Visual & Performing Arts

 This evening’s performance presents a unique program featuring all the parts of the ordinary of the Catholic mass with each movement presented composed by a different composer. The "Kyrie" is by René Clausen, the "Gloria" by Rollo Dilworth, the "Credo" by Margaret Bonds, the "Sanctus" by Jan Sandström, the "Benedictus" by Jocelyn Hagen, and the concert will close with Samuel Barber's "Agnus Dei" transcription of his own "Adagio for Strings." The keystone movement of the program, the Credo, features text from the W.E.B. DuBois manifesto articulating his vision of racial equality. It is my hope that the multi-movement Credo pleading for racial freedom amidst more the traditional sacred texts of the mass evokes a poignant reminder of the meaning behind the texts and allows both the listener and ensemble alike to reflect on how we can present the meaning behind texts through actions in our daily lives. 

The music throughout will mostly seem somewhere familiar to most choral music concert goers with compositional representation from the likes of René Clausen, Samuel Barber, and Rollo Dilworth and several others. However, perhaps the least known work on this program is also the longest and the most impactful, the“Credo” by Margaret Bonds. Because of this, I have included further details about her below as well as a brief background of the impactful manifesto by W.E.B. Dubois and its musical setting by Margaret Bonds. 

Margaret Bonds | Brief Biography 

Born on the south side of segregated Chicago, she was the daughter of a physician and author whose work on behalf of Black folk several times forced him to relocate in order to avoid the wrath of the Klan, and of a brilliant mother who was a pianist, teacher, and founding member of the National Association of Negro Musicians. Bonds wrote her first composition when she was five and began publishing at fifteen, eventually earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Northwestern University with scholarships from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Rosenwald Foundation. She befriended Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes in 1936 and remained his closest friend and collaborator until his death in 1967, working with him to write art songs, cantatas, choral works, and popular songs that affirmed the inherent beauty of Blackness in a world where racial integration was still a controversial notion – a world that desperately needed artistic voicing of the Black American experience. Bonds continued her racial-justice project after her friend’s death, teaching and directing in inner-city cultural centers in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles and composing works that celebrated Black experience until her own death in 1972. 

Margaret Bonds | Credo 

Bonds’s choral magnum opus is none other than her setting of the “Credo” of the ever-intrepid pan-Africanist sociologist and reformer W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963). The text (1904, rev. 1920) – one of the first political and social-justice manifestos committed to print by a Black American – stands with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream” speech as one of the most influential racial-justice documents of the twentieth century. It not only condemns war as murder and oppression and imperialism as “devilish,” but also affirms, for a world in which – then as now – Black lives are viewed in some quarters as less than others, the inherent beauty and dignity of Blackness, the importance of racial equality. Most importantly, it declares that the quest for racial justice and global equality is mandated by God himself. Margaret Bonds, a deeply religious lifelong champion of social justice in all its forms, poured herself into setting this manifesto to music in 1964-66, creating an extended composition of extraordinary power and beauty. That composition was premiered with the composer at the piano in 1967 and received one other complete performance during Bonds’s lifetime, but remained unpublished until 2020, when Hildegard Publishing released the first edition of both the orchestral version and the piano-vocal version performed tonight.  

Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the work’s brilliance, though, is this: that when the poet’s widow, Shirley Graham Du Bois, attended the first complete posthumous performance she labeled the event “one of the most moving moments of [her] life” and described Bonds’s Credo as “a work of art that is eternal – that will live as long as people love each other and really believe in brotherhood.” In a 1965 letter to Shirley Graham Du Bois, Bonds looked “forward to a time when ‘Credo’ will move all over the world” – and indeed, those present at tonight’s performance, will experience one of the few performances of the work in history. After being disregarded because publishers’ refusal to publish this work of Black history until recently, there is no record that this piece was performed a single time between 1972 until 2022.  

