HOUSTON, Texas – On June 17, the Houston Grand Opera will host the premiere of a new song cycle titled “A Voice Within” at Emancipation Park, a celebration deeply rooted in the stories of Houston’s Third Ward residents.
This event commemorates Juneteenth, a day that marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.
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The song cycle, composed by Houston Grand Opera’s Composer-in-Residence Joel Thompson, features 12 songs that capture the lives of specific Black Houstonians.
“It’s the premiere of the song cycle that Deep and I have been working on. It’s called A Voice Within, and it’s a collection of 12 songs that attempt to capture the lives of Black Houstonians,” Thompson said.
The project is a collaborative effort with librettist Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, who emphasized the importance of community stories in shaping music and poetry.
“Everything kind of started in partnership. We were working with the Gregory Research Center, which has a really great capsule of oral histories from all around Houston,” she said. “Much of the text was really taken from looking at those videos of oral histories.”
Mouton described the work as a “love letter to Black Houston,” aiming to reflect the diverse experiences and emotions of the community.
“People have kind of ideas of what they think it feels like to feel Black in Houston. Obviously, there’s historical markers here with Freedman’s Town and with Juneteenth being so close in Galveston. But on an everyday basis, I think that we find spaces for joy,” she said.
Thompson, who has lived in Houston for just over three years, expressed how this project has been an educational experience for him.
“Writing this song cycle was an education for me; it was a way for me to learn about the community that I want to serve with my music in the coming years of my residency,” he explained.
The song cycle also highlights significant local landmarks, such as the Eldorado Ballroom and Emancipation Park, making Houston’s history accessible to audiences.
“We wanted you to come to visit Houston and be like, ‘oh, El Dorado, I’ve heard of that place before,’” Mouton said.
Thompson added, “We’re both tapped into a sort of West African griot tradition of music being able to carry our histories and our stories. It’s essential for us to preserve these places in our stories in this art form.”
As the event approaches, both artists hope to inspire young people in Houston’s Black communities.
“I’d like people to recognize the power of musical storytelling regardless of the genre that it occupies,” Thompson said.
For tickets to “A Voice Within,” visit Houston Grand Opera’s website.