Jubilee (opera)

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Jubilee is an opera in three acts composed by Ulysses Kay to a libretto by Donald Dorr. The opera is based on the narrative in Margaret Walker's 1966 novel Jubilee which described her biracial grandmother's experiences as a slave and then as a free woman during the Reconstruction Era. It was first performed on 20 November 1976 in Jackson, Mississippi by Opera South who had commissioned the work for the U.S. Bicentennial. The premiere performance was conducted by James DePreist with Hilda Harris as Vyry, the opera's protagonist. [1] Jubilee was revived by Opera South in 1977 and then disappeared after Margaret Walker threatened to sue if there were any further performances. [2] [3]

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References

  1. Associated Press (22 November 1976). "Black opera company premieres with dramatization of Civil War", p. 23. The Morning Record . Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  2. Mayne, Paul (30 October 2014). "Professor revisits painful past in 'Jubilee' resurrection". Western University News. Retrieved 28 February 2016
  3. Ansari, Emily Abrams (Winter 2013). "'Vindication, Cleansing, Catharsis, Hope': Interracial Reconciliation and the Dilemmas of Multiculturalism in Kay and Dorr's Jubilee (1976)". American Music, Vol. 31, No. 4 , pp. 379-419. Retrieved 28 February 2016 via JSTOR (subscription required).