Defiant Voices, Resilient Hope

Through Mendelssohn, Borodin, and Florence Price, this program explores stories of struggle, courage, and hope. From cultural resistance to personal perseverance, these powerful works reveal how music can transform adversity into expressions of dignity, resilience, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

Felix Mendelssohn: Die Erste Walpurgisnacht
Aleksandr Borodin: Polovtsian Dances
Florence Price: Song of Hope
Florence Price: Ethiopia’s Shadow in America [orchestral work]

Maria Whitcomb, soprano
Laura Couch, mezzo-soprano
Other voices, TBD
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Commonwealth Chorale, Michael Driscoll, musical director

Great music often emerges from moments of struggle. This program explores the courage to preserve identity, overcome obstacles, and find hope in the face of adversity. Defiant Voices, Resilient Hope reveals the active struggle at the heart of all three works: the Druids resisting cultural erasure in Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Prince Igor facing defeat and captivity in Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, and Florence Price breaking barriers to claim her place in musical history. Together, these stories provide a powerful connection between works separated by time, place, and tradition.

Felix Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht tells a story of defiance and survival, as a community fights to preserve its traditions in the face of overwhelming change. Based on a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, this dramatic cantata brings together mystery, conflict, and the triumph of conviction.

Aleksandr Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances transports listeners to the world of Prince Igor, where betrayal, defeat, and captivity are met with courage and dignity. Its unforgettable melodies and vibrant rhythms celebrate resilience and the determination to remain honorable in the face of adversity.

Florence Price’s music brings this theme into a deeply personal and historical context. As the first African-American woman recognized as a symphonic composer, Price overcame extraordinary barriers to make her voice heard. Song of Hope and Ethiopia’s Shadow in America reflect both struggle and perseverance, transforming personal and collective challenges into music of dignity, beauty, and hope.

Together, these works tell stories of individuals and communities who refused to be silenced. Through defiance against oppression, resilience through hardship, and hope for a better future, this Defiant Voices, Resilient Hope reminds us that the human spirit has the power not only to endure—but to create extraordinary beauty.