Sunday, May 17, 2026, 3 pm
Memorial Hall
Julia Bullock soprano and reader
Nicole Cabell soprano and reader
Sankara Harouna baritone and reader
Stefani Matsuo violinist and reader
Christopher Pell clarinetist and reader
Ricky Ian Gordon pianist and reader
John Arida pianist and reader
MUSE Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, Reina Dickey artistic director
Members of the May Festival Youth Chorus, Jason Alexander Holmes director
Buy Tickets
Harlem Night Song (from Only Heaven) Ricky Ian Gordon (b. 1956)
Winter Moon (from Genius Child)
Litany (from Shadow of the Blues) John Musto (b. 1954)
Island (from Shadow of the Blues)
Lullaby (for a Black Mother) Langston Hughes (1901–1967)
(first published in Crisis, 1926)
Kid in the Park (from Genius Child) Ricky Ian Gordon
Border Line (from Genius Child)
My Beloved Langston Hughes
(first published in Crisis, 1924)
My People (from Genius Child) Ricky Ian Gordon
Empty House Langston Hughes
(first published in Buccaneer, 1925)
Meditation on Lonely House (from Street Scene) Kurt Weill (1900–1950), arr. John Musto
Pictures to the Wall Langston Hughes
(first published in Palms, 1926)
Song for a Dark Girl (from Only Heaven) Ricky Ian Gordon
The South Langston Hughes
(first published in Crisis, 1922)
Aunt Sue’s Stories
(first published in Crisis, 1921)
The Negro Speaks of Rivers Margaret Bonds (1913–1972)
Excerpts from Death in Yorkville Langston Hughes
(first published in The Panther and the Lash, 1967)
On July 16, 1967, James Powell, a 15-year-old Black youth, was shot in the predominantly white Upper East Side of Manhattan by a white off-duty police officer who claimed that Powell was armed with a knife. The shooting caused the worst civil disturbance in Harlem since 1943. Hughes joined thousands of other mourners at the viewing for Powell, which was held in Harlem in a funeral parlor a few blocks from Hughes’ home.
Kids Who Die Langston Hughes
(first published in A New Song, 1938)
INTERMISSION
Harlem: 1951 Chad Cannon (b. 1985)
Good Morning, Daddy
Subway Rush Hour
125th Street
Movies
Drunkard
Green Memory
Casualty
Tag
Jukebox Love Song
Island
Harlem
Mellow
Chord
Tell Me
Love Song for Antonia Langston Hughes
Love Song for Antonia (arr. for violin and piano) Ricky Ian Gordon
Breath of a Rose William Grant Still (1895–1978)
Danse Africaine Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981)
Laughers Langston Hughes
Litany (from Only Heaven) Ricky Ian Gordon
Following the concert, you are welcome to refresh your drinks and take a seat close to the stage for an intimate “Talk Back” with 2026 Festival Director Julia Bullock, hosted by May Festival Executive Director Julianne Akins Smith.
Special thanks to these generous sponsors who bring the May Festival to life!
The 2026 Festival Director Julia Bullock is sponsored by A Friend of the May Festival.
The Director of Choruses Matthew Swanson is sponsored by Sherry and Mark Holcomb.
The 2026 Premier Partner sponsor is Carol and Scott Kosarko.
The 2026 May Festival is presented by Fort Washington Investment Advisors.
The 2026 May Festival is sponsored by Chavez Properties.
Support the May Festival with a gift today!
Financial support beyond ticket sales ensures that the May Festival can continue to present vibrant Festivals at the highest level, reach new audiences, and offer community participation in the May Festival Chorus and Youth Chorus, cost-free!
Discover all of the benefits of giving and learn more about sponsorship opportunities to support the May Festival at mayfestival.com/support.
Langston Hughes and Capturing the Deferred American Dream
2026 May Festival Program Book
Reflect on one of the most influencial poets of the 20th Century. Read about the early years of Langston Hughes.
