done Who does the work that’s still left?
Taloowa’ Chipota
I. Hashiat Kochcha (Sunrise) by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate
Chickasaw translation by Joshua Hinson
I see a light in the distance
Who is my new friend?
He is whispering in my ear
Gently talking to my heart
Look, the sun is calling to us!
He is painting the sky!
Misha pílla aashoppala’ písli…
Hatahoot ankána’ himitta’?
Sahaksibisha milínkaha chokkilimaat anompóholi,
Pisa’! Hashiat powaháa!
Shotiha ahámbi!
Himmaka’ poshki’ alhihaat hilha’chi
Even after all this time
Text by Hafez (Persian Mystic) translation by Daniel Ladinsky
Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.”
Look what happens with a love like that: it lights the whole sky.
Wanting Memories
by Ysaye Barnwell
"I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me
To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes
I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me
To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes
You used to rock me in the cradle of your arms
You said you'd hold me till the pains of life were gone
You said you'd comfort me in times like these and now I need you
Now I need you, and you are gone
I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me
To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes
Since you've gone and left me, there's been so little beauty
But I know I saw it clearly through your eyes
Now the world outside is such a cold and bitter place
Here inside I have few things that will console
And when I try to hear your voice above the storms of life
Then I remember all the things that I was told
I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me…
I think on the things that made me feel so wonderful when I was young
I think on the things that made me laugh, made me dance, made me sing
I think on the things that made me grow into a being full of pride
I think on these things, for they are true
I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me
To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes
I thought that you were gone, but now I know you're with me
You are the voice that whispers all I need to hear
I know a please a thank you and a smile will take me far
I know that I am you and you are me and we are one
I know that who I am is numbered in each grain of sand
I know that I've been blessed again, and over again
I am sitting here wanting memories to teach me
To see the beauty in the world through my own eyes…
In This House
Text from Know and Exercise Your Rights presentation by Chicago Legal Protection Fund Community Navigator Fund
If you are detained by ICE: 1) Remain Silent
2) You have the right to not sign anything
3) You have the right to call an attorney or emergency contact
4) You have the right to call your consulate
5) You have the right to find out your Alien Number Todos tenemos estos derechos (we all have these rights)
If ICE comes to your home, do not open the door You are NOT required to open the door unless ICE has a warrant signed by a judge Ask them to show you the warrant – Slide it under your door or hold it up to the window
IF THEY TRY TO FORCE THE DOOR OPEN Write down the agents’ badge numbers and vehicles’ license plate numbers by Cristian Larios
this house was built dreams and fears and hope and the unknown this house was built on tradition and love and food in this house we harbor “druglords, illegals, and aliens” in this house we harbor tías (aunts), prímos (cousins), and hermanas (sisters) in this house we harbor innovators, workers, and dreamers dios te bendiga (God bless you)
I Dream A World
by Langston Hughes
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn, Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way, Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white, Whatever race you be, Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free, Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl, Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!
In this House Cristian Larios Text: Know Your Rights by the Chicago Legal Protection Fund (1996-) /English and Spanish
Challenge the Stats Community Choir
I Dream a World Rosephayne Powell Text: Langston Hughes (1962-)
Challenge the Stats Community Choir Will Buthod, Piano
To read the text of tonight’s poetry, visit www.challengethestats.org
This event is presented by Challenge the Stats and Concerts @ First Series in partnership with First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, South Fulton Arts and The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program
To help support Challenge The Stats in Residency at First Presbyterian Church, please contribute to the Challenge the Stats residency fund via: firstpresatl.org/GIVE
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About Challenge the Stats
Challenge the Stats (CTS) exists to empower BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities by equipping audiences and artists of color with the tools needed to advocate for justice both inside and outside of the concert hall. To date, CTS has impacted the lives of hundreds of artists through concerts, workshops, and other programing in Atlanta and across the nation. To learn more about Challenge the Stats and to support our continued work of empowering BIPOC artists, visit: https://www.challengethestats.org/
About the Artists
Verena Lucía Anders is a LatinX pianist, conductor, composer, vocalist and music educator. Verena is also the founder of Symphonic Revolution, an Atlanta-based chamber orchestra which advocates for diversity and inclusion, and performs affordable concerts in alternative venues Verena was born in Berlin, Germany, of Chilean and Peruvian parents. After immigrating to the U.S., Verena began her training in music and dance at the age of four at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, MD and continued her music and dance studies at The Baltimore School for the Arts, University of Maryland, Alvin Ailey School for Dance, and the Catholic University of America. Verena currently serves as Director of Music at St James UMC, Atlanta, and Co-Director of Voices Found, a community chorus focused on social change. Mrs. Anders has performed as a CTS artist for “Rhythm of the Roots”, with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Chamber Chorus, and has served as Teaching Artist with the Atlanta Music Project, an El Sistema-based music education program. She currently lives with her husband, Will Buthod, in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2016, harpist, educator, and activist Angelica Hairston launched Challenge the Stats with a desire to advocate for BIPOC artists and create platforms that empower and uplift marginalized voices through the performing arts. She has been celebrated as one of the youngest recipients of the 2019 Governor’s Award for the Arts & Humanities and the 2020 Atlanta Magazine’s Women Making a Mark Award; both awards recognizing her significant contributions to the state of Georgia’s civic and cultural vitality through excellence and service. She is an artistic consultant for the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble, was awarded a 2021 Sphinx Organization MPower Artist Grant for research studies at the University of Ghana (Accra), and was a 2023 Artist in Residence at Palm Heights Resort in Grand Cayman, Caribbean Islands. She holds a Master of Music Industry Leadership from Northeastern University (Boston), a Bachelor of Music from The Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto, Ontario), and recently completed certification in Music Therapy and Sound Healing from the University of the District of Columbia.
