| A Development Performance of TRUTH, a new folk opera about the life of Sojourner Truth |
Dear LINDA,
We are proud to finally share with you our first public performance in the area of TRUTH in development. So here it is the news! Old Deerfield Productions will offer a development performance of TRUTH, an original folk opera with music by Paula M. Kimper and libretto by Talaya Delaney about the life of Sojourner Truth, ex-slave and fiery abolitionist who lived and found her voice in Florence, MA.
Featuring Evelyn Harris, formerly of Sweet Honey in the Rock, as Sojourner Truth, the opera focuses on the life of this complicated, brilliant woman who, though illiterate, was a relentless champion of those deprived of justice and freedom. She lived a life of bravery in the face of unfathomable adversity and never wavered in her faith and hope for a world where all would experience the birthright of freedom. Her nearly unknown story that is filled with astonishing accomplishments and events will, for the first time, be told in a full-length folk opera. Sojourner Truth is a heroine of extraordinary scope whose life story, when heard, will be an inspiration to many.
The development workshop of Act I and excerpts from the rest of the opera will be presented at the Reid Theatre at Deerfield Academy on July 1stand 2nd, 2011 at 7:30 pm. Tickets will be sold at the door on a first come first serve basis for $10. Music direction is by Clifton Noble, and performers include Alan Schneider, John Thomas and Lisa Woods in addition to Ms. Harris. Mr. Noble will accompany on piano and Tony Vacca will play African Drums.
There will be talk-backs following each performance with the creators and performers so that input from the audience may be considered for the completion of the opera.
This performance will be followed by a culminating World Premiere with costumes, lights, sets and orchestra under the direction of Lanfranco Marcelletti at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA on February 16, 17, 18 of2012.
Warmly, Linda McInerney, Artistic Director, Old Deerfield Productions |
Evelyn Harris plays Sojourner TRUTH  Evelyn Harris has dedicated her voice to giving depth and meaning to an extensive array of musical styles, creating stirring interpretations of African-American traditional and contemporary material, freedom songs from around the world, jazz, pop, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues.
Her 18-year tenure with the internationally acclaimed Black women's acapella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock guided her studies as an artist, performer, arranger and composer. Her compositions include State Of Emergency (1988 Grammy nomination), and My Lament. With Sweet Honey, she recorded and co-produced ten albums on the Warner Brothers, Redwood, and Flying Fish labels.
Evelyn tells a story of the struggle for peace and justice through songs that confess the reveries and fears of a people intimately affected by violence and hatred. She is widely respected for the mastery of her craft and her mentorship of young musical talent. "My life is full with abundant manifestations of good. Singing is my giving back with thanks and praise." |
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Upcoming Performances TRUTH, a new folk opera about Sojourner Truth, will receive its world premiere in 3 full scale performances at the Academy of Music in Northampton, MA on February 16, 17, 18, 2012 with costumes and sets designed by Marie Anne Chiment and orchestra under the conducting of Lanfranco Marcelletti.
Act II, The Education of Sojourner TRUTH, will premiere at George Faison's Firehouse in Harlem in collaboration with the Gregory Hopkins and Harlem Opera Theatre on September 16, 2011. |
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Old Deerfield Productions has the of mission of creating, nurturing, producing, promoting and presenting high quality theatre arts that engage, nourish, challenge, heal and entertain audiences. Specializing in the creation and production of new work, especially women's work, Old Deerfield Productions has presented five world premieres in six years, has had work produced in the US, Canada and Europe and is engaged in teaching the creation and presentation of theatre craft to all ages.
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Clifton J. Noble, Music Director
Since 1987, he has served as pianist for Smith College choral ensembles, and currently holds the position of Staff Accompanist in the Smith Music Department. Many of his compositions, including Pastorale, A Tonic of Wilderness, Windows of the Morning, and numerous arrangements of folk songs and spirituals have been written for Smith choirs. His original choral compositions and arrangements have been performed by choruses throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has been commissioned by numerous acclaimed soloists and ensembles, including the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Assabet Valley Mastersingers, the Holyoke Civic Symphony Orchestra, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, Music in Deerfield, the Florentine Trio, saxophonist Lynn Klock, baritone Donald Boothman, the Canticle Singers of Baltimore, the Bel Canto Singers of Nevada, the Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield, Young Singers of Greater Westfield, the Children's Chorus of Springfield, and the Western MA Young People's Philharmonia. Other singular commissions include Parting Words, a cantata celebrating the tercentenary of Northampton minister Jonathan Edwards, and Five Choral Haiku, premiered February 28 at the 2004 Five College Choral Festival at Smith College's John M. Greene Hall.
Noble is a highly regarded keyboard performer in the Pioneer Valley. He has served as organist and choir director at both Edwards Church in Northampton and Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenfield, and taught general music to students in grades K-6 at Holy Trinity School in Greenfield. He accompanied the Young Singers of Greater Westfield for 10 years, and regularly accompanies student performances in the Westfield Public Schools and throughout the Five Colleges.
Noble also writes classical music reviews and features for the Springfield Republican Newspapers. He resides in Western Massachusetts with wife Kara and daughter Samantha. |
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