KISS THE SPEAKER WIRE

15 August 2003
and 4 January 2004
Church of St. Paul and the Redeemer, Chicago

ON AUGUST 15, 2003, Yes is a World launched Kiss the Speaker Wire, combining the talents of young musicians and poets to create a mélange of protest art from around the world. The performance uses as its inspiration a celebratory exploration of how black South African choral music played a vital and successful role in the movement to abolish apartheid. Kiss the Speaker Wire also explores the history of protest music in America, featuring performances of music by Radiohead, Lauryn Hill, Ted Hearne and Nellie McKay, as well as important songs from America’s Civil Rights and Anti-Lynching Movements. The final component to the performance is commissioned poetry from some of Chicago’s brightest young voices.

An encore performance of Kiss the Speaker Wire took place on JANUARY 4, 2004. This time, the show was preceded by a thought-provoking panel discussion on the effects of U.S. policy on Sub-Saharan Africa, most specifically as relating to the fields of health and education. In the midst of a brutal Chicago snowstorm, the event nearly sold out once more. All proceeds went to Shinda Basic School, a nongovernmental primary education program in Tanzania. Shinda focuses on teaching the English language and referring graduates to effective AIDS education programs. For more information, please see their website: http://www.rafikitrust.org.

PROGRAM

Open by Ted Hearne
Shosholoza, traditional Xhosa
Shumayela, traditional Xhosa
A Dangerous Man by Ted Hearne
Nans’ Indod’ Emnyama, Vervoerd by Vuyisile Mini
Senzeni na? traditional Xhosa, arr. Ted Hearne and Mollie Stone
The Red Line written and performed by Drew Stall-David (with Amali Premawardhana)
You and Whose Army? By Radiohead, arr. Ted Hearne
Toyi-Toyi, traditional Xhosa call to arms
Murder on the Road in Alabama by Len H. Chandler, arr. Ted Hearne
Birmingham Sunday by Thomas Kerr
“First Experience with a Bulldozer” from The House in Tyne Street: Childhood Memories of District Six by Linda Fortune
As’ Kwaz’ uKuhamba, traditional Xhosa
Everything is Everything by Lauryn Hill, arr. Ted Hearne
Strange Fruit by Lewis Allen
Zadiliki Iindonge zaJeriko, traditional Zulu, with a prelude written by Alia Rajput
Kiss the Speaker Wire by Mbira Klein
Fear no More by Ted Hearne

MUSICIANS AND PERFORMERS
Ted Hearne, artistic director
Mollie Stone, director of South African music and associate conductor
Performance constructed by Ted Hearne and Mollie Stone

Featuring:
Nellie McKay, singer (Aug. 15 performance)
Mel Flannery, singer (Jan. 4 performance)
Elizabeth Reiter, soprano
Sam Sharp, violin
Nora Sharp, violin
Margaret Sharp, viola
Amali Premawardhana, cello (Aug. 15)
Jean Hatmaker, cello (Jan. 4)
Dan Leiber, drummer
Drew Stahl-David, poet/speaker
Nia Easley, speaker
Sarah Moberg, speaker
Alia Rajput, poet/speaker
Mbira Klein, poet
Katherine Rekkas, poet

THE CURRENT
Jonathan Green/Anthony Fett, bass
Avilla Martin, tenor
Isaiah Robinson, tenor
Lisa Roth, alto
Allison Semmes, soprano

SIYAKHUMBULA (‘We Remember’)
Liz Baker
Julian Brunner
Damien Croteau-Chonka
Maria Cunningham
Nia Easley
Anthony Fett
Jonathan Green
Rana Higgins
Karen Jesse
Dorian Kyles
Lisa Laws
Avilla Martin
Beanie Meadow
Sarah Moberg
Kevin Molloy
Maddie Mooney
Tremaine Parker
Burton Patterson
Reggie Patterson
Alia Rajput
Elizabeth Reiter
Isaiah Robinson
Lisa Roth
Allison Semmes
Gilad Shanan