1992

Decisions

Songs of Love and Justice Song Collection

"Decisions" is the third of four movements from Adolphus Hailstork's Songs of Love and Justice with text by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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“Decisions” (from “Songs of Love and Justice”)

Deborah Selig, soprano; Jeffrey Sykes, piano2:39

Adolphus Hailstork

Composer

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2022

Date

Irvine, California

Location

This recording was part of a 1pm concert ("Fires of Justice") on Friday, October 14, 2022 during the 25th Anniversary African American Art Song Alliance Conference. The concert venue was Winifred Smith Hall at the University of California, Irvine.

Text

Ev’ry man must decide
Whether he will walk in the light.
Ev’ry man must decide
Whether he will walk, walk in the light
Of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness.
This is the judgement.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question.
What are you doing?
What you are doing for others? Ev’ry man must decide.
What are you doing?