2022

Surviving the Apocalypse

Undoing Poems: Three Duets for Baritone and Soprano Song Collection

"Surviving the Apocalypse" is an art song composed by Andre Myers with text by Nina Evans. Evans wrote the poem that inspired this piece at the age of 15. It is from the song cycle Undoing Poems: Three Duets for Baritone and Soprano.

Listen

“Surviving the Apocalypse” (from “Undoing Poems: Three Duets for Baritone and Soprano”)

Jamie Reimer, soprano; Byron Jones, baritone; Stacie Haneline, piano3:33

Andre Myers

Composer

Nina Evans

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

Ever since Parkland,
My parents have been waking up early
To see me before I catch the bus.
This is love in the apocalypse.

A couple months ago,
We didn’t know it was a drill.
I exchanged fearful glances with people I’ve never liked.
This is solidarity in the apocalypse.

The news tells us
Earth has ten years to live.
I say to Mom, “There go your grandkids.”
This is laughter in the apocalypse.

I always wondered how the people in the disaster movies could think they stood a chance.
But I’ve seen us rise to the occasion as the tides rise to our shores.

And if our city ever drowns,
Covered in gallons of our mistakes,
We will learn to swim.
This is surviving the apocalypse.