WThird Ward to celebrate Juneteenth with the world premiere of a new song cycle from two brilliant creative partners: composer Joel Thompson and poet Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton.
Thompson—one of the most visionary minds of his generation and a defining voice in American music—joined HGO as composer-in-residence in 2022, following the world premiere of his critically acclaimed, company-commissioned opera from 2021, The Snowy Day. When we recruited Thompson for this five-year appointment, we challenged him to create a suite of culturally relevant, vibrant new works that speak directly to our Houston community. And as we will experience tonight, he has answered that call with astonishing artistry.
A Voice Within is deeply rooted in this place. It shares stories of real Houstonians, discovered by Mouton through her own interviews, as well as oral histories gathered from the collections of HGO’s invaluable partners for this new artwork: the Emancipation Park Conservancy and the African American History Research Center at the Gregory School, part of the Houston Public Library system.
the Marian Anderson Vocal Award and the International Opera Awards’ Rising Star of the Year—and outstanding pianist Donald Lee III.
If you enjoy tonight’s performance and find yourself wanting more, I hope you’ll join us at the Wortham Theater Center next season. There is a full slate of great art on the way. And look for an exciting future announcement about Thompson—he is already hard at work on an incredible new opera that will also make its world premiere at HGO.
Thank you for joining in tonight's celebration of community, history, and the power of song.
Mouton turned their stories into atmospheric poems infused with names, locales, and imagery that evoke no other place in the world besides this one. Thompson heard the music in her poems, and—in collaboration with both Mouton and members of the Houston community, who were invited to a series of workshops for the piece held in this very room—composed these 12 extraordinary songs.
We are grateful to Emmy Award-winning Houston broadcast journalist Linda Lorelle for leading tonight’s pre-performance discussion. And we are thrilled to welcome sublime soprano and Butler Studio alumna Nicole Heaston to the stage for this evening’s world premiere performance. Joining her are baritone
Khori Dastoor General Director and CEO
Margaret Alkek Williams Chair
PHOTOS ON COVER:
Clockwise from top left: Photos feature Houstonians Delores Smith, Thomas F. Freeman, Margaret Fisher, Bobby Caldwell, Hardy Prince Anderson, and Darian Ward.
A VOICE WITHIN A SONG CYCLE
MUSIC BY
Joel Thompson
TEXT
BY
Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton
COMMISSIONED BY
Houston Grand Opera
PREMIERED BY Houston Grand Opera in June 2025
EVERY EXTRAORDINARY DAY
For Cora Johnson
I’m Irene’s baby, QT’s heir,
A native Fourth Ward flower in the school of Gregory.
Anchored in a shotgun house full of laughing sisters,
Still like life in District A… almost every day.
The history I come from doesn’t always remember “names,”
Just everyday folks.
Sundays spent in service and swimming pools; Movies at Majestic Theater, almost every day, I wish...
I’m Irene’s baby, QT’s heir,
A native Fourth Ward flower in the school of Gregory.
Anchored in a shotgun house full of laughing sisters,
Still like life in District A… almost every day.
Not working to live, but for the extra joys of life
On streets named after folks who made easy from strife. No need to always chase a hall of fame, I didn’t have to be a grand person to make change in District A.
I’m Irene’s baby, QT’s heir,
A native Fourth Ward flower in the school of Gregory.
Anchored in a shotgun house full of laughing sisters, We fight for community, for the youth and long gone, We love family like a never-ending song.
Never needed likes or follows, awards or acclaim: We too busy finding the extraordinary every single day... almost every day.
INHERITANCE
For Jacqueline W. Bostic
I was grown here.
Backbone built of faith, Fourth Ward baby, Third Ward bound Freedom blossoming On more adaptable ground.
Where the fall told tales of Ms. Yates descending From heaven or helicopter over Jeppesen Stadium; The rivalry building between Yates and Wheatley thick like summer’s humidity.
I was holy here:
A once-segregated sanctuary, This land welcomed our Sunday best under Jim Crow’s wings.
Served our plates heavy, collapsing on themselves. Juneteenth turning red soda pop and watermelon into summer libations, a place where racism’s shiver
Was no match for the warmth of our joy.
