b r o o k l y n y o u t h c h o r u s

t r a c k l i s t i n g

so quietly Caroline ShawText by Shaw

Blind to the Illness Shara NovaText by Nova

Let Freedom Ring Shara NovaText by Nova

Advice to a Young Woman Nico MuhlyText from The Lady’s New-years Gift, attributed to George Savile, Marquis of Halifax (1633-1695)

Lying in a field, age 67 Ellis Ludwig-LeoneText by Max Posner

Singing in a chorus, age 14 Ellis Ludwig-LeoneText by Max Posner

I Can Barely Look Mary KouyoumdjianText by members of Brooklyn Youth Chorus edited by Mary Kouyoumdjian

Brooklyn Bound Toshi ReagonText by Reagon

Go Tell It Paul D. Miller aka DJ SpookyText by Michelle Alexander from The New Jim Crow

Keeping the Look Loose Kamala SankaramText by Claudia Rankine

Hope Jeff BealText by Pauli Murray from Patricia Bell-Scott’s The Firebrand and the First Lady

Dear Mrs. Roosevelt Jeff BealText by Pauli Murray and Eleanor Roosevelt from Patricia Bell-Scott’s The Firebrand and

the First Lady

Freedom is a Dream Jeff Beal Text by Pauli Murray from Dark Testament and other poems

Prophecy Jeff BealText by Pauli Murray and Eleanor Roosevelt

Composer notes and song lyrics available online at brooklynyouthchorus.org/silentvoicesalbum

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The Silent Voices project began during the Chorus’s 25th anniversary season, born out of the desire to create music that was both topically relevant to our own choristers, and to the time and place in which we live. In exploring a broad range of issues and topics, we felt it was important for our young people to use their voices to uplift others—to give voice to those who have been silenced or marginalized in our communities. As the Chorus has always used its collective voice in the service of art, we were eager for this opportunity to create an original music project that allowed our young singers to serve as instruments of change. In speaking up and speaking out, carrying the music and message of diverse composers, artists, and writers, including our own choristers, we have learned so much about ourselves and our role and responsibilities in the world. Imbalances in power and privilege extend across boundaries of race, gender, class and country, and affect each of us in our own personal way. We hope our listeners will enjoy this collection of songs, stories, and voices, and join us in empowering our youth to build a brighter future.

a b o u t b r o o k l y n y o u t h c h o r u s

The Grammy-winning BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS is a collective of young singers and vocal ensembles reimagining choral performance through artistic innovation, collaboration, and an incredibly versatile range and repertoire. Named WQXR New York’s 2016-17 Artists-in-Residence, the Chorus draws students from across the five boroughs and combines intensive voice and musicianship training with exceptional performance experiences. Acclaimed for their distinctively beautiful sound, the Chorus has appeared with world-class orchestras and conductors, including the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, London and Atlanta symphonies, and Mariinsky Orchestra, and under the batons of Alan Gilbert, Gustavo Dudamel, Marin Alsop, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and others. Additionally, the Chorus has performed or recorded with major artists such as Barbra Streisand, Arcade Fire, Elton John, The National, and Grizzly Bear. Recordings of the Chorus have been featured in major motion pictures, commercials, and live events, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s OTR II World Tour. The Chorus won a Grammy Award for the premiere recording of John Adams’s On the Transmigration of Souls with the New York Philharmonic, and released its first solo album, Black Mountain Songs, in 2017. As a bold commissioner and producer of new music, the Chorus has introduced over 100 new works by contemporary composers into the repertoire, including several evening-length productions such as its Silent Voices series, Black Mountain Songs, and Tell the Way. Brooklyn Youth Chorus serves over 600 students in its core after-school and public school outreach programs throughout Brooklyn.

brooklynyouthchorus.org

a b o u t i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n t e m p o r a r y e n s e m b l e

INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE (ICE) is an artist collective that is transforming the way music is created and experienced. As performer, curator, and educator, ICE explores how new music intersects with communities across the world. The ensemble’s 35 members are featured as soloists, chamber musicians, commissioners, and collaborators with the foremost musical artists of our time. A recipient of the American Music Center’s Trailblazer Award and the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, ICE was also named the 2014 Musical America Ensemble of the Year. The group currently serves as artists-in-residence at the Mostly Mozart Festival and previously led a five-year residency at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. ICE was featured at the Ojai Music Festival from 2015 to 2017 and has appeared at recent festivals abroad such as gmem-CNCM-marseille and Vértice at Cultura UNAM, Mexico City.

iceorg.org

b r o o k l y n y o u t h c h o r u s

Dianne Berkun Menaker, founder and artistic directorKristopher Burke, men’s ensemble conductor

Brandon George, fluteKatie Shoepflin, clarinetRyan Muncy, saxophoneRebekah Heller, bassoonDan Lippel, guitar

Jacob Greenberg, pianoClara Warnaar, percussionErica Dicker, violinMariel Roberts, celloPatrick Swoboda, bass

Sarah AbramsonMeaghan AccarinoEmily AhnOmilana AtkinsJosephine AttalNaomie AzorMaya BaijalElizabeth BalatskiAriel BinnsJeanne BransbourgMorgan ColtonMaya Yin FahrerFannie FeynbergKierra Foster-BagleyMaria GlyptisIzabella GozzoLindsay GuerreroErynn GutierrezAemilia Harbutt

