Okoye: Invitation to a Die-In

Description

Invitation To A Die-In is a "sung story" written in direct musical response to recent murders of unarmed Black men at the hands of police officers or vigilantes. It is part work for baritone and orchestra, that is simultaneously both monodrama, and performance art. An African-American baritone tells the story from the perspective of the deceased, their families, police officers, and citizens on all sides of the issue. Musically, it is a dramatic, stark portrait of African American men being hunted and haunted by the past. The work was commissioned by Ng Tian Hui and the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra in memory of Trayvon Martin.