Mezzo-Soprano Sasha Cooke Reflects on America at 250

O, let America be America again— 

The land that never has been yet— 

And yet must be—the land where every man is free. 

This poem by Langston Hughes is the inspiration for mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and pianist Myra Huang’s recital presented by Vocal Arts DC at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater Tuesday, November 4 at 7:30 pm. The program is titled “Of Thee I Sing.” Quoting from Vocal Arts DC’s website, “the deeply moving recital celebrates the rich tapestry of American song, featuring works by composers who shaped—and were shaped by—America. A highlight of the evening is the world premiere of a new song cycle by rising American composer Jasmine Barnes.” 

Sasha Cooke was kind enough to chat with me through email about the creative vision that brought the program to life. (the conversation is slightly edited and features additional content from the recital program notes). 

Nicole Lacroix: The following quote is engraved on an outside wall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: “I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be remembered not for  victories or defeats in battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human spirit.”  

As we contemplate the United States’ 250th birthday, and the triumphs and struggles that have marked those two and a half centuries, many of us are thinking about the evolution of our democracy.  “Of Thee I Sing,” your five-city tour which kicks off here in the nation’s capital, is your personal exploration of the American experience.   

How did you decide on this concert tour?  

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Sasha Cooke: Langston Hughes once described America as “the mighty dream,” and that phrase is what drew me to the theme of the program. Are we truly the “land of the free” we so proudly proclaim? What does it mean to be an American today, on the eve of our nation’s 250^th anniversary? 

I have hoped for a recital tour for many years and this is my first! Given I’m exploring themes related to America, it feels very fitting to start in D.C., just by chance! Once I knew I wanted to include the Semi-quincentennial in my thoughts, this recital program came together and thankfully several presenters were interested. Myra and I will take it to 5 cities and hopefully more, in 2026.  

NL: You and American composer Jasmine Barnes developed the central song cycle, American Lament. Can you tell us about the piece?  

SC: For me, Jasmine’s new work is the heart of the program. With new music, we have the opportunity to plunge into whatever questions or ideas are calling us, and both Jasmine and I felt very strongly about exploring “what America means today,” especially given current events. And after looking at countless poems, we landed on Langston Hughes “Let America be America again” as the anchor of the set with two poems interspersed throughout, one by Claude McKay entitled “America” and a new poem by Jasmine herself. Hughes’ poem, nearly a century old, opens Jasmine Barnes’ new song cycle American Lament. The fact that its words feel as urgent now as they did then, perhaps even more so, is sobering. Her music weaves in fragments of well-known American patriotic songs, creating a kind of dialogue with our national identity. I can’t think of another work that invokes America in quite this way. It feels as though the music itself is holding up a mirror, asking us to take a hard look at who we are.  

NL: The program opens with Aaron Copland’s “At the River,” and features music by many composers who are American or have been touched by the United States including Charles Ives, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Jennifer Higdon, Michael Tilson Thomas, ending with Gershwin’s “Of Thee I Sing.” How did you and pianist Myra Huang choose these works? What are some of the themes you explore?  

SC: If anything, I had too many themes I wanted to explore but one of the first was immigration and the idea of the USA as a safe harbor to composers fleeing persecution; also how those varied sounds and experiences became part of the fabric of American sound and our “great American experiment.” That calls to mind our “melting pot” of cultures and sound- it’s in a sense one of the most important parts of our identity, the beacon of hope we have been around the world, but also how we are made up of foreigners. Kurt Weill’s “Youkali” is on the program and here you have a Jewish composer fleeing the rise of Nazism writing about a land of possibility and hope while using a tango rhythm. That is what I love about music- it is always made up of stories from around the world and it’s what America is all about. I had so many composers I wanted to include, likely 3 hours' worth, but with Myra we simplified the program down to the ones that felt most potent. Finally, hope is a recurring theme. It’s not one I anticipated, but it emerged. American music is uniquely hopeful and embracing. I hope our audiences will be left with that.  

NL: Thank you for bringing us an honest and celebratory program that is not afraid to speak truth to power. It feels right that it should take place at the Kennedy Center to remind us all how important it is to support the artists who fearlessly continue to reflect on the beauty and unifying power of music. As John F. Kennedy said, “America's performing arts stem from the spirit of the country and the soul of its people, and they impart to the Nation’s life a beauty, a grace, and a deep and special communion without which that life would be incomplete.” 

Vocal Arts DC presents Sasha Cooke, Mezzo-soprano, Myra Huang, Piano, and Jasmine Barnes, Composer in a program titled “Of Thee I Sing.” 

Tuesday, November 4 at 7:30 pm 
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater 
More information at Vocalartsdc.org