I learned freedom here.
Where the streets now change colors, again, But where culture refuses to be gentrified, Where history isn’t lost but made more alive, Where community is measured by the strength of our pride,
By the children who challenged everything
And broke through the concrete, Empowered, educated, and free.
Jacqueline W. Bostic, trailblazing community leader
RUBY
For Ruby Poindexter
HATTIE
My Billy,
BILLY T
My Hattie?
HATTIE
I need to tell you something
Our territory’s enlarging:
BILLY T
Enlarging?
Another seed?
HATTIE
More dirt to till.
BOTH Glory be!
BILLY T
Our tenth arrival
HATTIE
Precious as gemstone
BILLY T
Humbled by farmers’ hands
HATTIE
And cattle and livestock
BILLY T
And sisters and brothers
BOTH
Still the treasure of our eyes
BILLY T
She will learn to live off the land
HATTIE
She will live off the land
BILLY T
A child made to outlast the earth
HATTIE
Salt of the earth
BOTH
And the sweetest girl in the world
We’ll call her Ruby.
Glowing and rare, Red like the sunrise, Gleaming like stars.
BILLY T
Salt of the earth
HATTIE
Salt of the earth
BILLY T
Kind and loveable
HATTIE
She will be loved
BILLY T
Growing what she eats
HATTIE
Eating as she grows
BOTH
And living off the earth
BILLY T
And when we’re too old to see
HATTIE
When we’ve come and gone
She’ll find a man with a sturdy name
BILLY T
He’ll tend to her blossoms
HATTIE
He’ll water and give her light
BILLY T
Make her shine
HATTIE
Let her shine
BOTH
Our precious little Ruby. Glowing and rare, Red like the sunrise, Gleaming like stars.
We’ll call her Ruby.
Like we always prayed, She will be our Ruby, our precious Ruby Glory be!
CHARTING STARS
For Eddie Lee Burrell
I was conditioned to be better: Liberty born, Freedom called. Army brat with eyes full of stars, Hands made to tinker, No choice but success.
No examples or mentors to guide me No constellation charting the course. They said “Engineers are only meant to drive trains,” But I was a Texas Instrument Destined for up! I was destined for up!
Above this world, Space seems to make room for every color to shine. The void so loud it humbles you to silence. A host of problems to be solved… Failure analysis, ego left on the ground.
I was conditioned to be better: Mind of math, NASA anomaly, Engineering Black man, Learning: zero gravity doesn’t last forever. Must be willing to defend what you’ve proven; must have eyes on the cost.
Above this world, I can calculate an out. Raised money poor, but rich in dreams.
Believe “Anything the mind can conceive the body can achieve.”
I can quantify the cosmos. Defy the deafening sounds. Exceed their limitations, a Texas Instrument: Destined for up!
Eddie Lee Burrell, NASA engineer
I DONE SEEN SOME THINGS
For Hardy Prince Anderson
Marlin to Fourth Ward, Momma and sistren night-movin’ boxes down Arthur Street. Police derrick got them horses out back Makin’ the whole hood smell like cattle. Us hitching rides on horse and wagon Clear down Andrews. Boy, I done seen some things.
I was a student of the Gregory School. Barefoot, like we used to be.
Bumpin’ into Jesse Owens at the Rainbow Theater. Boy, I done seen some things.
Ran all the way till I was eleven. Saved money from working at Madden’s on Morningstar Me and my brother got tickets to see Joe Louis throwin’ punches like grease lightnin’.
Wasn’t till I was eighteen I saw what fightin’ was for. Out there on Wilson
This fella, sharp, boots like glass, Uniform tailored: a paratrooper. I enlisted the same day. Boy, I done seen some things.
Only the wind could halt me, Thirty-nine years flying high. Y’all, not even the wind could stop me,
Thirty-nine years flying high. Only Houston could ground me. Boy, I done seen some things.
PERMITTED
For Margaret Fisher
My father preached:
“Young girls should be seen, not heard.”
