On April 5th Lyric Fest, in collaboration with The Denyce Graves Foundation (DGF), presented the world premiere of several classic Italian arias and art songs reimagined by contemporary Black composers and performed by Black vocalists. The result was a marvelous display of musical talent, ingenuity, and Black excellence that left me inspired and humbled. The performance featured three outstanding DGF vocalists: Symone Harcum, Taylor-Alexis Dupont, and Joseph Parrish. Laura Ward, Co-Artistic Director of Lyric Fest, graciously served as the collaborative pianist.
The recital was presented at the historic Academy of Vocal Arts, within the beautiful Helen Corning Warden Theater. Erected near the turn of the twentieth century, the theater was a suitable setting for this occasion. Adorned with high-relief friezes depicting Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the artwork of impressionist Ellen Day Hale and her life partner Gabrielle De Veaut Clements, the venue embodies the enduring refinement of classical form intertwined with the vibrant spontaneity of Impressionism.
The Italian art songs featured in the performance are considered canon for those who study classical voice. Lyric Fest’s goal of celebrating and revitalizing the art song tradition was evident at this recital, but it was how they did so that moved me. The collaboration with DGF highlighted the organizations shared goals of inclusivity and culturally relevant practices within the classical music landscape. Their intersectionality fostered a musical moment that mirrored the Theater’s architecture-classical form adorned with a new and vibrant décor.
I, like many vocalists, can attest to buying my first arrangement of the 26 Italian Arias book and spending countless hours in a practice room attempting to gracefully prepare the delicate onset for Caccini & Guarini’s Amarilli, mia bella, only to be foiled by their voice’s tumultuous zona di passaggio-the fragile area of one’s voice, constantly wreaking havoc on the novice singer and casting a shadow of doubt on the pursuit of a singing career. Watching the trio display such vocal artistry and mastery of the repertoire was very humbling. It transported me to back to Florida State’s practice rooms over two decades ago, battling the emotional turmoil that comes with an isolation and fear of inadequacy; pondering the purpose behind constantly trying to fit within these very white, musical spaces with only a few saying, “No. These aren’t ‘white spaces’. You belong here.” Harcum, Dupont and Parrish not only belonged there-they owned the room. They ate and left no crumbs.
If that wasn’t enough, the abundance of harmonic colors, rhythmic nuance, and metric energy added by the composers was nothing short of genius. The original theme and ideas were still present in the music, but the harmonic invention was far more colorful. Much like the impressionistic artwork displayed in the room, the music had less boundaries than their predecessors and allowed the audience to interpret more of the emotional content. It was a marriage of Eurocentric form and Afrocentric vitality. Every now and then, Ward would effortlessly express a musical idea that reminded me of Jazz greats like Mary Lou Williams, Thelonius Monk, or Oscar Peterson. Then, there were these morsels of musical decadence that sent me into the realm of great classical composers like William Grant Still, Nathaniel Dett, and Margaret Bonds. I recognized musical structures that made me reminisce on the great gospel musicians I’ve heard throughout my life. Intertwined within the frame of these Italian art songs were musical statements of Black culture.
I don’t know if it was the composers’ intentions, but it felt like a coded language was hidden within the music that only those within the culture (or with in-depth knowledge) would understand. There were a few recognizable African American attendees in the audience. Once in a while, when those musical ideas were on display I would glance at one of them and wonder if they heard it; the lick, the chromatic ascension that you hear at a Black Gospel church that reminds us to keep moving and persevere; or those beautifully dissonant harmonic extensions that illustrate the complexity within the rich tapestry of Black culture, often misunderstood by outsiders. There was a moment – A gentlemen across the room looked at me. Without saying a word, just a smile and raised eyebrow, we had a complete conversation about that moment:
“Did you hear it?”
“Yep. I caught that.”
“Brilliant.”
“…Yes, sir. It was.”
As I watched these artists reimagine these masterworks a mixture of emotions washed over me: Astonishment over the brilliance that I was witnessing, love of how wonderful music is, pride from the influence of Afrocentric culture, humility over from the sheer talent that was on display, and melancholy. Yes, there was a bit of sadness at the realization of missed opportunities for unbridled cultural respect and mingling. This recital highlighted the possibilities when two cultures can respectfully honor each other and work together to make something remarkably beautiful.
And yet, there is an adherence to order, structure, and stratification in the classical music world. The canon cannot be touched. The style must be adhered to. Etiquette must be maintained. The Eurocentric aesthetic must remain the guiding principle. Everything has its place. That is the way of the “High Art.” That night, Khyle Wooten’s arrangement of Come Raggio di Sol removed the barriers that divide musical culture; JoyAnne Amani’s Danza, danza fanciulla gentile, broke through the antique order of classical music; Damien Sneed’s arrangement of Vittoria, mio core elevated High Art to a new standard. Lyric Fest and The Denyce Graves Foundation did something many classical music organizations simply never consider: They provided new stories to old songs. The new narratives moved some of us in ways that we breached etiquette. Some of us swayed. Others could be seen mouthing the lyrics. While some, like me, engaged in a running dialogue across the recital hall.
Classical music is not dead, but it could benefit from a fresh perspective and cultural relevance. While the canon is beautiful, everything could use a makeover over time. It is possible to honor the past while shaping a more diverse and inclusive future. Lyric Fest demonstrated that true diversity and inclusivity enhance classical music rather than transform it, making it more relevant and meaningful in today’s society.
