Write Us A Black Girl Poem

Text: Bella Hall (adapted)

For spoken voice ensemble with tenor solo, violin and percussion.  Level: Advanced Intermediate.  Duration:  6:00

Write Us A Black Girl Poem is a powerful poem by Portland poet Bella Hall which describes an experience she had as a Black writer in Oregon. She originally wrote it to be performed by a single speaker–herself. In 2020 a collaborative project was developed between members of Cascadia Composers and several artists of color working in Oregon. I proposed the idea of arranging Bella’s poem for an ensemble of spoken voice actors along with a singer, a violinist and some percussion. Bella selected my proposal for development.   She told me about the experience that lay at the heart of her poem, and also about her dreams for the future of her work.  My intention was to employ a group of performers to magnify her message so that people from differing backgrounds might potentially receive its impact more deeply.