1972

Southern Mansions

Composed by Dorothy Rudd Moore
Text by Arna Bontemps

From the Dark Tower Song Collection

"Southern Mansions" is the second song in Dorothy Rudd Moore's song cycle From the Dark Tower for mezzo-soprano, cello and piano.

Audio

“Southern Mansions” (from “From the Dark Tower”)
Daveda Karanas, mezzo-soprano; Michael Ippolito, piano; Karla Hamelin, cello3:51

Dorothy Rudd Moore

Composer

Arna Bontemps

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

Southern Mansion

Poplars are standing there still as death
And ghosts of dead men
Meet their ladies walking
Two by two beneath the shade
And standing on the marble steps.

There is a sound of music echoing
Through the open door
And in the field there is
Another sound tinkling in the cotton:
Chains of bondmen dragging on the ground.

The years go back with an iron clank,
A hand is on the gate,
A dry leaf trembles on the wall.
Ghosts are walking.
They have broken roses down
And poplars stand there still as death.

Video