J’Nai Bridges Headlines The Chamber Players’ ‘Pity These Ashes: Tulsa 1921-2021’
By David Salazar(Credit: Suzanne Vinnik)
The Harlem Chamber Players will present “Pity These Ashes: Tulsa 1921-2021” on June 19, 2021.
The showcase will be presented online in partnership with The Greene Space at WQXR and WNYC, Harlem Stage, and the Harlem School of the Arts.
The performance will feature the world premiere of Dr. Adolphus Hailstork’s “TULSA 1921: (Pity These Ashes, Pity This Dust)” as well as Jessie Montgomery’s “Starburst,” Alice Coltrane’s “Prema,” and Trevor Weston’s “The People Could Fly.”
Among the performers in the event will be mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, violinist Jessica (Lady Jess) McJunkins, harpist Ashley Jackson, and musicians from The Harlem Chamber Players.
“Our wish for this program is to use music to confront our painful past that has been buried from us for too long. These brilliant works by Black composers – underrepresented in the classical music canon – tell a story of endurance and resilience, and we hope it helps people to move forward and heal,” said Liz Player, founder of the Harlem Chamber Players, in a press release.