Natalie HawkinsJulia HolmanAndrei IosifescuTiara JaseyCharlotte KnutsenOlivia KnutsenJoyce KouassiMeghan KouassiTaylor LashleyOna Linna-HippTess LovellGrace LuckettVivian LukensFrost MartinSophia PartowClara RosariusMargot SaganichMaya SequiraHannah Serrano

Madelaine SmithSophie SmithAvery SotoSarah SotomayorIsabella StevensonJosette Tolliver-ShawKatrina UrdaMariana WeaverAliyah Weiss—A.J. AikenSaddique AngoWilliam BelforAldre BenjaminAryeh BlumenfeldTayjean BrownMalik CarringtonMichael CassidyCaesar Castillo

Matthew ChiuChristopher ConleyCaleb CummingsNoah EpelbaumBrandon Foster-Bagley Daniel GrajalesVincenzo James HartyAnthony HohnKameron HolderEduardo LizNoah MattinglyGenesis Meulens-DixonBennet SonnenbergJacob SuttonJulien Tornelli

International Contemporary Ensemble

a c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

Brooklyn Youth Chorus gratefully acknowledges the following individuals and institutions for their extraordinary support of Silent Voices:

Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Jackie and Joe Aguanno, Amphion Foundation, Anjali and Hemant Baijal, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BMW of Manhattan, Dan Cogan and Liz Garbus, J. Barclay Collins, Con Edison, Benjamin Crane, Marie DeRosa and Richard McNeil, Gail Erickson and Christa Rice, Charles J. and Irene F. Hamm, M. Salomé Galib and Duane McLaughlin, Garnerin Group, Goldman Sachs Gives, Kate Hosford and Chris Welch, Howard Gilman Foundation, Annie Keating and Kim Hawkins, Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, Michele Mirman and Mirman, Markovits & Landau, PC, National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, Jonathan and Katrin Rouner, Jennifer Sage and Nicolas Grabar, TD Bank and the TD Charitable Foundation, The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund, The BMI Foundation, The MAP Fund, Joyce and Edward Wu, and Dick Yancey.

Special thanks to Marcus Wainwright and rag & bone for supporting the project by dressing the Chorus. The visual identity for Silent Voices was generously donated by Carbone Smolan Agency.

Photo credits: Jay Maisel, Julienne Schaer, Kathryn Tornelli, Andrea Arevalo

Members of premiere season creative team: Kristin Marting, Peter Nigrini, Dan Scully, Garth MacAleavey, Jeanette Yew, Helga Davis, Hilton Als, Kate Fry, and Peter McCabe

b r o o k l y n y o u t h c h o r u s s t a f f

Dianne Berkun Menaker, founder and artistic director Megan Lemley, chief operating officer Frank Impelluso, director of marketing and communicationsAndrea Arevalo, art director, digital content producer Ezra Lowrey, production and events managerLeah Miles and Eric Williamson, chorus managers

n e w a m s t e r d a m r e c o r d s s t a f f

William Brittelle, Judd Greenstein, Sarah Kirkland Snider, co-directorsMichael Hammond, label directorLaura Kaae, label managerMolly Joyce, digital content managerCurt LeClair, booking managerJill Strominger, director of publicity

p r o d u c e r c r e d i t s

Producers: Grace Row and Dianne Berkun MenakerRecording Engineer: Marc UrselliMixing Engineer for all songs except “Blind to the Illness” and “Let Freedom Ring”: Marc UrselliMastering Engineer: Marc UrselliAssistant Engineers: Duff Harris, Horacio Pena Cross, Owen Mulholland, Grant Valentine, and Jeff CitronMixing Engineer for “Blind to the Illness” and “Let Freedom Ring”: Collin Dupuis, Mixed at Center For Pleasure Mechanics, Detroit, MIAdditional Engineering and Vocals for “Blind to the Illness” and “Let Freedom Ring”: Shara NovaAdditional Percussion for “Blind to the Illness” and “Let Freedom Ring”: Zac BrunellRehearsal and Studio Pianist: Aleeza MeirLine Producers: Jennifer Cambras and Ezra LowreyChorus Management: Molly Goldberg and Eric WilliamsonRecorded at Sear Sound and EastSide Sound, New York, NYPackaging Design: Brock Lefferts

The Silent Voices world premiere performance was a co-commission by Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and WQXR, New York for BAM’s 2017 Winter/Spring Season.

© 2018 Brooklyn Youth ChorusEach piece used by permission of the composerbrooklynyouthchorus.org | newamrecords.com

so quietly By Caroline Shaw © 2017 Caroline Shaw EditionsAdvice to a Young Woman By Nico Muhly © 2016 St. Rose Music Publishing/Chester Music Ltd (ASCAP/PRS)Firebrand and the First Lady By Jeff Beal © 2017 St. Rose Music Publishing/G. Schirmer, Inc. (BMI/PRS)

©2018 Brooklyn Youth ChorusEach piece used by permission of the composerbrooklynyouthchorus.org | newamrecords.com