Narrative of a Slave Woman: Songs of Suffering, Hope, and Freedom

Cincinnati Song Initiative presents the internationally-performed lecture recital Narrative of a Slave Woman, providing arguably the most comprehensive journey in contextualizing the words of Spirituals with the very real-world stories they tell from the darkest chapter of this nation. Join distinguished artists LaToya Lain and Casey Robards for this profound journey that places the Spiritual - and everything it stands for - in the spotlight.

In 2003, HBO presented a documentary entitled Unchained Memories - a collection of slave narratives collected in interviews during the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers’ Project - that was narrated by famous African American actors reenacting the original dialogue. From the original interviews, we’ve learned about living standards, the long days, everyday chores, and tales of the “good” and “bad” slave owners.

“I was inspired to take these narratives and my own research about the institution of slavery and combine them with concert-arranged Negro Spirituals to tell the story of one former slave woman through song. It is their courage, their strength, and their resiliency that has set an example for us all. It is on their shoulders that I stand and why I’ve chosen to honor them.”

— LaToya Lain

Program :

Selections including:

Witness

Great Day

Free at Last

I Want Jesus to Walk with Me

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Watch and Pray

Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child

Steal Away

Wade in the Water

Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho

Oh, Didn’t it Rain

Click here for more information and to meet the artists

Host or Publisher Cincinnati Song Initiative