Professors said:
“Major in English, women don’t make it to law school.” We’re delegated to homemaking, Given “permission” to teach or minister, Stay in our boxes, “Don’t push past the norm.”
No one told me of the vast possibilities. No one presented careers like I could handle an option; A gap I was forced to fill on my own.
My father preached: “Young girls should be seen…” I knew then: I would be heard.
More loudly than any pink collar would allow. A world broadening with each book I consumed. I would be heard.
I learned the vast possibilities, paths unfurling before me. I could be anything I sought to be: I give permission to me.
A HUNDRED YEARS
For Ronald Green
They waited a hundred years… Not knowing what they needed: City full of problems, Waiting to be solved.
Born of a farm.
Parents fled to the city Hoping for things to add up.
I’ve always had a way with numbers: Dividing expectation, multiplying the reach of the law, Bias subtracted Cosigning equality.
They waited a hundred years… for village to gather at my side. The money, ever finite, The needs ever infinite, The abacus sliding towards justice.
A century
For the City to turn a page. The problems, ever infinite. The answer, ever waiting, But they casted their ballots, elected change: The First Black City Controller, Cosigning equality Transforming Houston. They waited one hundred years for me.
MY THIRD WARD
For Delores Smith
Y’all don’t know nothin’ bout my Third Ward. Barely a phone, but called the party line.
First TV at Fairchild’s funeral home, Listenin’ close like neighbors who knew everyone’s names And business.
Y’all don’t know nothin’ ‘bout my Third Ward. Momma shufflin folks ‘cross town in her ‘49 Ford. Rettig’s ice cream on Dowling Kelly’s on Holman. Roots as deep as liquor runs wet. You young folk are quick to learn all of the wrong stuff But there’s history here, Worth holding on.
Y'all don’t know nothin’ ‘bout my Third Ward. Y'all know nothin’ ‘bout Segregated Fridays at the Blue Triangle, Late night dances in Cuney Homes, Eldorado Ballroom where Ella sang, Summers in Beaumont, Galveston sunsets.
One day, chasing love on greener grass, Only to be stripped of your dignity fast. But then Third Ward will come a callin’, a neighboring voice just offering sugar Wheeler to Scott Street, McGowen to Southmore, Houston knows how to hold on.
Y'all don’t know nothin’ ‘bout my Third Ward!
YOUR HONOR
For Bobby Caldwell and the students of TSU
Your Honor,
I stand before you
A lawyer made of grit, A man denied access to the law
Because of the color of my skin. A man who graduated with nothing But his name and pocket lint. I know what it means to be silenced. Your Honor, This case cannot be won on merits alone. The facts do not support a riot: When the students were unlawfully detained, They sang a song at the jailhouse doors. Still, the police made Wheeler their hunting ground. Back and forth, up and down, All hours of the night... Threatening proximity.
A slice of watermelon tossed through a window
And then, firelight.
Bullets tore through the men’s dorm at TSU. The unarmed learned the danger of their skin. A rattle, a ricochet, a rookie officer lost his life: Peace be with his family.
But Your Honor, An officer is neither judge or executioner. My clients were targets in an unfair game.
They are men made of grit and knowledge, Looking for the law to do what’s right.
Will you do what’s right? Do what’s right.
A VOICE WITHIN YOU
For Dr. Thomas F. Freeman
I was born down where the South begins, the garden swath of God’s earth. Came to Texas as an experiment, But I’ve learned, God wanted me in Texas
Among people with rich-soil voices.
I never imagined what could blossom. No magna cum laude
From Harvard or Chicago Could help me outrun four TSU students Looking to take on the world.
Driven by a force unexplainable. Running to excellence, where it might grow… Develop the person, and watch success follow!
That I’ve learned. Yes, I’ve learned: There is power to stand
A voice within you, set to fight. No need to burn down buildings When you can open doors.
When police invade and call it a riot,
When they tell you to eat in the alleys, When the sundown towns tell you of sunset, You have a choice. Resent or respond, outlive, outlast them all!
There is power to stand A voice within you, set to fight. No need to burn down buildings When you can open doors. I too have a voice.
