PORTRAIT OF A QUEEN
This piece traces the evolution of black people in America through the lens of the black woman. Using one figurative character who represents strength, courage and selflessness, this “queen” will transform from her journey as a leader in Africa to a slave on an American plantation, to a disenfranchised citizen subject to Jim Crow laws and finally to the strong matriarch found in many churches presently. Dramatic spoken word, written by Courtney D. Ware, poetically explains the thoughts and feelings of her character, while a musical portrait is revealed of her. Women have always played vital roles in African American communities.
PORTRAIT OF A QUEEN
18 minutes
Orchestra and Female Narrator
the American Composers Orchestra.
This piece traces the evolution of black people in America through the lens of the black woman. Using one figurative character who represents strength, courage and selflessness, this “queen” will transform from her journey as a leader in Africa to a slave on an American plantation, to a disenfranchised citizen subject to Jim Crow laws and finally to the strong matriarch found in many churches presently. Dramatic spoken word, written by Courtney D. Ware, poetically explains the thoughts and feelings of her character, while a musical portrait is revealed of her. Women have always played vital roles in African American communities.