Waverly Alexander is a freshman at Milton High School. She began studying the Suzuki method of violin at the age of three under the tutelage of Ms. Marina Dmitriyev. She chose to play the violin because of the powerful and elegant sound that could be created by such a small instrument. Waverly has always loved music and the violin, being the smallest of stringed instruments, allows her to have full command. Four years later, she enrolled in the William Pu Music Academy under the tutelage of Mr. Patrick Ryan. Waverly is entering her 5th year in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program. She's had the pleasure of working with Ms. Carolyn Hancock for the past four years, and she has recently transitioned to working with Mr. Bob Anemone of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Over the past few summers, Waverly has attended Interlochen Arts Academy, Franklin Pond Chamber Music, and Brevard Music Center. She is currently a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. She has been selected to perform at GMEA for the past three years. Waverly performs today with a collaborative pianist arranged by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program. Waverly performs today with a collaborative pianist Choo Choo Hu.
Choo Choo Hu has been recognized as a musician of inordinate versatility. Choo Choo has performed across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist. Always striving for innovation and new challenges, she has shared the stage with everyone from the Imani Winds to John Legend. Recent solo engagements include appearances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Philharmonic, and the Spokane Symphony. As an orchestral musician, she has played with the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Prince George’s Philharmonic, and York Symphony. Choo Choo is a founding member of the Atlanta-based new music collective ensemble vim. Born in China and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Choo Choo began taking lessons at the age of five with pianist John Sun. She made her concerto debut at age twelve with the Washington University Symphony Orchestra. By the time she was sixteen she had already accumulated top prizes at competitions throughout the United States. At age seventeen she enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, studying with renowned musicians Leon Fleisher and Brian Ganz. While at Peabody, Choo Choo was the recipient of the Albert and Rosa Silverman Memorial Scholarship, the Yale Gordon Chamber Music Fellowship, and the Grace Clagett Ranney Prize in Chamber Music. Choo Choo currently resides in Atlanta, where she is on faculty at the Lovett Conservatory of Music and maintains an active performance schedule.
Adán Bean is an accomplished spoken word poet, emcee, writer, host, storyteller, and creative director hailing from the small town of Massillon, Ohio, but has called Atlanta home for over twenty years. Adán was awarded the 2023 Arts & Social Justice Fellowship for Emory University, where he served as a teaching artist at Oxford College. After bringing his talents to the Kennedy Center in 2020, Adán was awarded the Serenbe Frances Focus Fellowship from the South Fulton Institute. Adán Bean filmed a Tiny Desk concert performance and directed the short documentary “Curb Appeal,” which tackles the issues of housing insecurity and home inequity. As a 2019 TEDx speaker and 2017 National Poetry Slam song winner, he’s represented Atlanta on numerous slam teams for the PSI National Poetry Slam Competition. His work has been featured on or with companies/brands such as Change.org, TEDx, Habitat for Humanity, AT&T, CarMax, Coca-Cola, Cricket Wireless, Delta Airlines, SONY Music Group, Def Jam, Cash Money Records, and more. When Adán Bean is not working on his sophomore EP as well as his first work of collected poems and essays, he’s serving as a host for the Atlanta Moth StorySlams and curating Good*Night, a monthly variety show at Buteco (Grant Park) featuring music, comedy, and spoken word.
