New York Choral Society: A Knee on the Neck

• Gabriella Reyes, soprano
• Cierra Byrd, mezzo-soprano
• Bernard Holcomb, tenor
• Kenneth Overton, baritone

The New York Choral Society presents "A Knee on the Neck," a concert that pairs Adolphus Hailstork's new oratorio, A Knee on the Neck, with Ralph Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem. This concert brings our attention to the devastating pain of injustice and conflict, and it offers a call for justice and peace.

Ralph Vaughan Williams – Dona Nobis Pacem (1936) 

Latin for "grant us peace," a phrase familiar from its use in the traditional Christian Mass. This cantata uses text from the Mass, three poems by Walt Whitman, a political speech, and sections of the Bible. Dona Nobis Pacem serves as a warning against violence and implores us to recall the better angels of our nature.

Adolphus Hailstork – A Knee on the Neck (2021; New York premiere)
Text by Herbert Martin

Created by Adolphus Hailstork in response to the tragedy of George Floyd’s death through the text of historian and long-time collaborator Herbert Martin. A forceful recounting of an unspeakable act of violence with a call for justice and resolve- “our will is strong” – A Knee on The Neck speaks to the challenges which Black Americans have endured and engages the audience to share that journey in powerful ways.

About New York Choral Society

https://nychoral.org/

About Gabriella Reyes, soprano

https://www.askonasholt.com/artists/gabriella-reyes/

About Cierra Byrd, mezzo-soprano

https://www.cierrabyrd.com/

About Bernard Holcomb, tenor

https://bernardholcomb.com/

About Kenneth Overton, baritone

https://www.kennethoverton.com/