>> THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS A PBS WISCONSIN ORIGINAL
>> GOOD EVENING, WELCOME TO CONCERTS ON THE SQUARE.
I'M ANDREW SEWELL, MUSIC
DIRECTOR OF THE WISCONSIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA.
TONIGHT'S CONCERT CELEBRATES AMERICAN MUSIC.
GEORGE GERSHWIN, LEONARD BERNSTEIN, JOHN CARTER,
ALONGSIDE FANTASTIC PIECES BY CONTEMPORARY BLACK COMPOSERS,
AND OPERA STAR ANGELA BROWN ADDS POWERFUL VOCALS TO THE MIX.
IT'S A GREAT NIGHT FOR LIVE MUSIC ON THE CAPITOL LAWN.
>> FUNDING FOR CONCERTS ON THE SQUARE IS PROVIDED BY: ODORS TO
THE FOCUS FUNDS FOR THE ARTS AND FRIENDS OF PBS WISCONSIN.
THE ARTS AND FRIENDS OF PBS S T
THE ARTS AND FRIENDS OF PBS [ORCHESTRA PLAYING "HABRI GANI"]
[APPLAUSE]
[ORCHESTRA PLAYING "MUSE"]
[APPLAUSE] >> NOW, THIS SOLOIST THIS
EVENING IS INTERNATIONAL SOPRANO
ANGELA BROWN. SHE HAS APPEARED IN MANY CONCERT
HALLS AND OPERA STAGES AROUND THE WORLD.
IN 2024, LEADING SOPRANO IN PREMIER PERFORMANCE OF NKEIRU
OKOYE NEW WORK "WHEN THE CAGE BIRD SINGS," INSPIRED BY THE
LIFE OF DR. MAYA ANGELOU. SO PLEASE, WELCOME TO THE STAGE,
ANGELA BROWN, "YOU GAVE ME A BABY GIRL" FROM "WHEN THE CAGED
BIRD SINGS" BY NKEIRU OKOYE. [APPLAUSE]
? DEAR LORD, DEAR LORD, THANK YOU FOR THIS CHILD GROWING
INSIDE ME ?
? AFTER YEARS OF PRAYING, PRAYING ?
? YOU GAVE ME A BABY GIRL, A BABY GIRL TO TREASURE, OH ?
? LET PAUL AND I BE GOOD PARENTS TO HER ?
? LET HER NEVER BE IN NEED ? LET HER LIVE TO HER POTENTIAL,
HER POTENTIAL ? ? LET HER KNOW YOU
? MOST OF ALL ? LET HER KNOW THAT SHE IS LOVED
? ? LET HER KNOW THAT SHE IS
CHERISHED, CHERISHED ? ? OOOOO AAAAAH
? MY BABY, MY BABY, WILL FACE OBSTACLES, OBSTACLES ?
? JUST AS I HAVE, JUST AS I HAVE
?
? AAAAAHHH ? PEOPLE JUDGING HER, PEOPLE
JUDGING HER, BECAUSE OF HER SKIN ?
? TRYING TO TETHER HER WITH THEIR EXPECTATIONS ?
? AHHHHHHH
? GIVE ME THE WISDOM TO GUIDE HER THROUGH THEM ?
? GIVE HER THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME ?
? AHHHHHHHH ? AND MOST OF ALL
? LET HER KNOW THAT SHE IS LOVED ?
? LET HER KNOW THAT SHE IS CHERISHED, CHERISHED ?
? I THINK I'LL CALL HER CHERISH, NO, CERISE ?
[APPLAUSE]
>> THIS NEXT WORK BY OMAR THOMAS WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE COLORADO
SYMPHONY AND HONORS THE NINE VICTIMS AND FAMILIES OF THE
JUNE 17, 2015, ATTACK ON MOTHER EMANUEL AME CHURCH IN
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. QUOTES THE SONG "LIFT EVERY
VOICE AND SING."
[PLAYING "OF OUR NEW DAY BEGUN]
? LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING ? 'TIL EARTH AND HEAVEN RING
? RING WITH THE HARMONIES OF LIBERTY ?
? HIGH AS THE LIST'NING SKIES ? LET IT RESOUND LOUD AS THE
ROLLING SEA ?
[RHYTHMIC CLAPPING]
[APPLAUSE]
? PETER GO RING DEM BELLS ? PETER GO RING DEM BELLS
? PETER, GO RING A DEM BELLS ? OH PETER, GO RING, A DEM
BELLS ? ? BELLS
? BELLS
? RING A DEM BELLS ? PETER GO RING DEM BELLS
? O PETER GO RING THEM BELLS ? O, PETER, GO RING DEM BELLS
? PETER GO AND RING THEM BELLS ? PETER GO RING THEM DELLS
? OH, PETER GO RING DEM BELLS ? [PIANO]
? PETER GO RING DEM BELLS ? PETER GO RING DEM BELLS
? PETER, GO RING A DEM BELLS TODAY ?
? PETER GO RING DEM BELLS ? I HEARD FROM HEAVEN TODAY
? WONDER WHERE MY MOTHER HAS GONE ?
? WONDER WHERE MY MOTHER HAS
GONE ? GONE ?
? PETER RING DEM BELLS
? RING A DEM BELLS
? BELLS ? BELLS
? RING A DEM, RING A DEM BELLS ? BELLS
[APPLAUSE] ? SUMMERTIME
? AN' DE LIVIN' IS EASY ? FISH ARE JUMPIN'
? AN' DE COTTON IS HIGH ? OH, YO' DADDY'S RICH
? AN' YO' MA'S GOOD-LOOKIN' ? SO HUSH LITTLE BABY
? DON'T YOU CRY
? ONE OF THESE MORNIN'S ? YOU'RE GONNA RISE UP SINGIN'
? DEN YOU'LL SPREAD YO' WINGS ? AN' YOU'LL TAKE THE SKY
? BUT 'TIL DAT MORNIN' ? DERE'A A' NOTHIN' CAN HARM
YOU ? ? WITH DADDY AN' MOMMY STANDIN'
BY ? ? STANDIN' BY
[APPLAUSE] >> ANGELA BROWN, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, ANGELA BROWN. [APPLAUSE]
SYNONYMOUS WITH BROADWAY, FILM AND THE CONCERT HALL, BERNSTEIN
WORKED FREELY IN ALL GENRES FROM COMPOSING MUSICAL'S SUCH AS
"WEST SIDE STORY," "ON THE TOWN," AND FOR FILMS "ON THE
WATERFRONT," AND FOR THE BALLET. HERE ARE THREE DANCE VARIATIONS
FROM HIS BALLET "FANCY FREE" FROM 1944.
[PLAYING "FANCY FREE: THREE DANCE VARIATIONS"]
[APPLAUSE] >> JAMES LEE III IS A RISING
STAR IN THE CLASSICAL MUSIC
CANON. BUT INSPIRED BY THE THEME OF
LOSS AND VARIOUS STAGES OF GRIEF AS EXPERIENCED AFTER THE LOSS OF
HIS FATHER IN 2016. FROM SHOCK, DENIAL AND ANGER, TO
ACCEPTANCE, HEALING AND PEACE. [PLAYING "EMOTIVE
TRANSFORMATIONS"]
[APPLAUSE]
>> "THE WASHINGTON POST MARCH" BY GREAT AMERICAN JOHN PHILLIP
SOUSA. [PLAYING "WASHINGTON POST
MARCH"] [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> FUNDING FOR CONCERTS ON THE SQUARE IS PROVIDED BY: DONORS
TO THE FOCUS FUND FOR THE ARTS AND FRIENDS OF PBS WISCONSIN.