The Wilson Trio came into existence in 2007 and consists of pianist Cliff Jr., cellist Denielle, and violinist Danya. The siblings were raised in Lithonia, GA where they made their debut performing a free concert at a local Methodist church in 2009. At the beginning, they were coached by their individual private instructors including Shirley Irek, Joel Dallow, and Justin Bruns. Their first concerts were in part to help raise funds to support their attendance at summer music programs, helping further their music education. From their early years, they have shown a commitment to sharing music with local communities, whether through classical or sacred selections. They first developed as chamber musicians in a vibrant church environment, but are seeking to expand the avenues for sharing their talents in a variety of spaces. The Trio hopes to inspire more young people, including people of color, to engage with and create instrumental music.Outside of playing together, Cliff works in systems engineering, Denielle plays in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Danya works at a financial firm.
Artists
About the
About the Artists
Will Buthod currently serves as Minister of Music at Holy Trinity Parish in Decatur, Chapel Organist at the Candler School of Theology (Emory University), and founder and co-director of Voices Found, a community choir focused on social action. He has served congregations in New York, Paris, Phoenix, and Atlanta, as well as throughout Oklahoma and New Jersey.
As a performer, Buthod has won numerous competitions and awards, including the Albert Schweitzer National Organ Competition, the Tulsa Young Artist Competition, and the Charlotte Bagnall Scholarship for Church Musicians. He has performed with or recorded for such artists as Jimmy Heath, Denyce Graves, Martina Arroyo, Ben Vereen, Jay -Z, Fat Joe, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Mashonda, Autumn Rowe, Nolan Williams, James Abbington, and Roland Carter. He recorded a live album with Grammy-nominated performer Maiysha at the Blue Note jazz club in New York. With a gospel music background, Buthod earned a spot as pianist for the Harlem Gospel Choir and has played for such well-known preachers as Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Timothy Wright, James A. Forbes Jr., Johnny Ray Youngblood, and Albert Jamison, Jr. He has composed over 300 works, from classical trios to R&B tunes, which are performed regularly throughout the country and abroad
Challenge the Stats Community Choir
The Challenge the Stats Community Choir is a meaningfully curated ensemble directed by Verena Lucía Anders specifically for this event. The choir unites talented singers from across the city, celebrating the diverse fabric of Atlanta, commemorating BIPOC artistry, and raising their voices as a call for social change.
Conductor & Artistic Director
Verena Lucía Anders
Soprano
Aliyah Auerbach
Juli Bolano
Chryston Jones
Arietha Lockhart
Rachel Hunter-White
Rachelle Udell
Alto
Pat Harris
Alexis LaSalle
Marcia Kohel
Genori McCormack
Elissa Meites
Meredith Starks
Janae Thompson
Tenor
Charles Absher
Steve Fedarko
Peyton Fleming
Ethan Godfrey
Beth Gollmar
Lloyd Harrod
Tyrone Webb Bass
Jeremiah Brown
Lucas Gray
Brian Wold
Malik Stevenson
Zayreton Slayton
Concerts@First
2023-2024 Season
September 29, December 8, January 12, April 19 12:00 P.M.
Bach’s Lunch Series– Free
Co-presented with the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta
With members of Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Chamber Players, Vega Quartet
Sunday, October 8, 2023 3:00 P.M.
A Night at the Opera -$20
Maria Valdes, soprano; Christopher Bozeka, tenor
Saturday, November 11, 2023 7:30 P.M.
Saint– Saëns Carnival: Piano Four Hands- $20
Co-presented with the Chopin Society of Atlanta
Sunday, December 10, 2023 10:00 A.M.
Christmas Concert: Vivacious Vivaldi– Free
FPC Choir and Orchestra
Friday, February 9, 2024 7:30 P.M.
Baroque Splendor: Dixit Dominus– Free
Co presented with Georgia State and Atlanta Baroque Orchestra
Sunday, February 18, 2024 3:00 P.M.
Atlanta Chamber Players $20 Brahms Legacy Concert
Saturday, April 27, 2024 7:30 P.M.
Challenge The Stats– Free
Friday, May 10, 2024 7:30 P.M.
Thomas Bara Debut Concert– Free
Saturday, June 22, 2024 7:30 P.M.
The New American Sinfonietta– Free
Under the direction of Maestro Michael Palmer
Full season details and archives available at Concertsatfirst.org
Sign up for our mailing list by emailing concerts@firstpresatl.org to get up to date announcements.
