On Sunday, Feb. 12th at 5:00, the Elm City Consort in partnership with the Department of Music will present baritone Jean Bernard Cerin, soprano Michele Kennedy ‘01, and harpsichordist / pianist Joyce Chen in “Lisette: A Song’s Journey from Haiti and Back.”
The program has been inspired by the history of “Lisette quitté la plaine,” a song written in colonial Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) around 1757. Mr. Cerin’s research has traced its journey around the globe since. In this program, with wide-ranging musical selections, the performers show how ”Lisette” took on new melodies and altered lyrics as people living on the island migrated during the Haitian Revolution. In the early twentieth century, the song was reclaimed in modern Haiti and mobilized as a symbol of Haitian pride and resistance during American occupation.
The concert, with commentary and a brief video, takes place in Sudler Recital Hall on Sunday, the 12th of February, at 5 pm.
Admission is free.
The performance is co-sponsored by The Elm City Consort and the Department of Music with additional support from the Institute for Sacred Music.