ETERNITY
For O’Neta Cavitt
O’NETA
Never believed in love at first sight, Never thought my heart could fill with one look,
O’NETA AND ROSCOE
Never thought I could belong to someone, Make home in my lungs, Breathe them in from across the room.
O’NETA
He had kind eyes…
ROSCOE
Had a sweet smile…
BOTH
Prairie View in our blood.
ROSCOE
She sat softly
O’NETA
He danced closer
BOTH
And the crowd melted away.
O’NETA
I thought it was a night For friends and revelry. I tried not to catch eyes…
Dr. Thomas F. Freeman, debate coach, minister, and professor
ROSCOE
I couldn’t pass her by: An angel perched on earth…
Prayed she’d let me close
O’NETA
I let him close
ROSCOE
Prayed she’d let me talk to her
O’NETA
I let him talk
ROSCOE
Prayed she’d let me dance with her
O’NETA
He took my hand,
ROSCOE
pulling her into our future…
O’NETA
pulling me into our future…
BOTH
I could see eternity, Kendleton to Houston bound Knew we’d build a family
Black and proud.
We could see eternity
ROSCOE
I spun her a lifetime
O’NETA
Pulled moons and stars to collide
ROSCOE
I built her a universe
O’NETA
Children with sweet smiles, kind eyes
BOTH
O’NETA: I wanted to hold him
ROSCOE: I wanted to hold her
BOTH all the way home
BOTH
O’NETA: I wanted to love him
ROSCOE: I wanted to love her
BOTH deep in my bones
BOTH
I never thought I could belong to someone
But I can see an eternity with you.
ROSCOE
I can love you, if you let me...
O’NETA
I can let you, if you love me…
BOTH: Eternally.
THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE
For Darian Ward
I remember…
I remember…
The pen has been my guide: Atlanta, Chattanooga, Minneapolis, Milwaukee to Houston. God turning walls to opening doors.
Couldn’t fail at the thing I loved. I was nomad turned narrator, Wanderer searching for a tale…
Then I remembered…
Failure’s just a rubber floor, A blank page, open mouthed, Ready to drink your next legend.
I remember…
You remember….
When the story of your life is written, You’re allowed to hold the pen.
JOEL THOMPSON COMPOSER
Joel Thompson is a composer, conductor, pianist, and educator. He serves as HGO’s first full-time Composer-in-Residence, holding a five-year residency that commenced in 2022. His engagements with HGO include Giving Voice (2024) as conductor and pianist and the world premiere of his first opera, The Snowy Day (2021), created with librettist Andrea Davis Pinkney. Career honors include the 2023 Sphinx Medal of Excellence; a 2018 American Prize for his choral work Seven Last Words of the Unarmed; and the 2017 Hermitage Prize in Composition. Thompson has been commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Atlanta Master Chorale, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Kansas City Symphony, American Composers Forum, and Sphinx Organization’s EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble (of which he is a founding member), among others. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Master of Music in Choral Conducting, both from Emory University, and is currently studying with Christopher Theofanidis at the Yale School of Music for his Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition. Thompson served as Director of Choral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Andrew College and taught at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. An alumnus of the Metropolitan Opera/Lincoln Center Theater New Works Program, he was a post-graduate fellow at Arizona State University’s Ensemble Lab/Projecting All Voices Initiative as well as a composition fellow at the 2017 Aspen Music Festival and School.
