Voices and Vision: Celebrating Black Classical Music Artists in “Our Song, Our Story”
Performers for “Our Song, Our Story” at the Folly Theater. L-R: Amyr Joyner, Messian Ahmed (violin), Damien Sneed (piano), Raehann Bryce-Davis, Raven McMillon (standing), Thapelo Masita (cello), Julius Adams (viola). Image: Andrew Schwartz/Veritography
KC Studio, Libby Hanssen
November 27, 2022
“Our Song, Our Story: The New Generation of Black Voices” was more than a recital of arias and art songs. It was a tribute to the legacy of Black excellence and recognition of the struggle for those voices to be heard, connected by personal recollections.
The project was conceived by the multi-talented Damien Sneed. And while he played piano and introduced the artists and the significance of the pieces, he did not put himself forward as the star of the show, giving center stage to the music and the message. His only solo turn opened the performance, on Hale Smith’s 1966 “Evocation,” a brief but powerful piece, the twelve-tone technique connecting mid-century classical music with African American influences.