Hannibal Lokumbe

Hannibal lokumbe Detroit SympHony orcHeStra tHomaS WilkinS Dear Mrs. Parks features a massive ensemble comprised of full orchestra plus two choirs and four vocal soloists. Influenced by blues, jazz, African music and Gospel music, it pays homage to Rosa Parks in the form of imaginary letters to the civil rights heroine. Hannibal lokumbe’s career in music spans over four decades. He is the recipient of numerous awards including a bessie award, the NeA, and a lifetime Achievement Award from the Detroit Symphony orchestra. He has composed works for the kronos Quartet, the Philadelphia, baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit and Houston symphonies. Hannibal Lokumbe Dear Mrs. Parks Hannibal World Première 8.559668 lokumbe recording (b. 1948) Dear mrs. Parks (2005) 1 A Prayer for the World; The over Soul Sends to us 2:06 2 A Prayer for the World 4:34 3 For We Have Walked the Streets of Babylon, Forty Thousand Strong 8:31 4 In Sacrifice 6:43 5 For the Future 1:06 6 Seeds of the World 5:52 Janice Chandler-eteme, Soprano 7 Songs from Heaven Falling 9:26 8 Jevetta Steele, mezzo-soprano Like luminous Rain kevin Deas, bass Upon the Daughters of Isis 13:08 Taylor Gardner, Child Soprano 9 Giving Their Children Rackham Symphony Choir the Will to Continue 2:52 brazeal Dennard Chorale 0 Singing a Prayer for the Detroit Symphony orchestra Souls of the World 4:45 Thomas Wilkins –2– Dear Mrs. Parks By Hannibal Lokumbe Bass, Mezzo Soprano and Soprano: from this pit of pain. Commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Dear Mrs. Parks, Black skin for sale and gain. World Premiere Performance Feb. 19, 2005. Recorded March 6-8, 2009 This is a letter of love to you. The eyes of tomorrow speaks and A garland of words and songs to be placed so we walk these streets bruised, The Oversoul sends to us a prayer for the world. at the feet of your life. tired but yet unmoved For we have walked the streets of Babylon, Please accept them on behalf of all things past so that the world might be free. Forty thousand strong, and yet to come. In sacrifice for the future seeds of the world. TRACK 6 Songs from heaven falling, TRACK 3 Seeds of the World Like luminous rain upon the daughters of Isis, For We Have Walked the Streets of babylon, letter #1 giving their children the will to continue, Forty Thousand Strong (chorus) Hannibal Lokumbe singing a prayer for the soul of the world. God when will we be delivered Bass: –from the journal of Hannibal, 2004 from this land of spacious skies and pain? Dear Mrs. Parks, Dear Mrs. Parks How many of us have to die I can hear the sun singing in praise of you. For THE AUDIENCE MAY PARTICIPATE before we all can be free? more luminous is the light that streams from 8.559668 (A child shall lead us. The maestro will stop the orchestra and turn to you, And so we walk these streets of Babylon you upon the heaven and hell of humanity. In the audience, at which point you are invited to read aloud this prayer as until thy will is done. your life I see a time when our people walked was envisioned in the dream God gave to me. It is my gift to you and to Until the truth shines down its light upon a land where the limbs of trees did not every living force in existence. —Hannibal) upon these cruel dark days of hate hold our bodies like pendulums in the wind so and so we’ll sing and die and pray broken and un-confessed before our mothers TRACK 1 until we cast this hell away. and our God. The light that you are shines A Prayer for the World (spoken prayer) Even in cold, in rain, in pain, unbroken in the lives of those who still live O God please help us we say never this again. the vision of peace. A vision that lives in spite in this our struggle Although they come in sheets with guns of those who feel they should rule the world, for peace and freedom. we will march on until it’s done. and drink from the rancid bowl of privilege. Release our spirits O God we put our trust in Thee A bowl held up to their corrupted lips, by the upon this darkness in this our struggle to be free. lives of those who bear the scars of a history so of fear and hatred. Keep on walking walking Brothers. cruel as to be never forgotten or forgiven. So I We hold your promise Keep on walking walking Sisters. thank you Mrs. Parks for the light that you are. deep in our souls Look how we suffer in Babylon. Always know that I will keep you, and thank therefore we fight Crying in the streets of Babylon you, and honor you by my service. with love and mercy. and we will cry until the day Your Friend, Come for your promise that freedom comes. Hannibal. which we have honored Singing in the streets of Babylon with blood and faith. and we will sing until the day Chorus: Proclaim its power that freedom comes. See the signs of destiny unfolding make whole our lives Praying in the streets of Babylon in the arc of time please save our world. and we will pray until the day turned back towards its sacral womb that freedom comes. of space and light The over Soul Sends to us (chorus) Shouting in the streets of Babylon of clarity of all things Never forget the songs of struggle and we will shout until the day to have ever lived keep them near your heart, that freedom comes. all things that have yet to be for the days are never free of dreams Dying in the streets of Babylon Lord. dreams of those and we will die until the day who would have men walk God’s earth that freedom comes. (Composer’s note to singer of letter: Kevin: in chains No one is present but you. Your thoughts, and women mourn, TRACK 4 no human could understand. It is a gift, not the birth of their child. In Sacrifice (chorus) a plea or statement. A gift to save humans Look into my eyes from themselves. In spite of it all, you love to TRACK 2 and you will see care for them. The oboe is symbolic of your A Prayer for the World (chorus) a fire of ancient light that must burn free. subconscious, the true state of your existence). O God please help us No one can put it out in this our struggle with guns or hate. TRACK 7 for peace and freedom. No force can hold it back Songs from Heaven Falling Release our spirits or make it wait. letter #2 (for the spirit of mrs. Viola liuzzo, upon this darkness So cleave unto this flame in honor of her life) of fear and hatred. no need to fear. We hold your promise Your soul will be renewed Soprano: deep in our souls as it draws near. Dear Mrs. Parks, therefore we fight Ancestors knew it well All the treasures of heaven are waiting for with love and mercy. and passed it down. you. Treasures whose beauty could never be Come for your promise To save us in this land revealed within the finite wisdom of words. which we have honored where death abounds. A garment has been made in your honor, our with blood and faith. good sister Rosa, to adorn your spirit when the Proclaim its power TRACK 5 work of your hands and heart are done. Around make whole our lives For the Future (chorus) your soul shall be placed a shawl whose cloth please save our world. God of the ancient land is made of light, wind, song and sky. Its lace redeem us as we come forth a tearless joy, its jewels a mournless melody. –3– The needle that the angels used to stitch it was and form us into songs of peace. made from the words of your mother’s prayer. We have fed the world with our love, Mezzo-soprano: The prayer that she prayed on the day you fell nursed life to its feet. Oh what a dream it was, my dear, sweet friend. from her womb. It is stitched with a thread The hand of war cannot hold God. We were marching through the valley of death, made of souls who walked with you through The eye of hate will never see. our souls afire with the bright flame of truth. the valley of strife and liberation. The tongue of fear will never speak We marched in an army whose time had come. and the mighty will forever fall. With bibles, scarves and a vision yet unfolding. Chorus: But those who seek the song of peace When they came for our blood, we fought (Voice of Spirits) shall be renewed with every breath. back with a song. When they came with their this gift of death Their words pure light, guns, we gave them a prayer. They said that we this gift of life their deeds a prayer, would never live to see the day of our victory. Hannibal Lokumbe (Voice of God) their tears a verse And so we washed more clothes and baked I have claimed your soul in God’s melody. more cakes, prayed more prayers, and changed Dear Mrs.

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