DEBORAH D.E.E.P. MOUTON LIBRETTIST
Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is an awardwinning author, playwright, director, performer, critic, and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston. Mouton was the librettist for HGO-commissioned world-premiere chamber opera Marian’s Song (2020), written with composer Damien Sneed. She is the author of Newsworthy (2019), which was translated into German, Black Chameleon (2023), and an upcoming children’s book, Hush Hush Hurricane. Honored as part of the Houston Business Journal’s 2021 list of 40 Under 40, she has been a contributing writer for Glamour, Texas Monthly, Muzzle, and ESPN’s Andscape. She’s penned stage works including She Who Dared (Chicago Opera Theater, 2025) and Future of Dreams (Kennedy Center, 2025). Some of her other works are Atlanta: 1906 (Atlanta Opera) and On My Mind (Opera Theatre of St. Louis). Serving as playwright/ director, Mouton produced The World’s Intermission, commissioned by Performing Arts Houston (Jones Hall), and Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson (Stages Theater), a choreopoem which made the cover of the New York Times Culture section. Her memoir, Black Chameleon (2023), which was awarded the Carr P. Collins Award for Best Nonfiction through the Texas Institute of Letters (2024), examines Black womanhood through afro-futuristic mythology. Mouton later adapted stories from Black Chameleon into an HGOcommissioned Storybook Opera title, Lula, the Mighty Griot (HGO 2022), and an independent short film, Headache & Heartthrob (2023). Mouton is a former Resident Artist with the American Lyric Theater, Rice University, and the Houston Museum of African American Culture. She is currently curating
and leading an immersive art exhibit dedicated to Black Maternal Health entitled "The Call Me Mother Experience."
LINDA LORELLE MODERATOR
A two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and two-time winner of the American Women in Radio and Television’s prestigious Gracie Award, Linda Lorelle anchored the evening news at KPRC, Houston’s NBC affiliate, for nearly 17 years. Since opening her media firm in 2009, the Stanford graduate has garnered an extensive roster of Fortune 500 clients, NGOs, and educational institutions, and hosts the award-winning podcast, Our Voices Matter, dedicated to reminding us of our common humanity. In February 2024, she launched Civil Dialogues in partnership with Jean Becker, former chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush. The democracy initiative partners with presidential library foundations and policy institutes to host town halls across the nation, providing a safe space for Americans to learn about and discuss difficult topics affecting the country. As co-founders of the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund, Linda and her husband, Lou Gregory, have awarded more than $4.7 million in college scholarships and life-skills training to nearly 400 Houston area students over the last 32 years. In September 2023, former Lorelle Scholars, joined by Linda and Lou’s daughter, Lindsey, assumed leadership of the organization and are ushering in a new era. In 2023, Linda Lorelle received two Bronze Telly Awards for the Lorelle Media documentary Memorial Park Conservancy Land Bridge & Prairie
NICOLE HEASTON SOPRANO
Butler Studio alumna and celebrated soprano Nicole Heaston has performed with HGO many times, including as Alice Ford in Falstaff (2023), the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro (2023), Liù in Turandot (2022), Mimì in La bohème (2018), Adina in The Elixir of Love (2016), Pamina in The Magic Flute (2015, 1997), Gilda in Rigoletto (2001), Zerlina in Don Giovanni (1999), Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro (1998), the title role in the world premiere of Michael Daugherty’s Jackie O (1997), Mrs. Hayes in Susannah (1996), and St. Settlement in Four Saints in Three Acts (1996). During the 2025-26 season, Heaston will reprise her role as Alice Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff with Los Angeles Opera, and sing Britten’s War Requiem with the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España. In the 2024-25 season, she made her Lyric Opera of Chicago and Opera Philadelphia house debuts as Claire Devon in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners, and sang the title role in Barber’s Vanessa with the National Symphony Orchestra. In 2023, she returned to HGO as a vocal soloist for Giving Voice at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. During the 2023-24 season, she bowed with Los Angeles Opera as Mary in Highway 1, USA, made her debut in the title role of Thaïs with Utah Opera, and appeared in a double bill of Errollyn Wallen’s Dido’s Ghost and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque. During the 2022-23 season, she created the role of Claire Devon in the world premiere of The Listeners at Norwegian Opera, returned to San Francisco Opera as Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and debuted with Philharmonia Baroque, appearing as Melissa in Handel’s Amadigi di Gaula
JUSTIN AUSTIN BARITONE
Drama Desk Award-nominated baritone
Justin Austin was named Rising Star of the Year at the 2024 International Opera Awards and is a recipient of the 2024 Marian Anderson Vocal Award. Austin will join HGO in the 2025-26 season as Jake in the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Following the world premiere of Damien Geter’s American Apollo at Des Moines Metro Opera and appearances at Caramoor and the Sag Harbor Song Festival in summer 2024, Austin began the 2024-25 season with his house debut at Los Angeles Opera as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and returned to the company later in the season for his role debut as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. He returned to Opera Theatre of St. Louis for the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s This House, starring as Lindon. In concert, he returned to Carnegie Hall for Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem with the Cecilia Chorus of New York and performed selections from Terence Blanchard’s Champion and Fire Shut Up in My Bones at La Jolla Music Society, The Soraya in Northridge, CA, and Charleston Gaillard Center, among others. He also returned to Stuttgart, Germany for a concert with the Stuttgart Philharmonic and Opera for Peace and conceived and co-artistic-directed My Brother’s Keeper for New York Festival of Song at Kaufman Music Center. He holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Manhattan School of Music.
