CHRISTON CARNEY
PROGRAM NOTES
LANGSTON HUGHES | MUSICAL INSPIRATION
A special thank you to the College of the Holy Cross for hosting this program.
“Perhaps the mission of an artist is to interpret beauty to people—the beauty within themselves.”. – Langston Hughes.
***You will find additional information about Langston Hughes and the composers presented in this program below.***
Missed the Performance?
The performance was live-streamed and recorded thanks to Holy Cross, Department of Music.
Leonardo Ciampa
"I realize now how fortunate I was that, growing up in Massachusetts in the 1970s, we learned about Langston Hughes in elementary school. We even read one of his poems. Just hearing the name "Langston Hughes" reminds me of how crucial it is to teach young children about great people of all races and genders. We were not taught that he was a "Black poet" -- we were taught that he was a "Great poet." As an adult, I can say definitively that on this point my teacher was correct. "Dream Dust" is no less powerful because of its brevity -- in fact, it is more so. Consequently, I felt very daunted at the task of setting it to music. If the music is not worthy of the text, I hope that it at least does it honor."
Missed the performance?
This concert was streamed and recorded live on YouTube thanks to Holy Cross Department of Music
Leslie Adams
REFERENCES
