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Soprano duo will bring spirituals, poetry to UNC

UNC Process Series: The New Generation Project mixes African American poets and composers in a performance which took place at Kenan Music Building on Thursday, September 4th. Sopranos Louise Toppin (shown above) and Marquita Lister put together this project with intentions of representing less-known artists and traditions of African Americans.
UNC Process Series: The New Generation Project mixes African American poets and composers in a performance which took place at Kenan Music Building on Thursday, September 4th. Sopranos Louise Toppin (shown above) and Marquita Lister put together this project with intentions of representing less-known artists and traditions of African Americans.

Her pursuit for an answer led to a collaboration with international opera singer Marquita Lister.

Together, they created the New Generation Project under the UNC Process Series program. Their goal is to document African-American culture and explore spiritual music in a contemporary context.

“I saw audiences who don’t know anything about the experiences of slavery in United States hear something and connect to it,” Toppin said. “That’s why we want this project to help the new generation answer this question.”

The recital of the songs specifically written for the project will be held tonight and Saturday.

“We’re a couple of generations from slavery but we’re trying to keep and find a new context for spirituals,” Toppin said. “We’re trying to find a new way for the new generation to look at the history of African-Americans that doesn’t always come from popular music.”

Toppin and Lister are internationally known sopranos, and both are also members of the National Association for Negro Musicians.

The project began more than a year ago when Toppin and Lister commissioned composers to respond to poetry related to the African-American experience.

“This whole journey was a process for us as this is not how music is normally created for opera singers,” Toppin said. “Usually we tell the composers what we’re looking for, but this is one which they get to figure out what poetry they think would fit us.”

Among the songs the duo will perform are a slave narrative and a poem inspired by a fan letter to Lister.

“Because we commissioned the composers, we can work together with them,” Lister said. “It has become a collaboration, and it’s the most beautiful part of it for us.”

The Process Series is an initiative under UNC’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities that explores how art is created.

“We look at all performance modes, including classical music and opera,” said Joseph Megel, artistic director of the Process Series. “We provide space, time and money for artists who are developing their work.”

Tonight’s performance is only the beginning of Toppin and Lister’s project. During the next two to three years, they will continue receiving new compositions. Lister said their ultimate goal is to come out with a songbook and a CD.

“The concert that we’re doing is a tryout,” Lister said. “There are many more compositions to come — we’re not there yet.”

arts@dailytarheel.com

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