STORIES FROM THE GOLDEN HOUR
A Chamber Cantata for Recorded Narrator, Solo Soprano, Women’s Chorus, Chamber Winds, and Organ
The title refers to the golden hour before sunset as a metaphor for the later years of life when remembering and stories become especially important. The work is inspired by the lives of Kelley and Benjamin Alston and told through six stories about the land, hard work, justice, family, death, and homegoing. The Alston’s were both children of tobacco farmers from Conway, South Carolina who married, built a family, persevered through many challenges, and lived a long life. They passed away within six months of each other. Their life story inspires all of us to remember, fight for what is right, live with dignity, and in the end celebrate life.
The work is a type of chamber cantata drawing on the traditions of spoken word, chamber music, and choral music. Each story illuminates a certain characteristic of Kelley and Benjamin and is introduced by a third person narrator. The first story, Under the Fields, is where their life began in the country and is a reminder that no one really owns the land. It sings for those who can hear it and it’s where we ultimately end. The second story is Grit and celebrates their work ethic in the form of repetitive rhythmicised language that never gives up. Next is What is worth fighting for? and reminds us that there are times to stand up for justice just as Kelley and Benjamin did. After a reading of more than 300 years of racial violence, the narrator asks questions that reference segregation, the murder of Emmet Till, and the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King. The fourth story, In the Summer, is a nostalgic remembrance from a child’s point-of-view about a summer night filled with mystery and meaning. The next to last story, Golden Light of Home, is in the style of an old spiritual and is about quietly waiting and listening as the end is nearing. The sixth and final story, Homegoing, is a simple hymn that speaks to the hope that we will meet again.
Commissioned by Dr. Brenton F. Alston in memory of his parents Kelley and Benjamin Alston. Premiered on April 17, 2024 at Florida International University in Miami, Florida with Dr. Alston conducting.
