When composer Daniel Roumain was commissioned to create four original works for “Greenwood Overcomes,” a celebration led by the Tulsa Opera to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, I’m sure he never thought one lyric would be enough to lose him the commission. Unfortunately, it was.
As Vulture reports, Roumain composed an aria inspired by the horrific details of the massacre titled They Still Want to Kill Us, with the last two lines reading: “God bless America/God damn America.” But when mezzo-soprano singer Denyce Graves, who was set to perform the aforementioned song, expressed concerns over those lines—Tulsa Opera asked Roumain if he would consider changing the lyrics. He said no, and now, both Roumain and his work are now no longer a part of the celebration.
“@TulsaOpera just DEcommissioned me,” Roumain wrote in a tweet. “I was asked to create a new work for them. I composed the words and music for a new aria, and the last 2 lines are, “God Bless America; God Damn America!” They asked me to omit “Damn”. I refused. They fired me. Life in Black America.”
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In response to his tweet, Tulsa Opera put out a statement on their website in an effort to shed more light on what actually led to his firing. The official statement in full via Tulsa Opera:
As part of its upcoming “Greenwood Overcomes” concert on Saturday, May 1st commemorating the centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Tulsa Opera commissioned four new pieces from contemporary Black composers. All four of the composers were asked to write a piece for a specific singer and their voice type. Daniel Bernard Roumain was commissioned to compose a piece to be performed by mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves.
The piece that Mr. Roumain submitted, “They Still Want to Kill Us,” contained lyrics that Ms. Graves felt uneasy singing. Ms. Graves expressed her concerns to Mr. Roumain, and he was asked if he would consider altering his lyrics. He declined.
Ms. Graves said: “As a Black woman I am a huge supporter of all Black Lives, Black expression, and creativity. I don’t have trouble with strong lyrics, but I felt that they did not line up with my personal values. I could not find an honest place to express the lyrics as they were presented.”
The concert program was designed by co-curators, Tulsa Opera Artistic Director Tobias Picker and Howard Watkins (Metropolitan Opera, The Juilliard School), so that each of the eight singers on the program would perform a world premiere, including the four commissioned works. Mr. Roumain was subsequently informed that, as Ms. Graves was not comfortable performing his piece as written, and as he was unwilling to work to find a compromise, his work would no longer be part of the concert program. He will receive his full commissioning fee.
Source: Black Opera Composer Is Dismissed Over Lyrics for 100-Year Commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacre
