For his ‘I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes,’ composer Hailstork went right to the Psalms

One of the most prolific and versatile American composers today, with more than 300 published pieces in every classical style imaginable, Adolphus Hailstork calls himself “a historical curiosity. Because there aren’t that many Black composers who have written symphonies, big choral pieces [and] small pieces,” he said in an interview with WRTI-FM of Philadelphia. "But I wanted to be more balanced than that and include chamber music and solo songs and band music. And so there’s a variety out there.” 

One of Hailstork’s best-known works is his three-movement cantata I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes (1997), with text taken from Psalms 121, 13 and 23. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under James Gaffigan, will perform the song I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes from this cantata with the Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir in concerts June 11-13.

The title of I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes comes from Psalm 121, which affirms trust in the Lord, for "He will keep you from all harm.”

From one “dean” to another: Hailstork composed the work in memory of Undine Smith Moore (1904-1989), often called “The Dean of Black Women Composers.” Born and raised in Virginia and originally trained as a classical pianist, Smith Moore primarily wrote vocal music. She was educated at Fisk University and Columbia University Teacher’s College and taught music for many years at Virginia State College (now university). 

As with the works of Black composer Florence Price, Smith Moore’s compositions are undergoing re-evaluation and are increasingly being performed today. Greatly influenced by spirituals and other forms of Black traditional music. Smith Moore was once quoted as saying that “Black folk music and Bach [were] true influences” for her.

She considered her most important work to be the 16-part oratorio Scenes from the Life of a Martyr (1980), based on the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nominated for a 1981 Pulitzer Prize, it was performed at Carnegie Hall in 1982. 

In an analysis of the cantata, the Choral Singers Companion blog observes that the first movement points to Hailstork’s interest in the music of Ravel, Poulenc and Bartók. The sorrowful second movement (with text from Psalm 13) asks repeatedly “How Long?” (“How long, O Lord, will thou forget me”?). Both the tenor soloist and chorus members are directed to improvise at times.

The third movement features words from Psalm 23, “The Lord Is My Shepherd”; Hailstork begins with a joyous repetition of the word “alleluia.”  Throughout its three movements, the cantata cycles through emotions of grief, acceptance and hope.

“What can an artist do?” Adolphus Hailstork has asked. “I can speak on the issues and put them in my work. These are the tragedies and triumphs of a people who have been beaten up for 400 years. Does anyone speak for them? Who writes pieces that speak for the existence of African Americans in the United States? I’ll take on that job.”

Born in Rochester, New York, in 1941, Hailstork grew up in Albany. He studied composition at Howard University, with Nadia Boulanger at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, and at the Manhattan School of Music. Besides Boulanger, his composition teachers included H. Owen Reed, Vittorio Giannini and David Diamond. After service in the U.S. Army, he completed the doctorate in composition at Michigan State University.

His orchestral works have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and other ensembles.

”I always wanted to be diverse. I never had solid roots,” Hailstork said to WRTI. "I said the title of my biography is gonna be Rootless. "I did not come up in a community. I did not come up in a family. I came up rootless. And so I was free and in some ways, it was good. I was free to do a lot of different things, anything I wanted to do.