Dr. Cynthia Cozette Lee
Heritage, Honor and Freedom Discovered
-An African American Journey of Original Songs and Poems
(PHILADELPHIA, PA-JUNE 8, 2017): Heritage, Honor and Freedom Discovered is a dynamic program of powerful original opera songs, flute music and poems on Black themes
created by the talented award-winning sister songwriting team of Cynthia Cozette Lee and Hazel Ann Lee. The program will take place on Monday, June 12, 2017 at 7:00PM in the Montgomery Auditorium of the Parkway Central Free Library branch located at 1901 Vine Street in Philadelphia. Admission is free and open to the public. The program will feature inspiring opera excerpts from Cynthia Cozette Lee’s one act opera, Adea, and the sister songwriting team’s American Civil War opera, Partway To Freedom. Also Cozette’s vibrant flute music and Hazel Ann Lee’s thoughtful poetry on African American themes will be performed by these highly artistic sisters. The concert performance will be followed by a Question and Answer Session with historical United States Colored Troops reenactors
of the 3rd Regiment. The program is sponsored by the Free Library Music Department commemoration of Juneteenth Day, the day in 1865 where the end of slavery was finally enforced in Texas occurring two years after the 1863 release of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. People of all ages will enjoy this must see cultural program.
Relating the enduring story of the African American mixed cultural heritage has been a guiding influence for the music and written compositions of the two sisters. Cozette’s opera about urban America, Adea, shows the courageous spirit of a Black family surmounting the despair of poverty. The historical Civil War opera, Partway To Freedom, with music by Cozette and libretto by the Lee sisters, was inspired by their great grandfather Sergeant Warren Garner’s heroic spirit and valor while serving during the Civil War in the United States Colored Troops, 4th Regiment, Company I. At this concert the melodic lyric voices of sopranos, Hazelita Fauntroy and Evette Rose, will be heard.
Cozette explains, “My music blends the harmonics of African American music with European styles. As the first Black American to receive a graduate degree in music composition from the University of Pennsylvania, I believe I can express my panoramic tonal style of contemporary classical music in ways the audience can enjoy.”
For more information, contact the Parkway Central Free Library Branch,
Phone-215-686-5316; Email: erefmus@freelibrary.org Website: www.freelibrary.org or contact the composer, Cynthia Cozette, directly at Email: CynLee215@yahoo.com
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Comment by email:
Dr. Zick: Thank
you for posting the information about my Heritage, Honor and Freedom
Discovered concert. The posting was beautifully done. Sincerely,
Dr. Cynthia Cozette Lee
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