DONALD LEE III PIANIST
American conductor and pianist Donald Lee III is making his HGO debut. He has appeared in concert with the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Lee has been engaged as a cover conductor with the Gateways Festival Orchestra and Des Moines Metro Opera. Recent productions include Salome, Carmen, Champion, and the world premiere of Damien Geter and Lila Palmer’s American Apollo. Recent highlights as a pianist include appearing as soloist with the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra, and recital performances with tenor Lawrence Brownlee, baritone Will Liverman, and countertenor Key’mon Murrah. As an advocate for the performance of new music by under-represented composers, Lee has conducted the music of Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, and Carlos Simon. Lee appeared as the guest conductor for Montgomery Presents the Blacknificent 7, part of the CSO MusicNOW concert series. He has also conducted the workshops of In the Rush, a new opera by Carlos Simon, Lynn Nottage, and Ruby Aiyo-Gerber, at Cincinnati Opera and Indiana University. As a pianist, Lee has been a part of the creation of six new operas through Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s New Works Collective. He was also the pianist for Will Liverman’s The Factotum, improvising in multiple genres throughout the opera. Lee holds degrees from James Madison University and the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. He was the inaugural conductor/ pianist member of the Ryan Opera Center, the training program of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Poet Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton and HGO Composer-inResidence Joel Thompson at a Coffee with the Composer workshop for A Voice Within at Emancipation Park Conservancy.
DISCOVERING A VOICE WITHIN
Librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton on the process of creating a world-premiere song cycle with composer Joel Thompson.
By Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton
Joel Thompson with community leader Jacqueline W. Bostic, whose story is shared as part of the song cycle.
As the librettist for A Voice Within, it was my honor to serve as the steward of so many local stories alongside composer Joel Thompson. Much of my work centered on finding a way to translate oral histories into poetic texts that could capture the resilient spirit and the passionate hearts of the Black community of Houston, Texas.
My process began with combing through the archives at the African American History Research Center at the Gregory School. I was provided digital access to materials on a rich array of iconic Houstonians to sift through. There were some recognizable names that seemed impossible to leave out, such as Dr. Thomas F. Freeman, the championship speech and debate coach at Texas Southern University. However, the first story I translated belonged to a lesser-known citizen, Jackie Bostic.
I had the pleasure of sitting down and conducting my own interview with Ms. Bostic about a year ago. We sat across the table from each other in a room at the Emancipation Park Conservancy with a tape recorder between us. Over the course of about an hour, she recounted her fondest
memories of the Third Ward and the Juneteenth celebrations that took place at that very park. It was a delight to see her pull stories out of the recesses of her mind, fantastical tales of homecoming queens descending from helicopters and yearly parades to celebrate the freedom of the formerly enslaved. I knew that I wanted to find a way to blend all of her stories together, but in a way that wasn’t distracting or confusing. I settled on creating a poem in her voice that spoke more to the soil she was grown from, and all of the parts that made it special. This poem was the first seed of the song that became “Inheritance.”
The piece was originally created as a spoken word poem that was performed at a 2022 Juneteenth celebration by a local poet. I knew the text would need some trimming and reshaping to feel cohesive when sung. I provided a song text version and a poetic version with my final drafts to Joel. When he read the poetic version, he said it held an internal rhythm and pace that he preferred. I trusted that his vision for the text would be great, as long as he could hear it in his head. Much of this work is like this. It relies on both collaborators to work toward a shared vision, often giving over to the creative genius of the other. Working with Joel
made this process very easy, because I trusted that the goal of his approach was in tune with mine.
