America, the Dream [HL:254529]

Written as a celebration of singing for racial and social justice this powerful work sets the 11th stanza of the Langston Hughes poem “Freedom's Plow.” Opening with a quote from “America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee),” the listener is reminded of one of America's most important ideals – freedom. This work serves as a prequel to Rollo's 2009 setting of the poem's 12th and final stanza, also entitled “Freedom's Plow” (00114463). The two pieces can be performed separately or as a set.