1972

Old Black Men

Composed by Dorothy Rudd Moore

From the Dark Tower Song Collection

"Old Black Men" is the fourth song in Dorothy Rudd Moore's song cycle From the Dark Tower for mezzo-soprano, cello and piano. The text is by Georgia Douglas Johnson.

Audio

“Old Black Men” (from “From the Dark Tower)
Daveda Karanas, mezzo-soprano, Karla Hamelin, cello, and Michael Ippolito, piano2:19

Dorothy Rudd Moore

Composer

Georgia Douglas Johnson

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2022

Date

University of California, Irvine, Winifred Smith Hall

Location

This recording was part of a 10am concert (In Memorium – Dorothy Rudd Moore 1940–2022) on Saturday, October 15, 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

Old Black Men

They have dreamed as young men dream
Of glory, love and power;
They have hoped as youth will hope
Of life’s sun-minted hour.

They have seen as other saw
Their bubbles burst in air,
And they have learned to live it down
As though they did not care.

Video