On Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, excerpts of the opera were presented at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in Center City Philadelphia.
The opera takes place on a street in an unnamed Northern city in the spring of 1863 during the U.S. Civil War.
There are 4 main characters. Jacob is a runaway slave, happy to be a free man finally. Ben Bearclaw, an African-American and Native American is a cemetery guard and gravedigger, who after chiding Jacob, relents and shows compassion and helps him find shelter and food,. Colonel Conrad enters to inform Ben that there are more dead soldiers to bury. Both men sing a gaunting number to honor the fallen men.
Tillie, a nurse at the hospital and ex-slave appears and sings a tender Night Dream Lullaby to ease the tension of the moment.
The final number War Cry is sung by a USCT (United States Colored Troops) Recruitment Officer, a rousing number to recruit soldiers for the USCT.
The 4 singers were deeply moving. Richard Smith, tenor, sang with a supple agile voice, effectively portraying the anxieties and relief of the young Jacob in finding freedom. Aaron Gooding has a pleasant deep bass tone, and made the most of his long, winding and deeply moving aria The Martyr.
Outstanding Philadelphia soprano Hazelita Fauntroy was an understated nurse Tillie, her clear bright tones melding perfectly with the beautiful Night Dream Lullaby, one of the most melodious pieces ever composed.
Tenor M. Barry Currington, who made his debut in 1979 at Carnegie Hall, led the effectively martial recruitment song, later joined by the other 3 artists for a highly rousing, yet pathos-filled conclusion.
The composer, Cynthia Lee provided strong musical support at the piano, never overwhelming the singers, but providing wonderful support, letting the beautiful, haunting poetry of the words be heard to great effect.
Cynthia Lee has written a highly melodious, haunting, energetic work. While clearly a work-in-progress, it shows so much promise and sounds so beautiful that a full, completed opera will be fantastic.
This opera is an amazing story of an African-American family tracing and preserving their family roots. The performance is dedicated to the memory of Cynthia and Hazel's mother, Grace Garner Lee, and to their great-grandfather Sgt. Warren Garner, of the 4th Regiment Infantry, USCT, Maryland Volunteers, Company I. Sgt. Garner enlisted on Aug. 11, 1863 and mustered out on May 4, 1866.
Also, the history of African-Americans and opera, nationally and in Philly, is a story in progress, a story that must be preserved, told and celebrated.
I have had the recent honor of talking with Soprano Supreme Hazelita Fauntroy about that history. Trained at AVA (Academy of Vocal Arts), she and her late husband Terry Hayes co-founded the Philmont Opera Company, which presented one of the most outstanding Aida's I have ever heard in 1990 at the Arch St. United Methodist Church on north Broad St. Both Mrs Fauntroy and Mr. Currington were part of that very memorable evening.
Much praise to all for these exciting excerpts of this beautiful new opera.
Partway to Freedom shines brightly for the future of Opera, good music in general, as a essential part of Black History, honoring our ancestors and just simply, adding angelic peaceful harmonies to the universe.
Peace!
written by Erik Michael Younge/Jaguar Enterprises/Feb. 2013.
please send any comments to: eryounge@gmail.com.