As an important note regarding this performance and every other performance of the piece since, Bonds did indeed have the opportunity to have the work published towards the end of her life under the condition that she change the word “Negro” in the 2nd movement to “human.” Bonds (along with the family of DuBois) refused this change until her death and was appalled at the request as she felt it was another example White people attempting to alter the true history of Black people. With the historical significance of this document in Black history, alongside Bonds’ unwavering stance, I believe it is our job to keep all words as written, which both the poet and composer felt were imperative to its meaning. We may hope that this performance marks the beginning of W.E.B. Du Bois’s and Margaret Bonds’s vision of racial justice and global equality moving all over the world – just as she envisioned.  

Program Notes written by Christopher Hathaway with reference to “Margaret Bonds: The Montgomery Variations and the Du Bois Credo,” by John Michael Cooper, published in 2025. 

KYRIE 

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison (Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy) 
Grant us peace 
Adonai (Lord) 
Amen 

 

GLORIA

Gloia in excelcis Deo 
Glory to God on high 
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis  
And on earth peace to all those of good will 
Laudamus te, Benedicimus te 
We praise thee. We bless thee 
Adoramus te. Glorificamus te.
We worship thee. We glorify thee. 
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam 
We give thanks to thee for they great glory. 

Domine Deus, Rex coelestis 
Lord God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty 
Deus Pater omnipotens. 
Lord, the only-begotten  
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. 
Son of Jesus Christ 
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris 
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father 
Qui tollis peccata mundi, misere nobis. 
That takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  

Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostrum 
Thu that takest away the sins of the world, hear our prayer.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis. 
Thou that sits on the right hand of God the Father, have mercy on us. 

Quoniam tu solus sanctus. 
For thou art holy 
Tu solous Dominus 
Thou only are the Lord 
Tu solus Altissimus,Jesu Chirste  
Thou only art the most high, Jesus Christ 
Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris 
With the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father 
Amen 

 

CREDO | Text: W.E.B. Du Bois  

I.   I believe in God who made of one blood all races that on earth do dwell. I believe that all men, black, brown and white, are brothers, varying through time and opportunity, in form and gift and feature, but differing in no essential particular, and alike in soul and the possibility of infinite development. 

II.   Especially do I believe in the Negro Race; in the beauty of its genius, the sweetness of its soul, and its strength in that meekness which shall yet inhereit this turbulent earth. 

III.   I believe in the Devil and his angels, who wantonly work to narrow the opportunity of struggling human beings, especially if they be black; we spit in the faces of the fallen strike them that cannot strike again, believe the worst and work to prove it, hating the image which their Maker stamped on a brother’s soul. 

IV.   I believe in the Prince of Peace. I believe that War is Murder. I believe that armies and navies are at bottom and the tinsel and braggadocio of oppression and wrong, and I believe that the wicked conquest of weaker and darker nations by nations whiter and stronger but foreshadows the death of that strength. 

V.   I believe in Liberty for all men; the space to stretch their arms and their souls, the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine, and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color, thinking, dreaming, working as they will in the kingdom of the beauty and love. 

 I believe in the Training of Children, black even as white; the leading out of the little souls into the green pastures and beside the still waters, not for pelf or peace, but for life lit by some large vision of beauty and goodness and truth; lest we forget, and the songs of the fathers, like Esau, for mere meat barter their birthright in a mighty nation. 

VI.   Finally, I believe in Patience – patience with the weakness of the Weak and the strength of the Strong, the prejudive of the Ignorant and the ignorance of the Blind; patience with the tardy triumph of Joy and the mad chastening of Sorrow; 

-Patience with God 

 

SANCTUS 

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, 
Holy, Holy, Holy 
Plenisunt Caeli et terra gloria tua 
Heaven and earth are full of your glory 

 

BENEDICTUS 

Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini  
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord 

 

AGNUS DEI 

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis 
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the word, have mercy on us. 

Dona nobis pacem 
Grant us peace. 