As the song cycle continued to develop, I returned to the archives, pulling not only interesting stories, but considering the voice types Joel was already beginning to hear in his head. We discussed offering some pieces for a strong male voice, some for a big female voice, and moments when
the two could blend into beautiful duets. Those combined moments turned out to be some of the hardest things to draft. Since all the oral histories were of individuals, I had to find an approach that made sense for two voices. In one instance, a woman spoke of her parents and the lessons they taught her so highly that an obvious solution presented itself. In another, one of the interviewees spoke about their first love. It served as the perfect opportunity to create a love duet for our brilliant singers to live in.
There was a beautiful intimacy to sharing a community space with someone I knew I had to capture. I took on the first-person voices of each of our muses in hopes of building something like a fluid conversation for the audience to experience. I wanted each piece to feel like the audience had stumbled onto the singer in the monotony or joy of the everyday; maybe it was a day they felt like sharing a story, or why they are who they are. This approach removed all sense of braggadociousness or selling one’s own importance. Instead, it stripped singer and audience down to their human connection, anchoring both in the pride of place.
These texts were then submitted to Joel. One of the things I love about him is his ability to look at words and immediately hear melodies. The magic of a good composer is finding, not only the earworm or the ballad, but constructing an arc through the music that makes you feel as though you have been on a journey, something Joel does easily. I was given access to early digital files of his first drafts and given time to offer any feedback. Then he let his magic and craft lead him through the edits to create the final 12 songs.
In its completed state, A Voice Within serves as a love letter to Black Houston. It’s a celebration of our differences, but even more so, a spotlight on our human connections. Whether you were born in Acres Homes or River Oaks, there is a beautiful synergy to living by this bayou-linked city that transcends race. The themes of resilience, strength, love, and above all pride of place make A Voice Within a patchwork of individual stories that leave the audience wrapped in the quilt of Houston’s thriving Black community. ■
At a series of workshops at Emancipation Park Conservancy, community members shared their thoughts on the creators' new songs.
responsibility for its strategic vision in 2021. HGO was the only American finalist for Opera Company of the Year in the 2019 International Opera Awards, and one of only two American companies to be nominated twice. In fulfilling its mission to advance the operatic art, to serve the Houston community, and to be a global leader in the future of opera, HGO has led the field in commissioning and producing new works (76 world premieres to date) and in training and nurturing promising young artists and administrators. The company contributes to the cultural enrichment of Houston and the nation through a diverse and innovative program of performances, community events, and education projects that reaches the widest possible public. HGO’s pioneering Community and Learning initiative has served as a model for
other arts organizations. The company invites all Houstonians to experience superlative opera without the barrier of price through discounted single tickets and subscriptions, subsidized student performances, and free productions. HGO has toured extensively and has won a Tony, two Grammy awards, and three Emmy awards. It is the only opera company to win all three honors.
About Emancipation Park Conservancy
Located in the heart of the historic Third Ward community, Emancipation Park was the first park established in the city of Houston. The park was founded in 1872 by four formerly enslaved African Americans: Reverend John Henry “Jack” Yates, Richard Brock, Richard Allen, and Reverend David Elias Dibble. These leaders encouraged their families, friends, and neighbors from the Third and Fourth Wards to come together, combine their resources, and purchase 10 acres of park land as
a safe space where they could freely commemorate Juneteenth. This was significant, not only as a ritual of remembrance and celebration, but also as an early act of exercising the new right of property ownership. For over 150 years, Emancipation Park has been a cornerstone of cultural heritage in Houston’s Third Ward, bringing generations together through shared history, community gatherings, and the enduring celebration of freedom. Emancipation Park Conservancy (EPC) is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable corporation established in 2014 to restore, manage, and enhance Emancipation Park. Its purpose is to create an open space of environmental and community excellence while continuing to preserve the integrity and historical roots of the park. EPC’s goal is to transform the park into one of the nation’s premier landmark parks and international destinations through capital initiatives, operational improvements, strategic partnerships, programming, and events.
