Andrea C. Adams has been the center director at the South Shore Cultural Center for the entire life of the South Shore Opera Company of Chicago (SSOCC), which does most of its performances in that stately building Adams governs. Because she is retiring, before the SSOCC’s concert on June 16, they presented Adams with an enormous and beautiful bouquet of flowers. From there, the evening became even more fragrant, this time with lovely music.
The concert opened with a performance of the Legacy Ensemble, a chorus composed of young adults led by Elizabeth Norman-Sojourner. A patriotic medley showed the young singers to good effect, and they followed this up with a tribute to Richard Smallwood. His work “I Will Sing Praises” was given robust treatment, and pianist Phillip Feaster provided solid support.
This was followed by three soloists, each performing a short set accompanied by pianist Miguel de la Cerna, beginning with tenor Karlos Piñero-Mercado, an advocate of Puerto Rican music. He opened with Johanny Navarro’s “Guakia baba.” This is a version of the Lord’s Prayer in Taíno, an extinct language once spoken in the Caribbean. Piñero-Mercado sang with calm strength.
He then took on “In Mi Viejo San Juan” (My Romantic San Juan) by Noel Estrada Suárez, often called the second anthem of Puerto Rico. It is a loving tribute to San Juan and Puerto Rico. Estrada composed it for his brother, who was deployed outside the country during WWII, and it expresses a sentimental, intimate love for his motherland. Piñero-Mercado gave a heartfelt rendition. He closed with “A Horse with Wings” by Ricky Ian Gordon, providing a pleasing picture of yearning.
Mezzo-soprano Qiana McNary offered two spirituals, first “Deep River,” as arranged by the conductor Moses Hogan. She brought an earthy quality to her voice and held the audience’s interest. This was followed by “Ride On King Jesus” arranged by Hall Johnson. McNary had bell tones, her highest notes were exciting, and throughout she displayed a strong presence.
This was followed by a two-work set by baritone Warnell Berry. He opened with “Dream Faces” by Justin Holland, an African American classical guitarist who aided travel along the Underground Railroad. Berry sang with a strong sense of musing on the past while drawing listeners in with his quiet charm. He followed this with “‘Till the Wind Gets Right” by Steven M. Allen. This work is taken from “The Dunbar Operas,” Allen’s beautiful operatic homage to the poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. South Shore Opera produced one of the Dunbar Operas in a memorable production some years ago. Here, Berry embraced the music, particularly its gospel and spiritual influences, making it a moving moment in the concert.
Soprano Elizabeth Norman-Sojourner brought a light touch to the evening with the pop song “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson. She had silky smooth vocal lines and gave the song a palpable inspirational energy, which the audience loved.
The last segment of the event featured scenes from an opera the South Shore Opera Company has been working on for a few years. The expression “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired” comes from Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977), a voting rights activist and member of the Civil Rights Movement. She was born poor, the youngest of 20 children, and worked the cotton fields as a child. As an adult, she faced numerous obstacles while trying to register to vote and later helped other Black people register. Because of her activism, she was regularly threatened and even brutally beaten by police but remained steadfastly dedicated to her cause. Her fight against violence and oppression is a story perfect for the operatic stage.
“Fannie Lou, I’m Sick and Tired” is a new opera by composer Richard Thompson and librettist Cassandra Medley. The composer told OperaWire that “Fannie Lou Hamer’s life is a great example of willpower in the face of overwhelming odds. Her life shows that the power of the human spirit combined with a deep sense of humanity can change the world.”
The South Shore Opera Company presented a handful of brief scenes to introduce the opera to a new audience. SSOCC artistic director Leslie Dunner spoke briefly about the opera before the performance of excerpts. The young adults who sang at the beginning of the concert formed the ensemble and brought spunk and attitude to the performance. McNary sang what was listed as a lullaby, but which really seemed an important monologue about wanting a better future while fretting about the effect it will have on her children. McNary and Berry had a duet and dance that showed Fannie Lou had strong support from her loving husband. The dance to jazzy music was sweet. The setbacks to civil rights frankly depicted in the opera are chilling.
But the evening closed on a positive note with “This Little Light of Mine,” a hymn that became one of the anthems of the Civil Rights Movement. There was also a reprise of the patriotic medley opening the concert, leaving listeners on an emotional high.
There were a few glitches. No programs were available, which meant folks didn’t know who was singing or what works they were performing. As the stage was set up with a podium discreetly way over to stage left, it is astonishing that there wasn’t someone to announce the performers and the works, or that the singers weren’t asked to announce their selections. A program or an MC might have been able to explain how all the pieces tied together. But that was minor, as the performances were strong and entertaining, even if each person on stage seemed to come dressed expecting a different event from everyone else.
But it is good to see the South Shore Opera Company back in action, as they haven’t had an event since 2024.
Mark your calendars for Friday, Oct. 23, when the company presents “Fannie Lou, I’m Sick and Tired” at the South Shore Cultural Center. Leslie Dunner will be the conductor and SSOCC managing director Amy Hutchison will direct. Visit SouthShoreOpera.org.
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