 

Cantate Domino 
Hans Leo Hassler 

Sing to the Lord a new song; 
sing to the Lord, all the earth. 
Sing to the Lord, bless His name; 
proclaim His salvation day after day. 
Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous deeds among all peoples. 
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; 

 

Old Grandma
Arr. Alice Parker 

Old Grandma, when the west was new,  
She wore hoop skirts and bustles too; 
When babies came and times got bad,   
she stuck right on to old granddad   

She worked seven days a week,  
Milk the cows, feed the pigs,  
To keep granddad well fed and sleek;  
Bake the beans, iron the shirts  
twenty-one children came to bless  
Wash the clothes, scrub the floors;  
Their happy home in the wilderness  
Waste not, want not.   

Twenty one necks grandma would scrub  
Clean their nails, brush their hair;   
Twenty one shirts in the old washtub   
Darn the holes, turn the cuffs  
Twenty one meals three times a day  
Hoe the corn, shell the beans;  
It's no wonder grandmas hair turned grey  
Churn the cream, raise the dough. 

What she did was quite all right,  
Bandage the wounded, bury the dead  
She worked all day and slept all night;  
Welcome the strange, feed the poor;  
But young girls now are the other way,   
They’re up all night and sleep all day 
Old fashioned  clothes, old fashioned ways,  

Whether the times were good or bad,  
Rain or shine, rich or poor;  
She stuck right on to old granddad  
Grandma and granddad, together. 

 

Warrior 
Kim Baryluk  

 I was a shy and lonely girl   
With the heaven in my eyes,  
And as i walked along the lane,   
I heard the echoes of her cries.  
I cannot fight,   
I cannot a warrior be;  
It's not my nature nor my teaching,  
It is womanhood in me.  

I was a lost and angry youth,  
There were no tears in my eyes.  
I saw no justice in my world,  
Only the echoes of her cries.   
I cannot fight,  
I cannot warrior be;   
It's not my nature nor my teaching,   
It is the womanhood in me.  

I am an older woman now,   
And I will heed my own cries,  
And I will a fierce warrior be  
‘til not another woman dies  
I can and will fight.  
I can and will a warrior be  
It is my nature and my duty,  
It is the womanhood in me.   

 

Woman Am I 
Joan Szymko  

Woman am I,  
Spirit am I,   
Blessed am I, 
I am the infinite with my soul.  
I have no beginning and I have no end.  
All this I am.  

 

Hotaru Koi (Ho, Firefly) 
Arr. Rō Ogura 

Ho, firefly, 
Come, there’s some water that’s bitter to taste, 
Come, here’s some water that’s sweet to your taste; 

Ho, firefly,  
Ho, up this mountain path.  

Firefly’s daddy struck it rich,  
So he’s got lots of dough, 
No wonder that his rear end sparkles in the dark. 

Ho, firefly,  
Up this mountain path. 

In the daytime hiding amongst the dewy blades of grass, 
But when it’s right, his lantern burns bright.
E’en though we’ve flown all the way from India.  
Zoom! 
And those sparrows swarm o swallow us.  

Ho, firefly, up this mountain path, 
Look! See a thousand lanterns sparkling in the dark,  

 

Northern Lights 
Ola Gjeilo 

Thou art beautiful, O my love,  
Sweet and beautiful daughter of Jerusalem,  
Thou art beautiful, O my love, 
Sweet and comely as Jerusalem, 
Terrible as an army set array. 
Turn away thy eyes from me, 
For they have made me flee away. 

 

Sandman’s Aria and Evening Prayer from Hänsel and Gretel 
Engelbert Humperdinck 

I am the little Sandman, 
I mean no harm at all! 
To you dear children I bring 
the loveliest dreams of all. 
So sleep now sweet and sound, 
and dream of joys all around— 
of many delightful things! 
Good night, dear children, sleep! 

When at night I go to sleep, 
fourteen angels watch do keep: 
two my right hand guarding, 
two my left attending, 
two upon my head, 
two upon my feet, 
two who cover me, 
two who wake me, 
two who lead me to paradise above. 

