Marti Newland (YouTube.com)
Artis Wodehouse
Published on Nov 19, 2013
Soprano
Marti Newland and pianist Artis Wodehouse of MELODEON perform live in
concert a unique 2001 American musical masterwork written by composer
William Bolcom in collaboration with librettist and playwright Sandra
Seaton called "From the Diary of Sally Hemings" on Sunday, Nov. 3rd,
2013 at Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, NYC.. Sally Hemings
(1773-1835) was one of Jefferson's over 600 slaves. After the death of
his white wife, Hemings became Jefferson's long-time mistress, and
together they produced several children. This relationship was not
verified until the late 1990s, when DNA testing of the descendants of
this union became available.
Hemings is not known to have
actually written a diary, but William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton have
taken the known historic facts about her life and reconstructed her
experience through a fictional musicalized first person voice in a cycle
of 18 songs:
PART ONE
They say I was born old: 0:22
Martha and Maria: 02:07
White waves: 03:44
Paris, c'est la ville vivante: 07:29
The master brings music to his sitting room: 09:29
I was carrying a tray when he called me: 11:05
PART TWO
They say I was born old...The rage, the anger: 12:54
Come back to America: 14:52
Back home at Monticello: 17:07
Purple Hyacinth begins to bloom: 18:01
My sister ghost: 20:06
PART THREE
Peonies, a perfume box: 24:31
Mister, our child is frail: 26:16
A dark winter blue-black evening: 28:59
Old shoe!: 30:24
PART FOUR
A wild man home from the woods: 32:18
Papers! I've never seen so many: 34:14
Night watch till early morn: 36:13
MELODEON
is a group of musicians that perform American music of the 19th and
20th century. Presenting "The Diary of Sally Hemings" is an exceptional
foray for the group, but the subject matter and treatment is
foundational for understanding the United States.
Audio and video was created by Whitney Slaten.
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