Black is Beautiful

Prologue 1 (Narrator)
“…What is precious is never to forget…
The names of those who in their lives
fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts
the fire’s center.
Born of the sun they travelled
A short while toward the sun,
And left the vivid air
Signed with their honor.”

Prologue 2 (Narrator)
“O stay in the field, children
Stay in the field.
Stay in the field, children
Until the war is ended.”

Prologue 3 (Narrator)
“I know moon-rise; I know star-rise,
Lay dis body down.
I walk in de moonlight; I walk in de starlight,
To lay dis body down.
I’ll walk in the graveyard; I’ll walk through de graveyard
To lay dis body down;
I’ll lie in de grave and stretch out my arms;
Lay dis body down.
I go to the jedgement in de evenin’ of de day
When I lay dis body down
And my soul and your soul will meet in de day
When I lay dis body down.”

I. Whenever a People is Oppressed They Wait in Hope (Soprano, Bass, and Chorus)
As it was in the old days, so it is now. Whenever a people is oppressed They wait in hope for the one who will lead them.
And when a child is born, they look at him and say…
“Is this the one who will save us?” They know when he has the look. They look at him and they say, “This is the one who will save us.” This is the one!
They can tell!

II. His Mother Rocked Him Gently
(Orchestral Interlude)

III. Songs at the Cradle, No. 1
(Mezzo soprano)
His mother rocked him gently and slow, and ev’ry time that cradle rocked, she thought, my child we love you so.
God made this world for children like you,
He made it beautiful.
He made it beautiful just for you. Someday when time has passed us older ones by,
You’ll be a strong man.
You’ll be a free man.
You’ll love the world as we love you.

IV. Songs at the Cradle, No. 2
(Mezzo soprano)
His Mother rocked him, oh, how she rocked him.
She rocked him easy, gentle, and slow. And ev’ry time that cradle rocked, ‘twas love and freedom on her mind.

V. Songs at the Cradle, No. 3
(Mezzo soprano)
Oh she rocked him,
Love and freedom on her mind.
Oh Lord, rest.

VI. Ring Game
(Orchestral Interlude with Narrator)
O happy childhood—In the clay—
in the summer dust of Georgia.
I have forgotten much, but still remember.
The poinsettias red, blood red in warm December.
What weeks, what months,
what wild time of the mild year.
We cheated school to have our fling at tops.
What days our wine-thrilled bodies pulsed with joy.
Feasting upon blackberries in the copse –
Oh, Some I know!
I have embalmed
The days, even the sacred moments
When we played
All innocent of passion, uncorrupt,
At noon and evening in the flame-heart’s shade.
We were so happy, happy
I remember…

Narrator:
He grew to young manhood, and
With his beloved,
He lived the young man’s fancy –
“The time of the singing of birds is come;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The voice of the turtle is
heard in the land.”

VII. The Voice of My Beloved
(Soprano)
The voice of my beloved
Behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountain,
skipping upon the hills.
My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart.
Behold, he standeth behind our wall.
He looketh in at the window.
He showeth himself at the lattice.
My beloved spoke, and said unto me:

VIII. Arise My Love, My Fair One
(Tenor)
Arise my love, my fair one, and come away.
O, my dove that art in the clefts of the rocks, in the
covert of the steep place,
Let me see thy countenance
O my dove, Let me hear thy voice,
For sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely.

IX. Set me as a Seal on Thy Heart
(Soprano and Tenor)
Set me as a seal on thy heart,
Set me as a seal on thy arm,
For love is strong as death,
Many waters cannot quench love
Neither can the floods drown it.

X. He Hath Anointed Me
(Narrator, Tenor and Chorus)
Narrator:
Like the child, Samuel, of old,
This man had grown before the Lord, And now the time of his anointment is at hand.

Tenor and Chorus:
The spirit of the Lord is upon me. Amen.
Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. Amen.
He hath sent me to preach the gospel to the poor
He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted. Amen.
To preach deliv’rance to the captive
And receiving of sight to the blind. Amen.
To set at liberty them that are bruised.

XI. I Never Felt Such Love in My Soul Before (Chorus)
I never felt such love in my soul before. All the days of my life,
ever since I was born,
I never felt such love in my soul before.
I never heard a man speak like this man before.
All the days of my life,
ever since I was born,
I never heard a man speak like this man before.

Narrator:
The people loved him.
Crowds followed him.
He was clothed with honors.
But, far off; far off came
Rumors of evil; Shadows of trouble.
“There ariseth a little cloud
Out of the sea, like a man’s hand.”
But this man knew in whom
He had Believed.
In quietness and confidence
He spoke to his God.

XII. Lord, Thou knowest
(Tenor)
Lord, Thou knowest,
I have tried to do justly
and love mercy
and walk humbly before our God.
Lord, Thou knowest,
All the days of my life
I have loved peace and freedom for the bondsman.
I have believed that “love never faileth,”
I have not sought riches,
I have not sought honors;
Lord, Thou knowest,
I have not sought fame.
But Thou hast blest me to hear the voice of rejoicing
and salvation in the tabernacle.
Thou hast blest me to see the people come up after
me with great joy! O, Thou my God!

Narrator:
This was a good man –
Always remember,
This was a man who spoke.
In the days of moral crisis
He made choices.
As was said of the prophets of old:
“The word of the Lord
In this mouth was Truth.”
And thus, after many days,
Evil times came upon him.
His enemies rose against him.
They considered together how they
Might destroy him.

XIII. Martin’s Lament
(Tenor)
Now, Lord, I have come down from the mountain,
down from the mountain top.
I have journeyed from city to city, And I have seen the iniquity of the cities of the plain.
Evil days are upon me
When I have sought to aid thy suffering servants
Enemies have arisen against me.
Oppressors seek after my soul.
Oh God, How many are them that hate me!

XIV. Oh God, How Many Are Them That Hate Me (Narrator and Chorus)

Chorus:
Oh God,
How many are them that hate me.

Narrator:
Strangers are risen up against me. Oppressors seek after my soul. I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Chorus:
Oh God,
How many are them that hate me.

Narrator:
My heart is sore pained within me; and the terror of death are fallen upon me.

Chorus:
Oh God,
How many are them that hate me.

Narrator:
From Words in the Mourning Time
Voice in the Wilderness — Robert Hayden
“Know that love has chosen you
to live his crucial purposes.
Know that love has chosen you.

And will not pamper you nor spare;
demands obedience to all
the rigorous laws of risk,
does not pamper, will not spare.

Oh, master now love’s instruments—
complex and not for the fearful,
simple and not for the foolish.
Master now love’s instruments.

I who love you tell you this,
even as the pitiful killer waits for me,
I who love you tell you this.”

XV. They Tell Me Martin Is Dead
(Chorus)
They tell me Martin is dead!
Have they killed him?
They say Martin is dead!
Is it true, is it true Martin is dead?
They have killed him.
Our leader is slain! Oh God!
He said death would come.
A shot rang out on the air.
His blood runs red in the street. They have killed him.
Oh! Yes! Martin is dead!
Kill’d him! Kill’d him! Kill’d him! Martin is dead!

XVI. Tell All My Father’s People
Woe.
Tell all my father’s people,
Don’t you grieve for me.
He has laid down his burden and gone home,
and the angels waiting at the door.
He has laid down his cross and gone home.
and the angels waiting at the door.
Tell all my father’s people,
don’t you grieve for me.
Alleluia. Amen. Alleluia.