 

Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now from Hairspray 
Marc Shaiman 

Stop... 
Stop telling me what to do 
Don′t... 
Don't treat me like a child of two 
No... 
I know that you want what′s best 
Please... 
But mother please... give it a rest! 
Stop, don't, no! 
Please... 
Mama, I'm a big girl now! 
Once upon a time when I was just a kid 
You never let me do just what the older kids did 
But lose that laundry list of what you won′t allow 
′Cause mama, I'm a big girl now!  
Once upon a time I used to play with toys... 
But now I′d rather play around with teenage boys 
So if I get a hicky please don't, have a cow! 
′Cause mama, I'm a big girl now! 
Ma, I gotta tell you that without a doubt 
I got my best dancing lessons from you 
You′re the one who taught me how to twist and shout 
Because you shout non-stop, and you're so twisted too 

Once I used to fidget cause I just sat home 
But now I'm just like Gidget, and I gotta get to Rome 
So say arrividicci, toodle-loo, and ciao! 
′Cause mama I′m a big girl now! 
Once upon a time I was a shy young thing 
Could barely walk and talk so much as dance and sing 
But let me hit that stage I wanna take my bow... 
'Cause mama, I′m a big girl now! 
Once upon a time I used to dress up Ken 
But now that I'm a woman I like... bigger men 
And I don′t need a barbie doll to show me how 
'Cause mama I'm a big girl now! 
Ma, you always taught me what was right from wrong 
And now I just wanna give it a try 
Mama, I′m been in a nest for far too long! 
So please give a push and mama watch me fly! 
Watch me fly! 
One day I will meet a man you won′t condemn 
And we will have some kids and you can torture them 
But let me be a star before I take that vow! 
'Cause mama, I′m a big girl now. 

 

Yo Soy Luz (I am Light)
Carlos Cordero 

I am light, and you Love. 
You are light, and I, Love. 

 

Where the Light Begins  
Susan LaBarr 

Perhaps it does not begin. 
Perhaps it is always. 
Perhaps it takes a lifetime  
To open our eyes, 
To learn to see.  

The luminous line of the map in the dark, 
The vigil flame in the house of the heart,
The love so searing we can’t keep from singing, 
From crying out.  

Perhaps this day the light begins,  
In us, 
Perhaps this day the light begins,  
We are where the light begins. 

Perhaps it does not begin.  
Perhaps it is always. 

 

Java Jive 
Ben Oakland 

I love coffee, I love tea 
I love the java jive and it loves me 
Coffee and tea and the java and me 
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, boy

I love java, sweet and hot 
Whoops, Mr. Moto, I’m a coffee pot   
Shoot me the pot now pour me a shot 
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup

Oh, slip me a slug from the wonderful mug 
I'll cut a rug till I'm snug in a jug 

A slice of onion and raw one, draw one

Oh, Boston beans, soy beans (Yeah!) 
Green beans, cabbage and greens (Home cooking!) 
I'm not keen for a bean 
Unless that is a cheery, cheery bean, boy 
 

My Favorite Things 
Richard Rodgers 

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,  
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, 
Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things. 

Cream colored ponies and crip apple strudels,  
Doorbells and sleighbells and schnitzel with noodles,  
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, 
These are a few of my favorite things. 

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes,  
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,  
Silver white winters that melt into springs,  
These are a few of my favorite things.  

When the dog bits, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad, 
I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad. 

 

Look! Be: leap; 
Libby Larsen 

Look! Be: leap;  
paint trees in flame.  
bushes burning roar in the broad sky  
Know your color:  
Be:  
produce that the widenesses be full  
And burst their wombs 
riot in redness, delirious with light,  
swim bluely through the mind  
Shout green as the day breaks  
Put your face to the wind.  
FLY.  
Chant as the tomtom hubbubs crash  
Elephants in the fleshes jungle, 
reek with vigor  
Sweat  
pour your life in a liberation to itself  
Drink from the ripe ground  
Make children over the world  
Lust in a heat of tropic orange  
Stamp and writhe;  
stamp on a wet floor  
Know earth,  
know water,  
know lovers,  
know mastery  
FLY.