Opera Philadelphia
This is a preview of composer/pianist Courtney Bryan’s Blessed (Online debut 2021, Cinematic debut 2022). The piece is a multi-layered exploration of darkness and light, hope and love, weaving together musical recordings and film footage from New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia (shot by filmmaker/artist Tiona Nekkia McClodden. Created as a response to the milestone events of 2020—the uprising in response to police brutality against Black men and women, the November election—Blessed reflects upon the Christian Bible’s avowal that the meek will one day “inherit the earth.” The score was created with both written and improvised music, and Damian Norfleet also provided improvisation on vocals and texts.