Dear ArtsComm Community,
Election Week is nearly upon us and on Nov. 8 the TCNJ Orchestra will perform two works that advance our “Communication for the Common Good” series. We aim to support the campus to communicate about the issues that divide us, including this highly polarized and often uncivil campaign season. In ArtsComm, we define communication broadly; we tell stories and effectively convey ideas and meaning, whether in words, images, designs or music.
On Nov. 8, our TCNJ Orchestra will perform Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” and Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait’ in Mayo Concert Hall. Conductor Uli Speth explain why he chose this repertoire for just days after the election: “Both pieces celebrate American history and American culture in a way that all citizens can feel good about, regardless of their backgrounds or political views. After a time filled with divisive rhetoric this will hopefully make everyone feel that they belong to the same country.”
Furthermore, these works can inspire us to commit to each other as a unified nation and do what we can to address the needs and aspirations of our fellow citizens. As members of a rigorous academic community, we are uniquely positioned to research, learn, collaborate, problem solve and communicate about the issues that matter, from education policy to economic policy to immigration policy. Our responsibility does not end when we cast our votes.
Dvorak was a later 19th century Czech composer known for orchestral representations of folk music from his homeland, and during his time as a teacher and composer in residence in the U.S. (from 1892 to 1895) he wrote, “in the negro melodies of America I discover all that is needed for a great and noble school of music.” He was also influenced by the beauty and expansiveness of vistas in the American Midwest. “From the New World” is an aspirationally American symphony that he said incorporates “the spirit” of both African-American spirituals and Native American folk music, thus honoring the diverse cultures that tell the North American story after the Civil War. This inclusive symphony aligns with our ArtsComm goals to engage with diverse knowledge and perspectives as we work for the common good.
The Lincoln Portrait (1942) was commissioned at a time of national crisis; on Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked and the U.S. mobilized to enter World War II. The work was commissioned to “celebrate the spirit of the American people.” Copland decided to compose his work based on Abraham Lincoln and to include narration from Lincoln’s famous speeches addressing war, freedom, nation and democracy. The music accompanying the oration conveys a variety of moods that will be familiar to us all as we have followed the ups and downs of this campaign season from our own political perspectives.
The Lincoln Portrait has been narrated by a variety of prominent Americans: Eleanor Roosevelt, Corretta Scott King, Neil Armstrong, Walter Cronkite, Julius Erving, Maya Angelou, and James Earl Jones. We are honored that Dr. Chris Fisher, interim dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science, has agreed to perform the narration for this evening. The following words from Lincoln’s Annual Message to Congress on Dec. 1, 1862, will be meaningful on Nov. 8 and they are instructive to us today:
The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country.
After all of the partisan battle and divisive rhetoric, art and music can help us feel our common humanity and our common love for American democracy. It can inspire us to reach across political divides, to connect with fellow citizens and to together “think anew and act anew” for the common good.
Best Regards,
Dean Barnett