“Vote They Will” – from Promised Land: a Voting Rights Folk Opera

Format: Octavo (manuscript)
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Trumpet, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Piano, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello, String Bass


($2 per singer + $60 for accompaniment)

This product includes manuscript versions of the full score, choral score, sections scores, and individual instrument scores.

The abolitionist Gerrit Smith states the core issue of voter suppression in pre-Civil War New York State. This song is a passionate call to action for equal access to the vote.

Promised Land: a Voting Rights Folk Opera –
In the 1850s, abolitionist Gerrit Smith (with John Brown, Frederick Douglass and others) gave away over 120,000 acres of Adirondack farmland to 3,000 free blacks in an attempt to fulfill New York State’s onerous property requirement necessary for blacks to vote. This opera brings this complex struggle to life with deeply emotional melodies, driving 19th century dance rhythms and the dramatic struggle for racial equality and inclusive democracy.

Audio Recording –