Sanders Theatre
The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum invites members of the Harvard community and beyond to our spring concert, To Repair. The performance features the world premiere of the mixed choir version of Tesfa Wondemagegnehu’s four-movement work, commissioned by Collegium and conductor Andrew Clark in the summer of 2021.
Tesfa’s work grapples with the state of racial injustice in America, particularly as it pertains to its disproportionate impact on generations of Black Americans. The four movements explore what it means to repair by first acknowledging a country’s flawed past in order to make space for grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. The titles of the movements—which capture the tension that transpires in an effort to repair—are as follows: America (Truth), Black Baby (Investment), Calling Dreams (Resilience), and God’s Gonna Set This World On Fire (Renewal).
In acknowledgment of the influence of traditional Black spirituals in American choral music, the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum will also perform R. Nathaniel Dett’s Don’t Be Weary Traveler. Awarded Harvard’s Francis Boott composition prize in 1920, this will mark the first live performance of the piece by a Harvard ensemble. New compositions written by Harvard students Devon Gates ‘23, Chinyere Obasi ‘24, and Eddie Raj ‘24 will additionally explore themes of healing and repair. These pieces will be performed by Ensemble Veritas, a new professional choir of the Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative.
Through music, our goal in working with Tesfa is to bring people of all cultures together to reimagine a future of equality and peace by stepping outside of our individual lived experiences. Collegium invites audiences of all backgrounds to join us on April 13th at 8:00pm in Sanders for this concert. We ask that all audience members be present with the music, as with any concert, and we encourage no cell phone use during the performance. All proceeds of this concert will be donated to a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of Black artistry.
Run time: 2 hours, with intermission.
For more information, please visit the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum.