Liberty’s Light
for a’cappella women’s choir
Duration ~ 8:50
Liberty’s Light
Program Notes:
Visiting the Statue of Liberty, I was inspired by Emma Lazarus’ poem at its base. Written in 1883 and erected in 1903, her personification of Lady Liberty is also her reflection of what the statue symbolizes to the people who have come here. A trip to Ellis Island tells us what the poem does not – why people made the one-way trip to come to America. Lazarus’ poem of 14 lines acknowledges references immigrants who came from Europe by water. Today, many arrive by foot, or plane. People come for many of the same reasons as in the past, but are now also fleeing violent regimes. Over the last century, the Statue of Liberty and her torch has come to embody hope and opportunity of a better life. It represents freedom, democracy and justice for people all over the world. I added 20 lines creating similar style verse. For 8 voices, SSAA, Liberty’s Light is born out of the idea that her torch is a beacon of light for all of us, past, present and future.
– Christina Rusnak 2019