“Be not angry with me that I bear your colors everywhere, all through each crowded street, and meet the wonder-light in every eye, as I go by” - Amy Lowell

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Inspired by the above line of Amy Lowell’s poem, Apology, “I Bear Your Colors” is a program which celebrates the lives and relationships of queer women. Queerness has always has always been present in classical music, but rarely is a queer love story openly and unapologetically shared through a classical idiom. Despite this lack of tangible representation, there are a magnitude of deeply beautiful, compelling, and thrilling stories to be told, which our hearts are compelled to share. 

 

This program centers music which sets the texts of entirely women poets, with almost all of these women being part of or associated with the LGBTQ+ community. Woven together with letters and journal entries which recount many of these queer writers’ own love stories, the concert creates a narrative which which is both universal and deeply personal – that of the course of a romantic relationship. Each section explores a different facet or stage of that narrative and bears a color that embodies the section's mood,  both as a nod to the queer pride flag and as a reflection the strong color-centric imagery encapsulated in the texts. 

 

This project lives within a classical idiom because representation in this form matters and there could be a great deal more of it; by sharing this story, we seek to empower our queer audience members and to help them feel accepted. We hope to encourage more queer individuals to have the courage to share their truth.

Many of the women featured in this  program’s texts have strong ties to the Hudson Valley area, some through their education and connections with Vassar College - such as Elizabeth Bishop – or their local residences – such as Edna St. Vincent Millay. This local richness of literary connection sparked the idea for partnership with Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites, home of the FDR Presidential Library. The beauty and intimacy of the parlor room at the Vanderbilt mansion, along with the incredible restored 1876 Steinway grand piano, provide not only stunning performance venue, but also a connection to the Hudson Valley historical community.

 

Additionally, this project will provide tangible support for local LGBTQ+ communities in the Hudson Valley through donation to Dutchess County Pride Center. There is a link to a suggested donation in the description of the virtual premiere. By doing this, we hope not only make audience members aware of where and what resources they may have locally for support, but also provide support to organzitions locally who are doing the real ground work to provide queer people in general, but especially queer youth, with the support they may need.