About The
African American
History Research Center at the Gregory School
The African American History Research Center (AAHRC) at the Gregory School, part of the Houston Public Library system, stands as a pioneering institution in Houston, serving as the city’s first archive dedicated exclusively to the preservation of African American history. It is one of the few archives in the United States with a similar mission. The center provides an extensive array of resources and services aimed at preserving and promoting African American history and culture within Houston and Texas. The collection consists of books, manuscripts, and photographs; the research center hosts
events, exhibits, and tours that explore the lives and achievements of African Americans. Services and events are open to the public and designed to educate and engage visitors of all ages. Nestled in the historic Freedmen’s Town area of Fourth Ward in Houston, the AAHRC is located within the former Gregory Elementary School—the first public school established for Black students in Houston following Emancipation. Originally constructed in 1926, the twostory building underwent renovations to transform it into a library that officially opened its doors in 2009 as the African American Library at the Gregory School. In 2022, it was renamed the African American History Research Center. The AAHRC is recognized as a UNESCO Slave Route Project site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985; received State Archaeological Landmark Designation in 1995; and earned a Texas Historical Marker designation in 2022.
Historic photos courtesy of the Houston Public Library system's African American History Research Center at the Gregory School. Workshop photos courtesy of Emancipation Park Conservancy.
IN GRATITUDE
A Voice Within is generously funded by the Joan and Stanford Alexander Family Fund, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, Mid-America Arts Alliance, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the state arts agencies of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Composer-inResidence Joel Thompson’s position at HGO is supported by Ru Flanagan and Michelle Klinger and Mellon Foundation.
HGO Community & Learning
Supporters
GUARANTORS
The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Mathilda Cochran
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Sara and Bill Morgan
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
GRAND UNDERWRITERS
Judy and Richard Agee
Joan and Stanford Alexander Family Fund
ConocoPhillips
The Elkins Foundation
H-E-B
UNDERWRITERS
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation
Ms. Kiana K. Caleb and Mr. Troy L. Sullivan
The Cockrell Family Fund
Rebecca and Brian Duncan
Halliburton
Rosemary Malbin
Dr. Laura Marsh
Mr. David Montague and Mrs. Diane Ferrufino-Montague
Vivian L. Smith Foundation
SUPPORTERS
Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Ardell
Adrienne Bond
Mr. and Mrs. Lester P. Burgess
The Lawrence E. Carlton, MD, Endowment Fund
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo ™
Powell Foundation
Shell USA, Inc.
Monica Fulton
Mrs. Geraldine C. Gill
Rhoda Goldberg
George and Mary Josephine
Hamman Foundation
William E. and Natoma Pyle
Harvey Charitable Trust
Albert & Ethel Herzstein
Charitable Foundation
Houston Grand Opera Guild
Lee Huber
Ms. Joan Jeffrey
Mr. Geoffry H. Oshman
Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Pancherz
Texas Commission on the Arts
The activities of Houston Grand Opera are supported in part by funds provided by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.
City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board
James J. Drach Endowment Fund
Trish Freeman and Bruce Patterson
Park History
Founded in 1872, Emancipation Park is not only the oldest park in Houston but also a living testament to the city’s rich history of resilience and freedom. The 10-acre parcel was originally purchased for $800 by a group of formerly enslaved African Americans to commemorate their emancipation on June 19, 1865—an event now celebrated nationally as Juneteenth. Over the decades, the park has evolved into a cherished community hub, hosting cultural events, public gatherings, and educational programs that honor African American heritage. In 2017, a comprehensive $33.6 million renovation was completed, ensuring that the park’s historical integrity was preserved while enhancing the facilities to serve as an inspiring landmark for future generations.
Established in 2014, Emancipation Park Conservancy (EPC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to restoring, managing, and enhancing Emancipation Park. The organization is committed to creating a vibrant open space that embodies both environmental and community excellence, all while preserving the park’s historical legacy. Through targeted capital initiatives, operational improvements, strategic partnerships, dynamic programming, and engaging events, EPC strives to transform the park into one of the nation’s premier landmarks and an internationally recognized destination.
