Description
Adapted from the composer’s program notes:
The first movement “…And the People Marched” depicts the events surrounding the Poor People’s March. The call for the march is heard in the opening fanfare which is intoned with pitches representing the surname KING. A conversation follows in a call and response between the harp and organ. The harp then introduces the thematic material, which extends into the organ, conveying the momentum of the movement. A brief harp cadenza foreshadows the assassination of Dr. King, which is signaled by a thunderous effect in the harp. The ensuing civil disturbances are depicted in the cataclysmic sounds of the gushing chords on the harp and the militant march played on the organ. A new melodic line symbolizing the continuation of the campaign rises from the organ as the intensity of the militant march wanes in the harp. The piece ends with an homage to the construction of the
King monument as the KING motif is played in the organ accompanied by an ascending harp arpeggio. The omission of the third in the final cadence denotes the unfinished work of the campaign.
Two familiar spirituals coalesce in “The Voice of the Motherless.” The opening passage is in septuple meter, portraying the unsettledness of displaced children. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child is played on the harp while juxtaposed by the refrain from Lord, How Come Me Here on the organ. The verse from the latter is played on the organ to represent the voice of mothers forcibly separated from their children. As the movement advances, there is a sense of drama and grief as the complexity of the harmonic progressions intensifies. The concluding cadence represents the lone voice of the motherless.
The final movement of this work contains a newly composed hymn tune – HAIRSTON. The tune is based on the writings of Charles Wesley. The movement begins with a stately introduction by the harp followed by a chorale setting of the hymn performed on the organ. A harp interlude is interjected between the opening and concluding stanzas. The movement culminates in the style of a toccata featuring the organ with harp embellishments.
Included are an organ score (small harp staff) and a separate harp part. Harp pedal changes and organ registrations are carefully marked. PEDAL HARP + ORGAN, ADVANCED.
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